Billy Joel Closing LI Motorcycle Shop, Auctioning Collection

The man with the piano is leaving.

Cycles of the 20th Century in Oyster Bay. Billy Joel, on the right.

After almost 15 years, Billy Joel will close his cherished 20th Century Cycles motorcycle business in Oyster Bay and put his valuable collection up for auction.

The shop’s social media posts declare that everything has to go! in advertisements for the selling of motorcycle parts. This fall, the more than 75 custom and vintage motorcycles stored there will be put up for auction.

As reported by Daily Voice, Joel, 76, disclosed that he was diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus months before to the upcoming closure. Thinking, focus, memory, and mobility can all be affected by the disease known as an accumulation of fluid in the brain.

In a recent podcast interview, Joel told Bill Maher that he was getting used to the condition and was open about having balance problems but otherwise feeling well.

Hicksville native Joel founded 20th Century Cycles in 2010 to repair, service, and display his motorcycles for free. The store, which included Harley-Davidsons, Triumphs, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, Indians, BMWs, and rare models like a 1952 Vincent Rapide, became a popular hangout for motorcyclists and tourists.

Joel stated in a 2013 video shot inside the store that it’s essentially promoting an aesthetic here. The car design of the 1930s to 1960s appeals to me. In order to show people what bikes from that era looked like, I wanted to gather a large number of these vehicles and display them in one location. thus it is beginning to lose its visual appeal.

Joel also anticipated the store would attract tourists to Oyster Bay’s downtown. The block on which it is located was renamed Billy Joel Way in 2023 in his honor.

The business has been open on weekends to sell the remaining new, used, and vintage parts even though the motorcycles have already been transported away.

Joel has a decades-long affinity with motorcycles. He spent around a month in the hospital after a motorist on Long Island ran a red light and collided with his bike in 1982, gravely injuring him.

He has taken part in charity rides throughout the years to support causes like breast cancer research and 9/11 first responders.

Joel recently advertised his Centre Island estate for $29.9 million, and he also has a house in Sag Harbor in addition to his Florida home.