Billy Joel Health Update: Music Legend Auctions Motorcycle Collection as Fans Question Future Tours

NEW YORK — Billy Joel is auctioning off his collection of 46 motorcycles, including rare Harley-Davidsons and a custom-built BMW S1000RR, in what fans fear may signal an end to his touring career. The Piano Man, 77, addressed questions about his health in an interview with Billboard published Wednesday, saying he is "doing fine" but acknowledging that age has affected his ability to maintain the grueling performance schedule he maintained for decades.

"I can still play. I can still sing. But the traveling — that's the part that gets hard," Joel said. "You get to a certain age and the road takes a toll that no amount of love for the music can fix."

The motorcycle auction, scheduled for November 8 at Sotheby's in New York, is expected to raise between $2 million and $3.5 million. Among the lots is a 1959 Harley-Davidson Model D that Joel rode cross-country in 1978, valued at $350,000–$500,000. Joel said he "can't ride them anymore" due to a 2024 back injury that required surgery.

Joel's last scheduled Madison Square Garden residency show was in July 2024, ending a record-breaking 10-year monthly run. He has not announced new tour dates for 2027.

"I'm not retiring. I'm just slowing down," Joel said. "If I feel good, I'll play. But I'm done promising 80 shows a year."

Joel's most recent album of original material, "River of Dreams," was released in 1993. He has sold more than 160 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Reporting by Billboard. Read the original interview: Billy Joel Health Update as He Auctions Off Motorcycle Collection.