Dan's Papers - June 19, 2009 - Checking Out Billy's Bikes

Last weekend, Billy Joel was not sitting at his baby grand nor cruising around the harbors in his custom-made Down Easter boats. He was showing off one-of-a-kind motorcycles from his new business venture, called, "Twentieth Century Cycles," at Christy's Art Center in Sag Harbor, couldn't tell the difference.

"I call them 'new scoots for old toots,' or 'modern ride with classic pride," he grinned, wearing his signature fishing cap, as he pointed to his red and black 2005 Harley-Davidson Springer Classic. He had it refurbished it to make it look like a 1940s Knucklehead, and the result was so realistic that it looked just like a vintage bike.

Even his fellow bikers, who came from all over the island to see this new motorcycle exhibit.

Barry Losow of Baldwin rode out with some members of his Harley-Davidson club, who perused Joel's private collection of Kawasakis, Ducatis, Hondas, Indians and Goldwings.

"We met Billy in Oyster Bay when he was riding on one of these bikes, and he stopped to talk to us," Losow said. "It was a beautiful day for a ride, so we came out here to see his show."

Peter Cook strolled in with his daughter, son and girlfriend. "I owned a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy before I had kids, but then I got rid of it because my family thought it was too dangerous," he said. "I love the old-style bikes, and I think this show is amazing. My 14 year-old son Jack is working here selling T-shirts and other stuff."

Joel had brought in 19 of his 31 motorcycles from his Sag Harbor garage. He arranged the gleaming, shiny bikes in three different rooms of this huge gallery, in three categories: American Classic, Café Racers and Metric Culture. All of the bikes were retrofitted, as he calls it, to make them look vintage. They were surrounded by vintage-style motorcycle paintings and prints on the walls, an old jukebox playing '50s music, an old Sinclair gas tank, and some of Joel's own black leather motorcycle jackets, which hung on the walls.

Asked about his interest in making new bikes look old, Joel said, "People want a bike with modern technology, but many of them like the nostalgia of the old bikes."

His business partner, Rob Schneider, owner of "Lighthouse Harley-Davidson" of Huntington who was also showing off these bikes, said he met Joel when he came into his store in 2000 to shop around.

"Billy was looking at my new bikes and he bought a 2005 blue stock Sportster that we delivered it to his house," he recalled. "At that time he had a few bikes. A few weeks later he called up and asked me if I could make his new bike look like the original Sportster from 1957."

Schneider said that, since he collects antique bikes, he thought it sounded like an interesting project and agreed to take it on.

"People are always gravitating to what they remember -like the old Chevys and Cadillacs that are on the road and still collectible," he said. "That's what we wanted to do with motorcycles."

They studied models of old bikes and figured out what they needed to do to make their refurbishing period-correct.

"On our first bike, for example, it was the tin. We replaced the fender and gas tank and gave it a bigger headlight and a wider seat. A lot of these vintage bikes have spring seats, which modern bikes don't have - they have built-in suspension systems," said Schneider.

He explained the modern bikes shift by foot, while the old bikes shift by a handle on the gas tanks.

"That's a feature we incorporated into our Twentieth Century Cycles when we started the business in 2006," said Schneider. "People who own motorcycles always want their bike to be a little different from other bikes, so we contemplate what they want, like '40s or '50s," he said.

As Joel's collection grows, his partner says he's "enthralled" with bikes.

"I've traveled all over the world with him, and everywhere he goes, from Sydney to Moscow, he stops in motorcycle shops," said Schneider. "He brings the same critical eye to his bikes that he does to his music. He quite often brings tractor-trailers of motorcycles on tours."

Michael Eiche, owner of Christy's Art Center, said that although he normally shows paintings in his large, two-story art gallery, he considers these motorcycle conversions to be "works of art-like sculptures."

"We're lucky we have the room for them, and we certainly have had a lot of interest in these bikes, with good crowds coming in to view them," he said. Artist April Gornik of Sag Harbor, who was also at the opening of Joel's bike show, said, "Although I'm not a biker, I love looking at these bikes, which are so beautiful and well done."

The Bike Show has been extended to July 19. From June 25 to 27, the show is on hiatus while the gallery prepares for the Save Sag Harbor Benefit.