Pope Leo-signed BMW finds new home
A BMW R18 Transcontinental, signed by Pope Leo XIV in September, has just found its new home.
BMW has just announced that a special R18 Transcontinental, signed by none other than Pope Leo XIV, has sold for €130,000 (around £113,360).
The bike was sold in Munich, Germany, as part of an auction run by RM Sotheby’s. It was previously signed by Pope Leo XIV on 3 September, when the bike was presented to him by The Christian Jesus Bikers. Leo XIV also sat aboard the motorcycle during the special ceremony which took place at St Peter’s Square, in Vatican City.
The entire proceeds from the auction will now be donated to children's aid projects in Madagascar, meanwhile, the person who spent north of £110k will now get to enjoy the most holy motorcycle on the planet.
If you thought this was simply an R18 Transcontinental motorcycle that rolled off the BMW production line, then you’d be mistaken, and that’s not just because it was blessed by Leo XIV. Instead, the bike was built by the Witzel motorcycle workshop, which spent weeks dismantling, rebuilding, and re-designing the R18.
Said design is believed to have gained its inspiration from the Pope’s famous white Popemobile, but somehow, and this is probably going to sound somewhat biased coming from a two-wheel fanatic, it looks much better as a motorcycle.
Markus Flasch, CEO BMW Motorrad, said this about the bike’s auction outcome:
"The fantastic result of the auction of our R 18 Transcontinental signed by Pope Leo XIV. is a wonderful final highlight of this charity campaign. Like everyone involved, I am also delighted that we can make a significant contribution with the auction proceeds of 130,000 euros to support aid projects for children in Madagascar together with Missio Austria. And of course, I wish the new owner lots of fun with this unique BMW R 18 Transcontinental.”
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
