Can you imagine having a motorcycle signed by the Pope in your garage? The owner of this exclusive BMW R 18 Transcontinental can certainly consider himself lucky.
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The white R 18 Transcontinental was presented to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on September 3, 2025, as a donation from BMW Motorrad. The model was specially designed to receive his blessing and signature.
However, since the Pope does not ride motorcycles—preferring his Mercedes-Benz G-Class used as the Popemobile—the unique model was put up for auction during Motorworld Munich, held in Germany on September 18.
The auction was part of a charity campaign organized by RM Sotheby’s in support of the Catholic missionary organization Missio Austria. The amount raised—€130,000 (about $150,000)—will be donated to child aid projects in Madagascar.
“The excellent result of the auction of our R 18 Transcontinental signed by Pope Leo XIV is a wonderful highlight of this charity initiative,” said Markus Flasch, CEO of BMW Motorrad.
“I’m pleased that we can make a significant contribution to supporting children in Madagascar with the amount raised. And of course, I wish the new owner great joy with this one-of-a-kind motorcycle.”
Photos: BMW / Vatican / RM Sotheby’s. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
