Pope Leo XIV Signs Custom BMW R 18 Transcontinental For Charity Auction

Pope Leo XIV has been presented with a BMW R 18 Transcontinental, a one-of-one model specifically customized for his holiness. The model was presented to the Pope earlier this month for his blessings and signature at an event at the Vatican. Now, the motorcycle will be auctioned by Missio Austria via Sotheby's in October 2025. The proceeds from the event will go to the children's aid projects in Madagascar.

The motorcycle was gifted by BMW Motorrad Deutschland, but the concept of merging the most unexpected pair, the Pope and a cruiser, originated with Thomas Draxler, the creator of JESUS-BIKER. Naturally, if you're arranging for the Pope to endorse and bless a BMW, it must be something beyond just a standard R 18 Transcontinental.

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The bike was delivered to Markus Flasch, the CEO of BMW Motorrad, and Michael Sommer, Head of BMW Motorrad Germany, delivered the bike to the Pope. In a statement, Flasch said, "What initially sounded more like a crazy idea has developed into a great charity campaign. I am happy that we at BMW Motorrad can support aid projects for children in Madagascar with our R18 Transcontinental. I would also like to thank Pope Leo XIV for taking the time to support this project."

In terms of mechanics, this BMW bike is identical to any other R 18 Transcontinental, equipped with a 1,802 cc air/oil cooled boxer twin engine that produces 91 horsepower and 158 Nm of torque. The starting price for a regular R 18 Transcontinental is approximately Rs 32.50 lakh in India and $24,395 (about Rs 21.53 lakh), but this unique model is likely to command a higher price.

In terms of features, the R 18 Transcontinental cruiser gets a 10.25-inch TFT color screen with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation. It also gets four analog dials that display the fuel level, speed, engine revs, and a power reserve. There are also features like Dynamic cruise control, cornering headlamps, keyless ignition, stability control, and ride modes named 'Rock' and 'Roll'.