A BMW R 18 Transcontinental for Pope Leo XIV

Image courtesy BMW
Image courtesy BMW
Image courtesy BMW
Image courtesy BMW

On 3 September 2025, a specially modified BMW R 18 Transcontinental was presented to Pope Leo XIV. for his blessing and signature during a celebratory event at the Vatican. This R 18 Transcontinental bearing the Pope’s signature will be auctioned by Missio Austria via Sotheby’s in October 2025, with the proceeds going to children’s aid projects in Madagascar.

The R 18 Transcontinental was donated by BMW Motorrad Deutschland and refined by BMW Motorrad dealer Witzel. Witzel and Thomas Draxler, founder of JESUS-BIKER®, initiated the idea to create an absolutely unique bike for the pope for a good cause. It was painted mother-of-pearl white and the coat of arms of the Vatican was affixed to it, among other modifications.

Image courtesy BMW

The unique motorcycle began its journey on 31 August 2025 with a ‘Peace Ride’ from Motorrad Witzel in Sennfeld to Rome, passing through Schaafheim, Altötting and Verona and accompanied by church services. Representatives of JESUS-BIKER®, BMW Motorrad and BMW Witzel joined the journey, mainly riding BMW R 18 motorcycles provided by BMW Motorrad Germany.

On Wednesday 3 September 2025, Markus Flasch, the CEO of BMW Motorrad and Michael Sommer, head of BMW Motorrad Germany, personally presented the motorcycle to the Pope for blessing and signing, after the general audience at the Vatican.

Image courtesy BMW

Markus Flasch sums it up: “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.”

This unique R 18 Transcontinental will be on display at BMW Welt in Munich from 15 September to 7 October 2025, until the auction.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow us on Microsoft Start.

Leave a Comment

More in News

Lamborghini Polo Storico and the Diablo star at the Concorso di Varignana

Automobili Lamborghini’s Polo Storico department took part last weekend in ...

Lamborghini Day UK celebrates the marque’s present, past and future

Lamborghini Day UK on Saturday 27 September took place against ...

‘States of Endurance’ road trip across America honours the culture of McLaren

Three McLaren supercars, eight US states, and 3,867 miles of ...

Subaru Stands Firm on All-New 2026 Solterra Pricing

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced pricing on the all-new ...

GM donates 59 BrightDrop vans for American Red Cross disaster support

When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross is quick to ...

Trending on Motoring Chronicle

RML Group P39 hypercar prototype debuts at Supercar Fest

RML Group, the British engineering firm renowned for four decades of ...

Urban Automotive redefines the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon W465 with next-generation Widetrack and Aero Kit styling programmes [Photo Gallery]

Urban Automotive, specialists in premium luxury vehicle enhancements, has redefined ...
Silhouette of Elon Musk portrait, billboard of Tesla on red background — Photo by kovop58@gmail.com

Elon Musk’s Reversal on EV Tax Credits Sparks Controversy Amid Tesla’s Financial Woes

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, once a vocal opponent of EV ...

2026 Land Cruiser: Built to Explore, Designed to Impress

The 2026 Land Cruiser continues to exemplify the perfect balance ...

Introducing the Kia K4, where bold design meets smart innovation [Photo Gallery]

Kia blurs the line differentiating the C- and D-segment with ...