Many riders cherish their motorcycles, but not many of us have asked the pope himself to bless our bikes. That’s just what BMW did when Pope Leo XIV was asked to bless and sign a modified BMW R 18 Transcontinental at an event at the Vatican on Sept. 3, 2025. The signed motorcycle will be auctioned by Missio Austria by Sotheby’s in October to help fund children’s aid projects in Madagascar.
The project was conceived by BMW Motorrad dealer Witzel and Thomas Draxler, founder of Jesus-Biker, and it was donated to auction by BMW Motorrad Deutschland. Witzel added mother-of-pearl white paint and a coat of arms of the Vatican to the bike.
Markus Flasch, CEO of BMW Motorrad, and Michael Sommer, head of BMW Motorrad Germany, presented the motorcycle to the pope. “What initially sounded more like a crazy idea has developed into a great charity campaign,” said Flasch. “I am happy that we at BMW Motorrad can support aid projects for children in Madagascar with our R 18 Transcontinental. I would also like to thank Pope Leo XIV for taking the time to support this project.”
On Aug. 31, the soon-to-be-blessed bike began a “Peace Ride” from BMW Motorrad Witzel, passing through Schaafheim, Altötting, and Verona on its way to Rome. It was accompanied by church services along the way, as well as representatives of Jesus-Biker, BMW Motorrad, and BMW Witzel, many of whom were also riding BMW R 18s.
For those wishing to see the motorcycle before it’s auctioned off, it will be on display at BMW Welt in Munich from Sept. 15 to Oct. 7. Find more details at the BMW Motorrad website.
The BMW R 18 Transcontinental was introduced in 2022 as a fully equipped touring variant of the R 18 cruiser. With a handlebar-mounted batwing fairing, an infotainment system, hard saddlebags, and a top trunk with a wrap-around passenger backrest, among other touring features, the Transcontinental competes with the likes of Harley-Davidson’s touring models. Find more information and riding impressions in our BMW R 18 Transcontinental Road Test Review.
