A BMW R 18 Transcontinental motorcycle bearing the autograph of Pope Francis has fetched an impressive €130,000 at an international auction, with proceeds directed to children’s aid projects in Madagascar.
The auction was organized by RM Sotheby’s, which confirmed that the pontiff personally signed the gleaming white bike during a brief ceremony in the Vatican earlier this September. Photographs published by the auction house show the Pope seated on the motorcycle, smiling while holding a matching helmet — a rare and light-hearted image of the 87-year-old pontiff.
‘Jesus Bikers’ rode from Germany to Rome
The motorcycle’s journey was as symbolic as its sale. A Christian motorcycle group known as the “Jesus Bikers”, based in the Hessian town of Schaafheim, rode the customized BMW all the way to St. Peter’s Square in Rome — a 1,000-kilometer pilgrimage that took three days. The white paintwork and design were inspired by the Pope’s official Popemobile.
The bike entered the auction with an initial estimate of €30,000, but bidding quickly accelerated. Including the buyer’s premium of 20% and 19% VAT, the final cost to the buyer will exceed €180,000.
Funds to support children in Madagascar
According to RM Sotheby’s, all proceeds will go to the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria (Missio Österreich), earmarked for humanitarian work in Madagascar. The organization reports that in southern Madagascar, around 20,000 people — many of them children — work in 176 mica mines under exploitative conditions resembling slavery. For each kilogram of mica, families reportedly earn about €0.05, while the same amount sells for around €12 in China. Madagascar remains the world’s largest exporter of mica, a mineral widely used in cosmetics, paints, and electronics.
Missio Österreich hopes the donation from the Pope-signed bike will help fund education and safety programs to lift children out of these exploitative environments.
A tradition of two-wheeled blessings
This is not the first time the “Jesus Bikers” have auctioned a papal motorcycle. A similar event in 2019 failed to reach such heights, largely due to limited interest at the time. The success of this year’s sale — both financially and symbolically — shows how faith, charity, and a shared passion for motorcycles can unite for a greater purpose.
As the gleaming white BMW found its new owner, one of the riders remarked: “Every kilometer we rode was a prayer on wheels — and now it becomes a blessing for others.”
