Overview

• The white 2024 BMW R 18 Transcontinental achieved a hammer price of €130,000 in Munich, with buyer premiums and VAT due on top.
• RM Sotheby’s confirms Pope Leo XIV signed the tank at the Vatican on 3 September, with listing photos showing him seated on the bike holding a helmet.
• The motorcycle was custom-built by the Witzel workshop in Sennfeld and delivered to Rome by the “Jesus Bikers” on a ride from Schaafheim.
• RM Sotheby’s states the funds will support projects for children in Madagascar via the papal missions in Austria, and Misso cites plans to fund schooling for rescued mine children.
• Coverage notes conflicting advertised starting bids—€30,000 per dpa/tz.de versus €40,000–€60,000 per BILD—and the buyer has not been identified.