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®, came up with the idea to create a 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.

The unique R 18 Transcontinental 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.

The one-off R 18 Transcontinental will be on display at BMW Welt in Munich from 15 September to 7 October 2025 until the auction.