For most people, the value of a motorcycle drops the second you sign the papers and ride it off the lot. We can do a lot of things to help the bike maintain its quality and value, we customize it to keep it running, and there is always the possibility a bike will become a classic. For one Argentine bishop, raising the price on his Harley was as easy as moving to Rome.
Several weeks ago, Pope Francis donated his 1,585cc Dyna Super Glide to a charity auction benefitting the poor of Rome. The bike, which he received last year in honor of Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniverary, was signed by the Pope himself. The auction, part of Bonhams auction house “Les Grandes Marques du Monde” sale on Thursday, February 6, initially estimated the bike to be worth around $20,469.
By the time the auctioneer’s voice yelled sold, the Harley’s selling price had risen to $327,000 including taxes and fees, almost twenty times more than the expected price. The winning bidder has chosen to remain anonymous.
The Pope also signed another Harley item, a Harley jacket, which was sold in a separate lot and raised around $74,300 for the charity.
The Roman Catholic charity, which received all of the money raised by the auction, supports a soup kitchen and hostel for the homeless.
While it’s hard to believe Fox News’ claims that “It’s unknown whether the pontiff ever rode the custom 2013 Dyna Super Glide that was a gift from Willie Davidson, a retired Harley-Davidson designer and grandson of the company’s co-founder,” no one can dismiss the amount of good the Pope was able to do in donating the bike to charity.
Every year, there are hundreds of charity rides held in the US; check out these charity rides in your area. Not only will you have a chance to ride with hundreds or thousands of people who love riding as much as you do, but you will have to satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something positive in your community. And if there aren’t any charity rides in your area, see what you can do to start a ride for a cause that you care about. You may not be able to bring in as much as the Pope, but you can make a positive difference.
Original Articles from Aimag.com and Fox News
Photos from Fox News article and Darkroom.BaltimoreSun.com