One man who won't be needing motorbike breakdown cover anytime soon is the Pope, who divested himself of a 1,585cc Dyna Super Glide Harley Davidson at an auction in Paris last week.
But while His Holiness prefers the comfort and security of the ‘Pope-mobile’, there are many others who would opt to keep the Harley.
Despite having a guide price of £9,900-£12,400, this most holy of bikes reached £200,000 after a bidding war broke out at the auction, which took place at Bonhams at the Grand Palais in Paris.
An anonymous private buyer won the bike, which bears the Pope's signature on the fuel tank. Another buyer won a leather riding jacket, also signed by His Holiness, for £48,000.
The money raised from the auction will fund Caritas Roma, a charity that supports those in need around the world on behalf of the Roman Catholic church.
The Dyna Super Glide's tank was signed by the Pope at a special ceremony in the Vatican City in November.
The bike was presented to the Pope as part of Harley Davidson's 110th anniversary celebrations. It was part of 'Les Grandes Marques du Monde sale' at the Paris premises of UK-based auctioneer Bonhams.
The huge price tag will raise the profile of the Harley brand even further as it pushes into emerging markets such as China and India. The most recent addition to the Harley Davidson range is the Street 750, which was launched on the 5th of February at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo, Delhi-NCR. It features an all-new 60° V-twin engine called the Revolution X.
Breakdown Cover from 
