Pope sells Harley motorbike in over-subscribed auction Published duration 6 February 2014

media caption Watch the moment the Harley-Davidson was sold to an anonymous phone bidder

A Harley-Davidson owned by Pope Francis has been sold for 210,000 euros ($284,000; £174,000).

The motorbike was auctioned in Paris to raise money for a charity for the homeless in Rome.

It was sold to an anonymous phone bidder.

The 1,585cc Dyna Super Glide was signed, but apparently never ridden, by the pontiff. It was given to him in June, to mark Harley-Davidson's 110th anniversary.

The reserve price was a modest 12,000 euros, but Ben Walker, from auction house Bonhams , hinted before the auction that it could sell for more than that.

There were so many bidders there were not enough phone lines to cope and some potential buyers were turned away.

A leather jacket which accompanied the motorbike also sold for 50,000 euros.