Combine a love of caffeine and motorcycles with this custom sidecar coffee shop built for the Ace Cafe in Switzerland.
Ace Sidecar Caffeine was the idea of owner Danny Kunz, who started with a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 worked on by Auer Power Moto, a local dealer and bike builder based in nearby Obwalden. And then complimented by the Watsonian Grand Prix sidecar, that then gets a rack carrying a coffee grinder and ECM Espresso machine. It’s also set up to serve Guiness 0.0 non-alcoholic beer if you fancy something else to drink.
And it’s nice to see three brands originally created in the UK, all looking pretty cool with the backdrop of the Swiss mountains. Royal Enfield built their first motorcycle in 1901, Watsonian began building sidecars in 1912, and the Ace Cafe originally opened in 1938.
website, if you need more information. As do Auer Power Moto, and Watsonian.
Or you can check out our previous coverage of Watsonian sidecars, here.
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Zapp Secure European Patents For Their Electric Scooter Design
One of the big challenges for manufacturers is how your vehicles will stand out if everyone is using batteries and motors. So it’s an important step when Zapp secure European patents for their electric scooter design, which has already won a number of awards.
And the other patent is for the removable front fairing, which you can replace to change colours or designs in the future. Apparently you’ll need to get the upgrade performed by an authorised technician coming to your home or work to swap the part over for the new version, rather than just heading into the garage yourself, but you also don’t need to pay for a respray or spend hours in the garage with rattle cans to get a new look for your scooter.
If you’re aiming to ride a Zapp i300 on an A1 license you’ll need to have your power limited, with a key sent to you to unlock full power (19hp peak, 8hp continous) when you go on to complete your A2 license. That means an unrestricted top speed electronically limited to 60mph. And you should get a range of up to around 60km from twin portable Litium-ion battery packs, riding in Eco Mode. There’s space for a pillion with a combined weight limit of 150kg.
There are currently four Zapp i300 models available to be reserved for £100, with the i300 Ocean starting at £6,495, the i300 Bio at £7,495, the i300 Carbon at £7,995, and the i300 Carbon Launch Edition for £8,495.
You can keep up with the latest news on Zapp electric vehicles here. And they can currently be reserved through the official website.
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Limited Edition Ducati Monster 30° Anniversario Revealed
The Italian manufacturer celebrates one of the most important models to come out of the Bologna factory, with the limited edition Ducati Monster 30° Anniversario revealed for a production run of 500 bikes.
current sales second only to the Multistrada models in the current Ducati range.
The limited edition Ducati Monster 30° Anniversario continues a long tradition of special models, but stands out with both the tricolour livery, and as the lightest example every produced. The Made in Italy 30th Anniversary livery is complimented by exclusive gold rim wheels, an embroidered logo on the seat, and a special dashboard animation. Plus the name and number plate on the upper clamp.
But the beauty isn’t just skin deep, as despite gaining upgrades including a steering damper and windshield, the 30° Anniversario weighs 4kg less than a standard model, at 184kg. This includes the Ohlins NIX30 forks, which are 0.6kg lighter than the option on normal Monsters, and is fully adjustable with an increased ground clearance helping the sportier set-up.
Along with the adjustable Ohlins suspension and steering damper, you also get Brembo Stylema front calipers and aluminium flanges for the 320mm front brake discs. And the new forged aluminium rims, which are 1.86kg lighter and reduce front and rear wheel inertia. Plus front and rear carbon fibre mudguards, a street-legal Termignoni slip-on exhaust, and a passenger seat cover.
It’s still powered by a 937cc Testatratta engine, putting out 111hp and 93Nm of torque, with the help of ABS, Ducati Traction and Wheelie control, plus Launch Control. The weight saving does continue with a lithium battery, and there’s the choice of three riding modes – sport, road and wet – managed through the 4.3″ colour TFT dashboard.
And if you’re quick enough to secure one, the new limited edition Ducati Monster 30° Anniversario isn’t that expensive either, at £16,095. That compares with the Monster at £11,295, and the Monster from £11,595. Or the Monster SP at £13,995.
With only 500 bikes being produced, you’ll need to be fast to grab one. If you’re not lucky enough, then keep up with all the latest new, custom and classic Ducati motorcycles, here. And you can find plenty of older models for sale on eBay at the moment, from 1993 to 2023.
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Mickey Mouse Vespas To Celebrate Disney
It’s 100 years since the animation and film studio was founded by brothers Walt and Roy, so what better homage than a range of Mickey Mouse Vespas to celebrate Disney reaching a century?
The Italian scooter manufacturer is a few years younger, after Piaggio engineers Renzo Spolti and Vittorio Casini designed the MP5 with fully enclosed bodywork. And being nicknamed Paperino (Donald Duck in Italian), it led to the MP6 designed by aeronautaical engineer Corradino D’Ascanio , named the Vespa (wasp) by Enrico Piaggio. So bringing the two brands together does make some kind of sense.
Especially when the 2021 Disney Pixar film Luca is about the attempts of the child hero Luca to own a Vespa and travel around the world.
You also get a matching helmet in the same colours, so if you’re a particularly big fan of Disney and Mickey Mouse it could be the perfect choice for commuting. Or to add to any collection of memorabilia, which is probably where a fair number may end up.
It still seems a little strange not to opt for Donald Duck, but obviously Mickey became the star of Steamboat Willy, which drove a lot of early success for Disney. And the mouse also became the first licensed character, with merchandise remaining vital to the growth of Disney as one of the largest entertainment companies in the world.
There’s no word on prices, but expect to pay a premium on the cost of the standard Primevera range, which starts at £3,550 for the 50cc scooter, with the larger models around £5,000.
Vespa have definitely embraced the idea of limited editions, with a special 946 produced for the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, and other brand tie-ins including the Christian Dior scooter.
Check out our other Vespa news and coverage, including previous special editions, here. And there’s always a huge range of modern and classic Vespas to browse on eBay if you have a hankering for a scooter.
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2024 Ducati Multistrada V2 S Gets Black and Grey Paint
As the slightly more refined and upgraded version of the Italian all-rounder, the 2024 Ducati Multistrada V2 S gets black and grey paint for the new model year, as an alternative to red.
Powered by the same 937cc Testastretta twin-cylinder engine, the S model adds semi-active suspension, a quickshifter, cornering lights for the front LEDs and a TST dash rather than the standard LCD. And you also now get Cruise Control, along with the full electronics package of ABS, Vehicle Hold Control (VHC), traction conrol and the Ducati Brake Light System which automatically activates your rear light if you suddenly slow.
And now you can choose your new Multistrada in Ducati Red, or the new ‘Thrilling Black and Street Grey’ which arrives in UK dealers from July 2023.
The paint is the major change for this model year, which celebrates two decades since the first Multistrada launched back in 2003, and more than 100,000 bikes in the range have been sold (which currently also includes the V4 versions).
If you’re planning on buying a new model, the Ducati Multistrada V2 S costs from £15,395, and a 35 kW A2 licence version is also available.
Keep up with all the latest new, custom and classic Ducati motorcycles, here. And if you can’t quite stretch to a brand new Multistrada V2 S, you can find plenty of older models for sale on eBay right now.