A bicycle made for two: MOD’s Easy SideCar Sahara e-bike gives your pet a place to perch

The motorcycle sidecar used to be a ubiquitous kind of low-cost transportation, a simple way of doubling (or trebling) the accommodation on a two-seater, as well as provide space for luggage. Yet aside from specialist manufacturers like the century-old UK-based Watson-Squire, you’ll not find many motorcycle manufacturers still offering bespoke rigs for their bikes. When it comes to e-bikes, the sidecar situation is close to non-existent.

Enter MOD Bikes, a company founded in Austin, Texas, in 2018 by Dor Korngold. MOD’s approach is to build characterful bikes that have more than a hint of retro style about them, wrapped up in a well-crafted package and ‘complemented by top-notch service rooted in southern hospitality.’

The company was one of the first to offer a detachable sidecar system for e-bikes, and its current Easy SideCar 3 is still one of the few options available for load-lugging bike riders in this modern day and age. With a 400lb payload capacity (180+kg), as well as a seat and seatbelt system that can be removed for added storage, it’s a practical, stylish machine that blends early motorcycle aesthetics with a modern electric drivetrain. As you can see, it’s a substantial get-up for an e-bike, with a custom-built sidecar that’s rated for children, adults and, perhaps the most likely passengers of all, dogs.

MOD’s newest offering is this, the Easy SideCar Sahara, gives a desert-inspired spin to the Easy SideCar. Inspired by the BMW R75, the WWII-era German rig that used a special driveshaft to power both the motorbike’s rear wheel and that of the sidecar.

Korngold calls the Sahara ‘an invitation to explore, create memories, and ride in style with your favourite copilot.’ To this end, it’s making much of its new feature, the built-in Doggie Door that allows for easier four-legged access.

The sand-beige frame is combined with minimal MOD graphics, a nod to the North African desert camouflage of the original R75. There’s also a more substantial suspension system, a larger sidecar frame and a top cargo rack to bump up the storage. Finally, there are two headlights, one on the bike and one on the front of the sidecar itself. With a single battery, the Easy Sidecar Sahara should be good for a 50-mile range, and there’s twin battery capability to double the range.

MOD Easy Sidecar Sahara, from £2,745 (introductory price), MOD-Bikes.com, @MODbikes.official