While a casual glance may initially deceive you, no, this isn't a Japanese trails bike from the Eighties, it is, as has already been pointed out, a brand-new motorcycle!
Despite the visual appearance bearing much more than just a passing resemblance to a certain big thumper from over 40 years ago, the Mash X-Ride is actually a brand-new motorcycle with all the hoop-jumping paraphernalia that a 21st Century vehicle requires. It might be air-cooled, but it complies with emission demands (thanks in no small part to the fuel injection system that it is equipped with), has an anti-lock braking system and, maybe the most important part to potential buyers (who already know that any new bike will comply to the aforementioned), has a two-year unlimited mileage warranty that covers parts and labour!
Mash themselves tout the bike as being a 'back-to-basic motorcycle, so you know from the outset that there's going to be little in the way of modern fripperies such as adjustable power levels, onboard sat-nav, electronic suspension or any of the other toys that top-spec production bikes are equipped with nowadays (although it does have a USB connector so you can plug in your smartphone, if you really need to). But that is a refreshing thing, and a return to the belief that pure, basic motorcycling is all that a rider actually needs.
The Asian Francophile
While Mash is a French brand, the bikes are actually made by Shineray in China, with the powerplant being a licenced version of the air-cooled Honda XR650 single, albeit in the tamer L version that has an electric start and is the same as the one that was fitted to the NX650 Dominator. And it's a punchy enough motor, really reminiscent of the big thumpers that were on the market 40 years ago, but then that is essentially exactly what it is.
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
