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.
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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This story is from the April 2023 edition of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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