Mash 125 Black / British Seven 2024 — Specifications

Motorcycle: Mash 125 Black / British Seven (2024)

Playing two different looks with a single motorcycle – that's an idea worth exploring. Painted black, it's called the Black Seven; dressed in British green, it becomes the British Seven. The same tubular steel frame, the same silhouette, but two distinct identities depending on the chosen color. Mash didn't invent the café racer or the retro-urban style, but the brand has carved out this niche with a consistency that many more established competitors envy. Since the major overhaul of 2021, which pruned a range that had become sprawling, the Seven is among the few survivors. And for 2024, it returns with serious arguments.

The style, first of all. Spoked wheels, conical exhaust, long clubman seat, metal front fender, and a small Union Jack flag slipped onto the airbox covers: the message is clear, assumed, unambiguous. The Seven claims a British heritage with the nonchalance of a guy who wears Chelsea boots in all weather. It's a more refined stylistic position than that of the Seventy, the little sister in the range with a more sensible style. One inevitably thinks of the Orcal Astor, which occupies a neighboring territory, but Mash plays more on visual density: a set of dark hues on the headlight fairing, fork legs, fork gaiters, calipers, and steering stem. Only the tank and side panels bring the touch of color that tips the machine from one universe to another. It's understated, effective, and it works.

Beneath this worked retro bodywork, the real change in this 2024 version is mechanical. Mash has turned its back on its old engine to source from Hyosung, the Korean engine manufacturer. This change of supplier is not insignificant: the new 124 cc liquid-cooled single cylinder, with its 4 valves and 6-speed gearbox, delivers 15 horsepower at 9000 rpm. The Seventy, remaining faithful to the old mechanics, is limited to 11 horsepower. Four horsepower difference in an A1 category is considerable, and the difference is felt in both the flexibility of use and the responsiveness at the exit of roundabouts. The top speed announced at 110 km/h places the Seven among the top of the 125 road bikes. The flip side of the coin is that a modern, liquid-cooled engine is heavier: 137 kilograms full of fuel, which is honest for the category, but not light either. The 14-liter tank, in return, offers correct autonomy for daily use or small trips.

Safety equipment has also progressed. ABS now supervises both discs, 300 mm at the front with a two-piston caliper and 220 mm at the rear. The dashboard has been reworked: double needle gauge flanked by a digital window and a gear indicator. We remain in the analog spirit, but with improved readability. The usual little touches are there: removable stainless steel exhaust, LED rear light, Fat Bar handlebars, and a Monza-style fuel cap. For 2,999 euros, this level of finish places the Seven in a solid position against growing competition each season.

This is not a motorcycle for the track racer seeking extreme sensations, nor for the beginner looking for the lowest price. The Seven targets the young A1 license holder who wants to ride something with character, or the car driver looking for a second wheel that is both practical and endearing. In this respect, it fulfills its contract with a honesty that, in this segment often crowded with empty promises, deserves to be emphasized.