Mash 125 Dirt 2018 — Specifications

The dirt track is an American passion that Europe has long watched from afar, much like baseball or six-meter pickup trucks. We trace ovals on dirt, ride stripped-down machines, remove the front brake, and slide out completely. Mash, the French brand that has carved out a reputation for accessible retro style, has decided to embrace this aesthetic to dress its 125. The result is called the Dirt, and it deserves a closer look.

The first useful clarification before dreaming too much: this machine will not run on an oval. It runs on roads, carries license plates, and is limited to 100 km/h. What it does, however, is stick the image of speedway to urban daily life with a fairly convincing visual coherence. The numbered race plate at the front, the high and wide handlebars, the streamlined seat with careful stitching, the megaphone exhaust pipe that rises on the right side, the twin-shock rear suspension, and tires in 110/70-17 at the front and 130/70-17 at the rear that evoke a racing rain profile. The silhouette holds the road. The lens headlight integrated into the license plate is the sole concession to road legality, and it is forgiven without too much difficulty.

Under the polished, hand-painted and varnished fuel tank, there is a 124 cm3 single-cylinder engine, air-cooled, with two valves per cylinder, and a five-speed gearbox. The announced power is 12 horsepower at 8750 rpm. It’s sensible, it’s honest, and it’s exactly what was expected of a motorcycle at €2695. The steel tube frame accommodates an inverted 38 mm fork and two rear lateral shock absorbers, a suspension setup that flatters the look more than it promises an agonistic roadholding performance. For comparison, a Keeway RKS 125 or a Brixton Cromwell play on neighboring registers, but neither claims such a clear heritage of American flat track.

What distinguishes the Mash Dirt from its cousins is precisely the care given to the finish of the details. The neo-classic fuel cap, the relocated license plate holder, the rear light integrated into the backrest, the aviation hoses on the braking circuit, are all small gestures that transform a low-cost base into an object that we look at with a little more desire. The brand understood that its buyer is not looking for raw performance, he is looking for a lifestyle for less than €3000. This audience, young urbanites or secondary motorcyclists seeking a second vehicle that cuts through traffic, will find in this Dirt a consistent proposition.

The 112 kg dry weight and the 14-liter tank make it a maneuverable machine, easy to take out of the garage and park anywhere. It does not claim to be for long journeys, it does not aim for the track. Its terrain is the city on weekdays and the small winding roads on Sundays. The driver who wants to have fun teasing the slides on a wet parking lot will find in the relaxed geometry a certain complicity. But it will be necessary to remain lucid about the mechanical limits. This Dirt is a beautiful girl dressed as a champion, not a champion disguised as a beautiful girl. The nuance is important, and Mash does not seek to conceal it.