Mash 125 New Seventy 2019 — Specifications

When a brand decides to revisit its own history when it hasn't even been around for ten years, it's either a sign of maturity or an admission that the initial design deserved better. With the New Seventy, Mash clearly chooses the second option, and the frankness is appreciable.

The original version played on a fairly restrained, almost timid American aesthetic. The 2019 version turns its back on this posture and embraces a much darker character. Heat shields on the exhaust, the headlight protector grille, the fork gaiters, the matte finishes, and tires with a vaguely adventure profile: the motorcycle looks towards garage preparations, those customs worked with a grinder in a backyard. The sausage-style silencer has disappeared in favor of a noticeably sharper, elongated cone. The lowered handlebar engages the rider more towards the front. On paper, the transformation is coherent and well executed.

Under the 14-liter tank, nothing has changed, and Mash isn't hiding it. The air-cooled single-cylinder, with a 2-valve architecture and a single overhead camshaft, delivers 12 horsepower at 8,750 rpm. It's the technology from thirty years ago, embraced, without pretension. Delphi injection and combined braking are the only concessions to regulatory modernity. With 127 kilograms on the scale and a 5-speed gearbox, the motorcycle tops out at 105 km/h and is clearly intended for the city and small country roads. No one will ask it to overtake on the highway.

What is slightly disturbing is the internal comparison. The Seventy Five, a direct cousin of the New Seventy, already occupies the top of the podium in this segment. Mash therefore finds itself competing with itself, which is a questionable commercial strategy. Faced with rivals like the Kiden KD-125-N or certain Brixton entry-level models, differentiation relies almost exclusively on price. And there, the argument is massive: 1,999 euros for a new 125 with manufacturer's warranty is difficult to contest.

This price targets a specific audience: the young A1 license holder who wants style without sacrificing their budget, the urban dweller looking to free themselves from public transport without getting into debt, or the car driver who wants a motorized wheel for daily commutes. The New Seventy is not a motorcycle for mechanically inclined enthusiasts; it's a utility motorcycle dressed as a rebel, and it plays that role with a certain honesty. You know what you're buying. It's not nothing.