Mash 400 Five Hundred Chromium 2020 — Specifications

When everyone else plays the vintage card with plastic bodywork and "old school" mirrors made in Taiwan, Mash chooses a different tactic: offering a motorcycle that was genuinely born in another era, and owning it completely. The Five Hundred Chromium doesn't simulate the past — it's a direct continuation of it, with all the raw charm and acknowledged limitations that entails.

The chromed tank sets the tone at first glance. The polished steel catches the light, throws it back, draws the eye far more reliably than any artificially weathered matte paint. It's upfront, almost insolent — somewhere between American custom bikes of the sixties and pre-plastic European racers. The suede-finished seat and the carefully detailed fins on the single-cylinder engine complete the package with consistency. It calls to mind certain limited-edition Guzzis, or the V7 Racer that triggered the same Pavlovian response in chrome-and-leather enthusiasts. Except here, the entry price sits at €3,895, which changes the conversation entirely.

Beneath that gleaming tank, the 397 cc four-valve single-cylinder produces 27 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 29.9 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm. There's no point pretending otherwise: those figures don't keep Royal Enfield or Honda up at night with their CB350. But the Five Hundred isn't competing on that ground. Its Delphi fuel injection, added to meet Euro 4 standards, doesn't betray the mechanical spirit of the machine. The five-speed gearbox works without rushing, the chain drives with the straightforwardness of a bike that isn't trying to be more than it is. The steel double-cradle tubular frame, the 35 mm telescopic fork, and the twin rear shock absorbers form a sound, predictable, no-surprise package. The drum brakes will make fans of carbon bite feel gnash their teeth, but they match the actual intended use of this motorcycle.

Because the Five Hundred Chromium is clearly a leisure machine. With its dry weight of 151 kg, 13-litre tank, and a top speed of around 140 km/h, it targets a rider who prefers back roads to highways, who rides for the pleasure of the scenery and the mechanical soundtrack rather than lap times. The A2 licence is a perfect fit. It's also an excellent entry point for someone who wants a genuinely old-school motorcycle without the maintenance demands of a collector's piece or the price tag of a restored Japanese or Italian machine.

The real argument for the Mash, beyond the styling, remains its ability to deliver a coherent experience from start to finish for under €4,000. In a segment where premium manufacturers charge a premium for the patina, here you're simply paying for a motorcycle. No overblown storytelling, no optional vintage kit at €800. Just steel, chrome, and an engine that runs. It's not much — and that's exactly what some people are looking for.