Mash 400 Five Hundred Chromium 2019 — Specifications

When everyone else plays the vintage game with ultra-modern motorcycles dressed up as ancestors, Mash turns the problem on its head. The Five Hundred Chromium doesn't imitate the past — it comes directly from it. This 397 cc single-cylinder, with its 27 horsepower peaking at 7,000 rpm and 29.9 Nm of torque available from 5,500 rpm, makes no claim to revolutionizing anything. That is precisely its most honest selling point.

The tubular steel double-cradle frame, the 35 mm telescopic fork, the twin rear shock absorbers, the drum brakes, the high-profile tires in 110/90-19 and 130/70-18 — nothing here was designed to impress a spec sheet. Everything was designed to cost €4,095 and hold the road without incident. At 151 kg dry with a 13-liter tank, the machine stays manageable in the city and light enough that newcomers won't fear it in a parking lot. The 5-speed gearbox takes the whole package up to 140 km/h, a speed you rarely venture toward with this kind of motorcycle anyway.

The Chromium version adds a layer of visual identity that the standard catalogue lacked. The chromed steel tank catches the light in a fairly direct way, somewhere between a curiosity piece and a rolling showroom object. It's neither the restraint of a Triumph Bonneville nor the refinement of a Royal Enfield Meteor, but it's consistent with a machine that claims its Sino-French origins without apology. The suede-finish saddle and the neatly detailed engine fins show that a minimum of care was brought to the details — which, at this price point, is worth noting.

The engine, brought up to Euro4 standards via Delphi injection, runs with the temperament you'd expect from this kind of package: steady, without brutality, comfortable in the mid-range. This is not a motorcycle for those in a hurry, nor for those chasing pure sensations. It's a motorcycle for those who want to ride in the city or on secondary roads with a machine that has character, without breaking the bank and without spending their weekend deciphering a 300-page manual. The target audience is fairly clear: beginner or intermediate riders, urban commuters, retro-style enthusiasts who check the price before the technical accolades.

Against the competition, the Five Hundred Chromium plays in an unusual arena. It's less refined than a Royal Enfield Meteor 350 but genuinely cheaper. It's more accessible than a Guzzi V7 without pretending to share its character. Mash doesn't try to beat those machines on their own turf, and that's a form of commercial intelligence. At €4,095 for a motorcycle that fully owns what it is, the relationship between the delivered product and the asking price remains defensible.