Mash B-Side 500 2025 — Specifications

Who would have bet, ten years ago, that a Franco-Chinese manufacturer would place a sidecar capable of visually rivaling a Ural in a European dealer's catalogue? Mash did it, and the B-Side 500 now represents the logical culmination of a lineage that began with the Family Side — that charming little retro three-wheeler whose sluggish single-cylinder engine barely managed to pull the whole assembly without making the rider suffer.

The break from previous generations lies in this 445 cc parallel twin, borrowed from the Honda CB500 family and adapted for the purpose. The gain is substantial: 53.8 horsepower against barely 28 from the old single — nearly double the power for a modest increase in displacement. Technology makes the difference: liquid cooling, modern valve timing, four valves per cylinder. The stock gearbox loses one ratio to make room for reverse gear, an obligatory signature of the genre, leaving five forward speeds available. At 375 kilograms fully fueled, that matters. Top speed is capped at 110 km/h, which clearly positions this combination on country roads and tracks, not on motorways.

The aesthetics make no attempt to appeal to everyone, and that's all the better for it. The profile deliberately evokes Soviet sidecars — that look of a vehicle stepped out of a Cold War spy novel — accentuated by a matte aluminum grey finish reminiscent of old patrol twin-engined aircraft. The B-Side inherits the complete equipment from the Side Force: spare wheel, luggage racks, front and rear platforms, crash bar on the sidecar body. The Black Side had sacrificed these accessories to keep costs down; here they return, which partly explains those 375 kilograms on the scale. The round instrument panel with its colour TFT screen adds a welcome modern touch, as do the backlit switchgear. On the other hand, the coolant expansion tank, bolted somewhat haphazardly to the side of the motorcycle, serves as a reminder that attention to detail still has room for improvement.

At its core, the technical specification is familiar: steel double-cradle frame, 41 mm leading-link fork, twin lateral shock absorbers, 18-inch wire-spoke wheels fitted with knobbly tyres capable of handling unpaved surfaces without panic, three discs with linked braking. Nothing revolutionary, but a solid foundation consistent with the intended use. This sidecar is aimed at a very specific audience: the traveller who ventures off the beaten track, the rider who holds no motorcycle licence or wants to carry a disabled passenger, the individualist who fully owns their choice and smiles watching heads turn in mountain villages.

The price, however, crosses a threshold. At €12,699, the B-Side moves out of the territory of truly accessible sidecars. The Black Side came in under €10,000; the gap is real. Faced with a Ural playing in the same stylistic league at a similar price point, the question deserves to be asked. Mash's answer lies in that Honda-derived engine, significantly more reliable and modern than the Russian parallel twin, along with a European distribution network that simplifies maintenance. For those seeking three-wheeled adventure without being forced to become a weekend mechanic out of necessity, that is a compelling argument.