Mash Side Force 445 2022 — Specifications

Imagine a Jeep Willys that crossed paths with a Soviet sidecar in a Norman forest, the whole thing assembled by guys from Beaune with a sharp sense of spectacle. The result is the Side Force 445, and Mash makes no pretense about it: this is not a Sunday afternoon cruiser, it's a statement of intent, an object that proudly and unapologetically claims its adventurer DNA.

A single glance is enough to understand the brief. The 41 mm leading-link fork, the knobby tires, the spare wheel mounted on the sidecar body, the WWII military vehicle color scheme: the comparison with the Ural Ranger imposes itself without any need to look for it. Mash owns the influence and adds its own stylistic grammar. The headlight guard grille, the two-tier saddle worthy of another century, the waterproof side pouches, the dummy plate on the front fender: every detail tells a story. This is less a road motorcycle than a prop from an adventure film, and that is precisely the point.

Beneath this carefully crafted disguise, the 445 cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine pushes out 28.5 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 34.3 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm. A modest gain over the previous 400, as required by the transition to Euro5 compliance. One might have dreamed of the recent 650 cc single-cylinder that Mash is developing elsewhere, but the steel tube frame architecture left no room for it. The mechanical result is honest without being generous, especially given the 342 kilograms fully laden that the Side Force tips the scales at. That is the real issue: the leading-link fork, the front and rear luggage racks, the metal box, the bumper, the lid struts, the spare wheel — all of it adds up. More than 110 kilograms separate this Side Force from the original Family Side. In practical terms, the 110 km/h claimed by Mash should be taken with a grain of salt; in the real world, with wind and a load, 90 km/h is a more credible ceiling.

The good news is that this leading-link fork earns its weight penalty through a genuine benefit in use: the handling is more composed, more predictable, and more comfortable than on a standard-suspension sidecar. Reverse gear, now operated via the front brake rather than a dedicated handlebar control, becomes considerably more accessible. An oil cooler rounds out the list of technical improvements, having earned its place since the Chrome & Black special series. On the downside, the small digital instrument cluster inherited from the Force roadster clashes with the overall atmosphere like a smartphone dropped on a military map. It is not a deal-breaker, but the stylistic inconsistency is impossible to ignore.

At €11,499, the Mash Side Force 445 is positioned well below an Ural, whose prices hover around double depending on the configuration. That is its trump card against the only credible competitor in the segment. This sidecar is aimed at a very specific audience: riders who seek absolute originality, who accept the inherent dynamic constraints of the format, and who would rather spend on experience than on performance. This is not a machine for eating up motorway miles, nor for setting a pace on an open road. It is a machine for curiosity, questionable forest tracks, and themed weekends. For that purpose, Mash has built something coherent, visceral, and singularly endearing.