Mash Side Force 445 2023 — Specifications

Imagine a Willys Jeep that spent too many nights watching Soviet war films, had a few drinks with a Ural, and decided to trade its four wheels for three. That's roughly what Mash has put on the table with this Side Force 445, a sidecar that openly claims its military influences and makes no secret of it for a single second.

The Burgundian manufacturer knows the exercise well. After a sidecar aimed at family touring, the brand this time pushes toward off-road, adventure, broken tracks, and Eastern Front atmospheres. The visual result is striking: T-34 khaki livery, protective grille over the headlight, waterproof cartridge pouches on the basket, spare wheel mounted at the rear of the sidecar, knobby tires. The machine looks point for point like what Ural has been offering with its Ranger for years, and that's probably no coincidence. The fundamental difference lies in the price: €11,599 against double that, or more, for the Russian.

Beneath the 13-liter tank, Mash has developed its single-cylinder from 400cc up to 445cc. Power climbs to 28.5 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, torque to 34.3 Nm at 5,500 rpm. The engine meets Euro5 and gains an oil cooler. On paper, it's clean. In practice, that's where the numbers start raising serious questions. The stated top speed is 110 km/h, but taking the actual overall weight into account, you'll cruise more honestly around 90 km/h. And the weight, precisely, is the sore subject: 342 kilograms fully loaded. The 41 mm leading-link fork contributes significantly — heavier than a conventional telescopic fork — to which are added the front and rear luggage racks, the bumper, the running board, the spare wheel, the trunk struts, and the metal box. Every detail carries its price. The 650cc single-cylinder that Mash is developing separately would have been a logical answer, but it simply didn't fit within the existing frame. A shame, because 28 horsepower against 342 kilograms means the 5-speed gearbox will work hard on hills.

What the Side Force 445 does succeed at, however, is atmosphere. The two-level seat, the round lights, the fake license plate on the front fender, the interchangeable wheels — the spare can replace any wheel on the train — all contribute to an aesthetic coherence that few machines of this kind can claim. The reverse gear, now operated from the front brake rather than the center of the handlebar, concretely improves daily life with a machine of this mass. Only one blemish in this carefully crafted universe: the digital instrument cluster borrowed from the Force roadster, which clashes in such a well-executed cockpit. It's not a dealbreaker, but it stings.

This Mash is aimed at a very specific audience: experienced riders drawn to originality rather than performance, willing to accept dynamic limitations in exchange for strong character and a controlled price point against the competition. It's not a versatile machine, nor a tool for fast long-distance touring. It's a singular leisure proposition, unapologetic and consistent with itself. For that, you can't take it away from it.