Motorcycle specifications Mash250 Two Fifty 2023 A place to relax in the retro world

Mash has played its 125s poker. Offering simple, inexpensive, technologically basic bikes with a retro design to match, this was a niche to fill, and the Sino-French brand didn't miss a beat. But the world of motorcycles doesn't stop at 1/8th liters; rather, it begins there. The manufacturer has moved upmarket with this 250 Two-Fifty. A name with a delicately English flavour, cleverly placed on a machine that mimics the identity of old British machines.

Design-wise, we're on familiar ground. The Two Fifty picks up where the Seventy-Five left off, applying all the recipe to appeal to the masses. Fake Bonneville looks, spoked rims, shiny mudguards, inverted forks, long, flat saddle, sausage pot, and a more prominent engine than on the 125s. A touch of color on the tank at knee level completes the look. We've seen naughtier bikes for cruising around town.

Or further afield... when it comes to adventure, the Two-Fifty can be tried and tested, with a little patience and a lot of mileage. Like the road-trip undertaken by Martin Johler and Philipp Sproll, who clocked up 18,000 kms in less than 2 months. The Mash accompanied them from Beijing to Paris. In addition to this calling card, the 2 and a half has earned some new pledges in 2017, with Delphi injection enabling it to pass the standards of the time, ABS (the first in the range), a new seat, new shocks and large tread tires. Mash is determined to keep this 2? in the catalog, offering it Euro5 certification.

The Two Fifty is all about cruising. And that's what its single-cylinder engine is all about. With more displacement and watts than the Seventy and other models, this 250 offers more convincing acceleration and muscle on a daily basis.
Its engine is based on Suzuki technology from long ago. 249 cm3 to power the GNs and TUs of yesteryear, with simple, tried-and-tested features: 2 valves, cooling fins, 1 ACT, and 17.5 hp at 7500 rpm. It's already more comfortable as a mill, although you shouldn't ask too much of it either. We'll be revving at 110-120 max, and it's around 90-100 km/h that the crew will get the most out of it.
On the other hand, there are a few annoying details to be found on a daily basis, such as the hingeless fuel filler cap and the absence of a fuel gauge. Besides, the Mash deserves better than those commodos from Bazarland.

No surprises on the chassis side, also derived from the Seventy-Five. The bike is built around a single-cradle steel frame, with a 38mm inverted fork, a pair of shock absorbers (a little beefier than on the 125s), a 300mm 3-piston disc brake for the front (since 2017) and 220mm 1-piston for the rear, 17-inch wheels and a weight barely higher than the 125s.
It doesn't pretend to be a sharp bike, and that's not what we're interested in. This sweet Mash roadster is all about the carefree, bucolic side of an afternoon by the lake, or an impromptu snack on the hill after work. Don't look any further, especially for such a contained price.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos