DIRT READY: Mash’s X-Ride 650 gets a makeover

Mash Motors has just revealed an off-road focused version of its XT500-inspired X-Ride 650.

The French firm got the hearts racing of ‘70s-style ‘trailie’ enthusiasts when it first revealed its X-Ride 650 Classic back in 2020. The stylish street scrambler has a lot going for it – including a super-competitive price tag and a bulletproof 647cc engine that was ripped straight from Honda’s NX and XR 650s. The only thing it was missing was a bit of off-road prowess.

The new Trail variant aims to fix that. The formula’s much the same, and it gets the very same air-cooled single as the Classic – but there’re a few key differences to help make it more capable in rough stuff.

2kg lighter and 60mm taller, the big news is the welcome addition of a set of 21-inch front and 18-inch rear rims (up from 17-inchers all round). There’re also some Fast Ace 43mm front forks and a monoshock at the rear. The front disc brake’s a bit smaller than before – down to 280mm from 320mm – although the rear stays the same at 240mm. It might seem a bit strange to downgrade the braking set up, but actually if you’re riding it on the trails you’re not going to need the same level of bite up front.

If it goes even half as well as it looks, then it’s going to be well worth considering if you’re in the market for a retro bike… Particularly if it comes in at around £5500 as expected.

We won’t have to wait too long to find out, We’ll be putting one through its paces soon.

#morebikes #morenews #mash #xride650 #motorcycles