This French Motorcycle Is All Kinds Of Retro Cool

Published May 4, 2020
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2 min read

The Mash Desert Force 400 looks proper vintage but is modern underneath

This is a vintage US military motorcycle replica.
Made by French bikemaker Mash.
Gets a 400cc air-cooled motor.
Limited to 103 units.

Mash Desert Force 400 Retro Motorcycle Launched

The motorcycle industry can't seem to get enough of retro motorcycles. It's no wonder then that quite a few bikemakers have been making vintage military replica bikes. A prime example is Royal Enfield Bullet 350 BS6 and Classic 350 BS6, which is available in vintage Air Force and Army colours. French bikemaker Mash that specialises in retro motorcycles had launched the Mash Force 400 in Army Green last year. For 2020, it has launched the Mash Desert Force 400.

Also read: Jawa vs Royal Enfield Classic 350 vs Benelli Imperiale 400: Comparison Review

The Mash Desert Force 400, like its predecessor, is inspired by the US Army motorcycles of the ’50s. It gets a vintage-looking fuel tank, spring seats, spoke wheels, twin peashooter exhausts, and fender-mounted number plate. Underneath, the Desert Force 400 gets modern features like a digital instrument console, fuel injection and ABS. The Mash Desert Force 400 appears almost period correct except for the front disc brake and modern-looking engine.

The vintage replica motorcycle gets a 397cc air-cooled and fuel-injected motor. While Mash has not released specifications, we expect power output to be similar to the 2019 Force 400’s 27PS and 30Nm. That’s close to the output of the 300cc Jawa sold in India.

The Desert Force 400 gets modern underpinnings in the form of telescopic forks and dual shock absorbers. It even gets a spring-loaded rider and pillion seat. The motorcycle gets 18-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels with dual-purpose tyres. Braking is via a 280mm front disc and 160mm rear drum with single-channel ABS. It gets a 13-litre fuel tank and weighs 163kg (dry).

The Mash Desert Force 400 is priced at 4,994 Euros (around Rs 4.13 lakh). Since production is limited to just 103 units, we doubt if any will be available outside Europe. However, if you are into vintage Army motorcycle replicas, you could take a look at the Royal Enfield Classic 350 BS6 Signals Edition available in Stormrider Sand and Airborne Blue.

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