Mash motorcycles?

[Rogerborg]

Depends what you need. I had the Lifan LF250B, the Virago 250 copybike. Reasonable enough bike, CMPO had some parts, but then one of the downpipes rotted out and they only had full systems.

Sod me if I could find a replacement in the UK, I had to order direct from China. When I finally got it, I took the system off and the collector box crumbled to pieces in my hands.

At that point it just wasn't worth spending to repair it and off it went as a non-runner.

Sad story, not too many conclusions to draw, but it's made me a bit wary about spending more than sweetie money on a bike that may not have parts supply at the time when I'm likely to actually need it.

I might buy your Mash in a couple of years, mind, but to be honest, mate, it's Chinky crap, mate, I can't offer much, mate.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[linuxyeti]

Hi for the Lifan LF250, and for the matter, the LF400 I had, there was always the option of parts that fit the Yamaha versions, the XVS250 in your case, or the XV535 in mine, as they are that close a clone of them.

As I said, never had an issue with parts, but then again, didn't really have any issues with corrosion in general.
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[JonE]

I really like the way it looks but then I have got a hankering for that style of bike at the moment and think I'll try and save up for a decent second hand Enfield.

[wr6133]

I had exhaust issues on my old JL250-5. Ended up giving a friendly welder a crap ton of cider to sort out the downpipes. Had I not known a friendly welder in order to replace the downpipes I would have been stuck buying the entire system at over £200 or shipping one from China at similar cost (£50 for the system, about £120 to ship).

I really like the look of that Mash, though as I've said before I'd be put off by the fact I can't easily order parts from the comfort of my own chair. For me that is a deal breaker with any bike.

[linuxyeti]

Hi Yeah

I have an Enfield 350 Bullet. Generally reliable, but somewhat less refined than the Mash, do really like it though, but it certainly has it's moments !!

Don't forget, if you go for a new Enfield, only the 500 is EFI'd, which means, it'll be in the higher tax bracket.

Cheers

Tony
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[linuxyeti]

Unfortunately, I didn't have my JL-250 long enough for the downpipes to rust, I only had it for just over 4 years, before it was stolen and burnt out.

But, in that 4 years, running it in the crappy winter weather, I didn't even have any pitting on the chrome. I did however, keep it clean, and kept it covered with either ACF-50 or WD40
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[thx1138]

[Rogerborg]

[linuxyeti]

Hi yeah

I know what you mean there, I think Lifan really shot themselves in the foot over in the UK with their dealer network, then switching to Zing bikes, who's customer service was atrocious. I see they seem to be building again, slowly, but so much damage to their reputation with what happened previously I think, it's going to take them a while.

Jinlun, are another that showed so much promise, good bikes, pretty reasonable quality, but again, their 'dealer' network, and lack of additional models let them down, apart from the 250V, which, by all accounts was abyssmal !!

I went with the Mash, partly, because I was looking at 250's initially, but then came across the early Mash reviews online. I saw that they have a pretty good reputation in mainland europe, and seem to be well established. Then, I found a local dealer, well, in Birmingham, so pretty local, to have a look at it in the flesh, and was offered a test ride as well.

The build quality, welds etc, look really good. From what I can gather, the bolts are supposed to be stainless steel, the exhausts are more substantial than my Enfield's, and the chrome, appears to be pretty good, not as good as on my triumph, but I would say, probably better than on my Enfield.

I know it's a risk trying something a bit new, and a bit different, but I'm not averse to that, my Skyteam V-Raptor, is the 4th UK registered one

Also, I don't think it will too long before Sinnis and/or HMC offer their equivalent, unless they decide Mash have stolen too much of a March on them. One thing I have noticed, more than any other chinese brand I can think of, Mash seem to be really pushing themselves in the media, and where I got mine from, mentioned that Classic Bike magazine are also going to do a feature on the Mash
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[Rogerborg]

Oh, I get it, my first three bikes were "you'll be sorry!" purchases. HN and GPz were great, Lifan was OK until it wasn't. I might take a punt on something similar in the future.

It is surprising that Jinluns vanished, they were very well regarded. Perhaps the wholesale price just went a few Yuan too high, it's a cut-throat market. The Zing and Zongshen brands were only ever blips, and speaking of Zongshen, I can see those 'Honley' 250s going the same way, with 25 sold to date.

Perhaps most telling is that Lexmoto seem to have dropped Adrenaline 250 as part of retiring the Pulse brand. That did relatively well at a whole 88 units, but that'll be the only 88 in the country, and that's not much of an incentive to stock parts.

Go bigger, and the much vaunted "WK" (CF Moto) 650s have sold 68 in total, both models, and they got a lot of coverage.

Despite what I'm currently on, I'm not a badge whore. I'd have a Mash over an Enfield, as it's probably a better bike, except that I can go online right now and order pretty much any Enfield part that I like for immediate dispatch to my door. Skyteam, notably, has online parts ordering and good on them.

If and when "Mash" can show me the same, I might give them a look. I'd value that over any media blitz, since I doubt that they'll sustain it.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[wr6133]

[Polarbear]

£3799 OTR.

Just no, You can buy some lovely machinery for that in the 2d hand market. Stuff that will go on for many many years. I mean.....

Just a cheap iconic bike -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-vmax-1200-full-power-1993-low-mileage-/111700082120?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1a01d7fdc8

If you want a 400 -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KAWASAKI-ZRX-400-ZRX400-Eddie-Lawson-Replica-Fire-Cracker-Red-GPZ-Red-/331599413841?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4d34dd8251

If you want retro and new -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Royal-Enfield-BULLET-500-NEW-CLASSIC-BIKE-FROM-AUTHORISED-ROYAL-ENFIELD-DEALER-/191540686836?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c98b6eff4

That's in 30 seconds of looking, I'm sure there are better deals.

Why oh why on Chinese
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[linuxyeti]

Hi There

I'm sure you can, however, the last 2nd hand bargain I got, was a Yamaha XJ600 Diversion, hated it !!

Don't like the VMAX, also it's 22 years old

Don't like ZRX400, also it's 18 years old

Already have an Enfield 350 Bullet, also, the Enfield 500, is in the next DVLA VED bracket.

I went for the Mash, because, I like the Mash, I read the reviews, did my research, went to look at one in the flesh, took it out for 2 test rides before I finally put the deposit down on the bike I now own.

Of the bikes you mentioned, only the Enfield would have interested me, but as I already have a 350 bullet, that only gets ridden about 1000 miles a year.

Why Chinese, simple, I've owned a number of chinese bikes over the years, never had any problems, always been value for money. Yes, even the chituma that came in a crate 10 years ago, survived 5 winters without any major corrosion issues, before it was stolen, in the same time, my Honda VTX shield covering rotted through, and that hardly got taken out in the grit & grime of winter.

Other peoples experience of chinese bikes, may be different, mine have been nothing but good. The Skyteam V-Raptor, is now 4 years old, and has never been stored indoors, has very little signs of corrosion, my Triumph America, also suffers corrosion, especially on the forks, more than any of my chinese bikes, and taht is kept in the garage, and was only out in the grimy weather for 3 days, when I had a job in Cardiff, which was really a bit far for my 125 at the time
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[Matt B]

I have to agree with Polarbear and I'm going to put here what I wrote in the other Mash thread.

[linuxyeti]

ZXR400, horrible, Z400, closer in looks. I went for the Mash, for the reasons I've said above, if I wanted another bike, I would have got another bike, I'm not averse to Jap rubbish or even british (Indian) or british (Thai), but on this occasion, this is the bike I want, and so far I don't regret my decision.

Mileage wise, I expect, I'll probably put about 8-9000 miles per yer on the Mash, 10000 on the Triumph, and 1000 on the Enfield, the only one I envisage having to 'fettle' with is like to be the enfield, whether it's the breather tube or dodgy indian electrics !!
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[linuxyeti]

As for the Mash, what, build quality issues and poor parts availability? So far, I have seen no evidence of either, and as I said, I'm already riding the Mash, and I can't see any build quality issues.
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[Matt B]

[linuxyeti]

From the dealer where I bought my bike, or direct from mashbikes Uk who carry a full stock of spares. There are also a number of other dealers in the UK, and, of course Mash France, ordering from France is not especially onerous, already have to order parts for my camper from France, as uk stockists are pretty poor.

I agree, overall build quality will show over time. However, at 60, there are no excessive vibrations, when looking in the mirrors, they are not vibrating anywhere near to the extent that you can't see what's behind you, in fact, no distortion at all.

So far, starts first time every time, just as the bike did when I turned up on spec at the shop, when I took it for a test ride. The welds are very neat, the bolts, as far as I'm aware, are stainless steel, the chrome is nicely done, but as I said before, not quite up to the standard of the chrome on my Triumph.

Only downside I can think of so far, the wheels are chromed steel, and not alloy.

I wasn't going to spend nearly £4000 on a bike that I didn't feel comfortable spending on it.

Each to their own, I like this bike, alot, I've liked my other chinese bikes, as well, as my non chinese bikes, with the exception of the Diversion, really didn't like that.
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[linuxyeti]

Hi All

Had another good ride out on it, with my daughter on the back, it was a run up the A5, then the A453 down to Bassets Pole. After a look around & a McD's too, it was onto the A38, until we picked up the A51, and carried on that until Rugeley, before taking a road through Cannock chase to Penkridge, and then back home to Wolves.

Again, the bike ran flawlessly.
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[Polarbear]

[linuxyeti]

Just saying, my Triumph, didn't run flawlessly, kept cutting out. Perhaps flawlessly, isn't quite the context I'm talking about. it's fun and pleasant to ride, not grabby, nice and smooth, in other words, it handles flawlessly, not matter what the road type or surface. Very few know how well a Mash runs, whereas I'm sure plenty know how a fazer runs.

Well, if the Mash runs as well as the Skyteam does now (4 years old) in a years time, then it'll still be running flawlessly, strangely enough, all my other bikes have run flawlessly, baring the Diversion, and the America before it had settled down, whci was after about 5000 miles.
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[Ste]

[Ste]

[linuxyeti]

Yes, there are contact details on the dealer websites, and, also on the mash uk website.
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[G]