Expert Review
Mash Motorcycles Two Fifty (2022 - ) review
Latest in a line of Euro-styled/Chinese-built ‘rustic’ retros, the MASH Two Fifty is typical of the breed for better and for
Words by: Phil West
Published on 2 January 2024 | 0 min read
The Auto Trader expert verdict:
3.3
If you’re tempted by a fashionable, small-capacity retro roadster and are on a tight budget, you’ll probably already be familiar with French brand MASH, whose Chinese-built, 125, 250 and 400cc singles have proved popular. The Two Fifty is typical, ticks a lot of hipster boxes and, at under £3,500, is temptingly priced. Fair to say for all that it’s also an underwhelming performer and very crude.
Reasons to buy:
- One of the cheapest 250s available
- Trendy retro-roadster style
- Easy, novice-friendly manners
Design
“Paint them matt black, add some knobbly tyres, maybe a brown ribbed seat and ‘Bob’s your hipster’”
The recent trend for all things retro and scrambler has proven a godsend for importers of cheap Chinese bikes given their aging, air-cooled, single-cylinder, twin-shock designs (often derived from old Japanese models such as Suzuki’s GN250) are a perfect fit. Simply paint them matt black, add some knobbly tyres, maybe a brown ribbed seat and ‘Bob’s your hipster’ – all for a budget price. The likes of Mutt, Herald and Bluroc (formerly Bullitt) have done very well out of this and the MASH Two Fifty is another chip off the same block. Founded in France in 2012 as part of former Ducati and Husqvarna importer SIMA (Société d'Importation de Moto et Accessories), MASH’s bikes are built by Shineray in China with a few European styling tweaks and its range includes retro roadster 50s, 125s, a 250 and a 400 and even two 650s, as tested previously. The Two Fifty is a basic twin-shock roadster with an old air-cooled, single-cylinder motor with just enough scrambler styling touches to satisfy. At 20 yards plenty of people who should know better might be impressed. But it’s also crudely executed, lacks refinement or performance and has question marks against its durability and future residual value. But, given it’s one of THE cheapest 250s available, maybe that doesn’t matter?
Expert rating: 3/5
Riding position
“The seat height is a low 780mm, the riding position is upright, the trendy brown-gripped handlebars are high, wide and natural and feet fall easily to pegs”
The Two Fifty is a an old-fashioned, relatively lightweight and slim, single-cylinder upright roadster, so there’s nothing to get intimidated by. The seat height is a low 780mm, the riding position is upright, the trendy brown-gripped handlebars are high, wide and natural and feet fall easily to pegs. In terms of ‘just getting on with it’ 250s don’t come much simpler – or easier. In fact, climb on and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a learner 125. In most respects that’s A Good Thing. The Two Fifty is a 250 (obvs) as easy to get on with and as novice
Expert rating: 4/5
Practicality
“It’s relatively stylish and, with apologies to Radiohead, it’s an OK Commuter!”
It all depends on what sort of riding you envisage doing. The MASH Two Fifty is at once an unintimidating, affordable novice bike (albeit you’ll need an A2, not A1 licence), it’s decent around town with a touch more pep than similar 125s, it’s relatively stylish and, with apologies to Radiohead, it’s an OK Commuter! But that’s about your lot. Performance, although (slightly) better than a 125, is underwhelming, distance potential is extremely limited, fast A-roads, dual-carriageways, and, especially, motorways, should be absolutely avoided and you’ve no hope of carrying pillions or luggage. But if none of that matters fill yer boots.
Expert rating: 3/5
Performance & braking
“That engine is a recreation of Suzuki’s old GN250 unit dating all the way back to 1982, and it wasn’t even that impressive first time round”
Cutting to the chase the MASH Two Fifty is essentially an overgrown, old-school, twin-shock 125cc roadster – and a fairly budget one at that – powered by an equally old air-cooled 250cc single. So, don’t get your hopes up. Specifically, that engine is a recreation of Suzuki’s old GN250 unit dating all the way back to 1982, and it wasn’t even that impressive first time round. With a few manufacturing tweaks and adjustments to meet Euro5, it now puts out maximum peak power of 20 horsepower (14.6 kW in new money) at 7,500rpm and maximum torque of 20Nm at 6,000rpm. On a good day, downhill and with a tailwind that might result in an indicated top speed approaching 80mph. The rest of the time it’s nearer 70. On the plus side, however, it’s also like an eager, willing puppy. It’s also relatively flexible and idiotproof. The five-speed change is fault free and the Two Fifty was never designed for high performance jinks in the first place. Braking is equally marginal, comprising just a 300mm front disc rotor grasped by a pretty budget two-piston caliper with a smaller 220mm rear disc set-up, both aided by ABS. The fact the Two Fifty is slow and light (130kg dry) means the brakes are up to the job, but they’re also nothing to get excited about.
Expert rating: 2/5
Ride & handling
“Although the forks are more modern, inverted types, they’re fairly softly sprung and not very well damped”
Given the old-fashioned format you shouldn’t get your hopes up here. Although the forks are more modern, inverted types, they’re fairly softly sprung and not very well damped. The twin rear shocks are pretty feeble, too, and the tubular steel twin loop frame dates back to the 1970s. So far, so basic. Add to that fashion-victim semi-knobbly tyres and you’ve a package which is squidgy, vague and uninspiring even at slower speeds, and borderline wayward and unsettling should you choose to thrash it. Which, in the real world, few actual owners are ever likely to do. All in all, then, it’s not great. But maybe that is also missing the point. For its intended, novice-friendly town use, the Two Fifty is on the whole fine, too.
Expert rating: 3/5
Running costs
“The single-cylinder engine should easily return mpg figures in the 80s”
One area where we can confidently say the MASH Two Fifty shines. At the time of writing the £3,499 offer price is not only cheap upfront, thanks to its fairly feeble performance it’s impressively affordable to run, too. The single-cylinder engine should easily return mpg figures in the 80s. Its underwhelming power output should pose no particular threat (assuming decent maintenance) to its chain and tyres, brake pads aren’t going to get a hard time either and there’s only one front stopper in any case so there are fewer pads to replace. Insurance should be respectably cheap, too.
Expert rating: 5/5
Reliability
“In fairness the Two Fifty has now been available for a little while with no reports of any mechanical issues”
A bit of a mixed bag, this one. Although the MASH Two Fifty is very simple with no electronics, and is powered by a proven, understressed engine, its build quality, materials, tolerances and finish are nothing to get excited about, so we reserve our judgement. In fairness the Two Fifty has now been available for a little while with no reports of any mechanical issues, so we can perhaps stop the doom-mongering. We certainly would recommend diligent cleaning and attention to metal surfaces to keep potential corrosion at bay, especially if used in winter.
Expert rating: 4/5
Warranty & servicing
“Servicing isn’t quite so favourable, but that’s largely to be expected of such an old engine design”
In truth the MASH Two Fifty fares slightly better here than might have been expected. In 2023 the company extended its standard warranty from the usual two-years/unlimited mileage offering covering all parts and labour, to a three-year version. This is particularly tempting if you’re considering buying on a three-year finance deal. Servicing isn’t quite so favourable, but that’s largely to be expected of such an old engine design. After the initial ‘break-in’ 500-mile service, services are due every 4,000km (around just 3,000 miles), which is far more frequently than most modern Japanese machines. This can be tempered slightly by the low mileages owners are actually likely to ride.
Expert rating: 4/5
Equipment
“There’s only a single combined analogue and LCD digital ‘clock’ by way of instruments and, er, that’s about your lot”
Nothing to see, here. Well, not much anyway. And, again, for the most part that’s just fine considering the Two Fifty’s retro-roadster style. So, basic ABS apart, there are no electronics, there’s only a single combined analogue and LCD digital ‘clock’ by way of instruments and, er, that’s about your lot. On the plus side it does have a trendy ‘wrap’ on the exhaust, neat cross-braced handlebars, spoked wheels, a trendy brown ribbed seat, inverted forks and even a useful centrestand. All of which, arguably, it didn’t need to have. But we’re glad it does.
Expert rating: 2/5
Why buy?
“It ticks lots of the genre’s style boxes and it does all of that at the cheapest price point currently available”
If you’re after a trendy, scrambler-style, small-capacity retro roadster and have the licence to go for something bigger than 125cc the MASH Two Fifty has two major things going for it. Namely, it ticks lots of the genre’s style boxes and it does all of that at the cheapest price point currently available. For some that will be Job Done and it’s difficult to argue against it. Looking at it more critically there’s no escaping the reality the MASH Two Fifty is neither a very good or impressively made motorcycle, and there is plenty of competition you should consider. British brand Herald’s Brat and Maverick 250s are more stylish and arguably better built for just £100 more while Mutt, Bluroc (formerly Bullitt) and more have similar, if slightly pricier, alternatives. For some, that low price may be everything. But if it were us, we’d go for Royal Enfield’s HNTR 350, which is only a few pounds more, better built, stronger performing, more pleasing to own and likely to hold its value as well.
Expert rating: 3/5