Technical motorcycle description MashB-Side 500 2024

Mash is one of the few manufacturers to offer a sidecar—and an affordable one at that. It all started with a bold gamble: the Family Side. A cute little 400cc model that perfectly captured the British spirit and exuded a striking retro vibe. But with its underpowered single-cylinder engine, you couldn’t exactly rush anywhere.

Then came the Side Force and the Black Side, barely more powerful but much heavier. With the B-Side, things shift into a whole new gear with a bigger engine, twice as many cylinders, and an even more pronounced presence.

Ural-itude

The 500 B-Side isn’t taking over from the Black Side but rather from the Side Force. The difference between the two lay mainly in the level of equipment. So we’re on familiar ground with this profile largely borrowed from Ural machines—that rugged look, its tank-like appearance on three wheels, and whispers of a detour through the forests of Cantal or the plains of Tunguska. The sole aluminum-gray color scheme evokes the old planes featured in documentary films.

Did Mash name its new trapper with a B for bicylinder? Nothing is less certain, but it’s clear that a two-cylinder engine is chugging away in there. A major evolution, greatly benefiting a riding experience on a whole new level. Farewell to the single-cylinder and its 28.5 hp for hauling 317 kg. The B-Side features a 494 cc parallel-twin engine that’s nearly twice as powerful. Yet it’s only 49 cc larger. But two cylinders instead of one, liquid cooling, and newer technology (it’s based on the Honda CB500 engine) make this significant gain possible. To preserve the famous reverse gear of the Sino-Burgundian sidecars, one gear was removed from the original transmission. Thus, 5 forward gears plus a reverse gear are available.
This makes it much easier to handle the 375 kg of the sidecar combination—58 kg more than the Black and 33 kg more than the Force.

Why these differences? Well, first of all, the mechanics and their components add a bit of weight. Next, the B-Side brings back quite a few accessories that the Black had done away with, making it very similar to the Force: the return of the luggage racks, the spare tire, the front and rear cargo platforms, the crash bar in front of the sidecar, and the mount on the side fender.

Reintroductions and improvements

The B-Side also stands out with a new dashboard—all round and full-color TFT—a small fairing over the headlight, a thicker front fender, a 5-liter larger fuel tank (18 L), backlit switches, and slightly neater cable routing—which isn’t the case for the coolant reservoir, hastily placed on the side of the bike.

The overall technical setup remains the same as on previous models. A swingarm fork with dual shock absorbers, a double-cradle steel frame (obviously adapted to the new engine), 18-inch spoked wheels, knobby tires for off-road riding, three disc brakes, and linked braking.

A survivor of a war that never happened, the 500 B-Side marks an important milestone in the saga of Mash’s three-wheelers, with a powerplant of a different caliber. In exchange for superior power and equipment, the price is no longer as accessible as the Black Side’s. Gone are the days of the €10,000 price point; we’re now looking at €13,000.

M.B. - Manufacturer photos