If you’re wondering if the popularity of the ‘heritage’ segment is going up or down, just look to the huge EICMA show in Milan. The number of retro-themed bikes released last week was, frankly, staggering.
So how about a marque that almost exclusively produces neo-classics? Meet Mash Motors of France. Their website includes a stacked catalog of scooters and ATVs—but flick over to ‘motorcycles,’ and almost all their offerings are old-school machines (they make one dual-sport too).
The bikes are made to Mash’s design by Shinray in China, and range in size from 50cc to 400cc. The styling is spot-on—striking a balance between being great out-the-box, but still ripe for customization.
Jan Ykema certainly saw potential. He’s the owner of Motomondo, the official importer of Mash bikes in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg—as well as MV Agusta and Husqvarna. Jan wanted a 400cc Mash Scrambler customized for the BigTwin bike show in the Netherlands—so he hit up Bram, Joost and Guido of the Wrench Kings over in Bilthoven.
“We basically had to build a bike in four weeks,” the guys tell us. “We love challenges, so we agreed to the project. And two days later we had a brand new Mash Scrambler in our shop.
“Of course, we took her for a spin first—but that same afternoon, the bike was stripped and plans were made.”
Though we like what the Wrench Kings have done, we couldn’t quite pin down the style they have created.
“Mash already has café-style models, so the idea grew to turn the bike into a complete mix of styles,” we’re told. “A cafe racer-style fairing, a scrambler gas tank and a tracker seat—all with Wrench Kings finishings, of course.”
“We built this bike for exhibitions and shows. So it had to stand out, it had to be different, and it had to look stunning. And of course, it had to ride well!”
Within two days the guys had stripped the Mash down, dismantled the wheels for new rims and spokes, ordered all the parts they needed and prepped the frame for custom work.
Up front is a small fairing, equipped with an adjustable 7” Reno-style light. To get the handlebars tucked in right behind it, the crew took a set of tracker bars, flipped them, and welded them to a custom bracket.
The cockpit is kitted out with Brembo controls, a throttle and switches from Domino, and Biltwell Inc. Thruster grips. On top of the triple clamp is a custom-made dash—with a Motogadget Motoscope Mini speedo mounted behind a lazer-cut Perspex plate. There’s even a push button to cycle through the speedo modes.
Out back is a flat-track tail unit, with leatherwork by Toni’s Custom Works. The tail light setup is pretty stealthy: there’s a LED strip that handles braking and turn signal duties behind a smoked Perspex layer. Switch the bike off, and it’s invisible.
Other add-ons include 16-inch rims with Firestone Deluxe Champion tires, a hand-made stainless steel muffler, and Tarozzi rear-sets. The front turn signals are near impossible to spot when they’re not flashing: they’re attached to the original fender mounting points on the fork legs.
Wrench Kings performed an under-seat clean up too, relocating all the electrics to either under the tank, or into the tail—which also hides a Lithium-ion battery. That left them free to de-tab the frame, before having it finished in a pearl white with a touch of metal flake.
“The only thing we left in place is the external oil reservoir for the dry sump,” they tell us. “It looks cool as it is!”
The guys finished the bike just in time for the show—and just in time to put a smile on Jan’s face. “A reaction we worked for,” the Wrench Kings tell us, “but which was still appreciated to see!”
It’s refreshing to see a show bike that still retains a healthy measure of usability. But it’d be even better if we could see that stunning metallic green paint job with our own eyes.
