Many riders love the charm of vintage motorcycles. But, most aren’t mechanically inclined to deal with the inevitable age-related issues. For those folks, France’s Mash Motors captured the essence of Yamaha’s legendary XT 500 dual-sport with its modern X-Ride 650 Classic.
While the copycat unapologetically lifted iconic elements from Team Blue’s celebrated off-roader, many critics also drew parallels to Ducati’s popular Scrambler platform due to the X-Ride Classic’s 17-inch wheelset. Now, Mash is bringing the retro-styled thumper even closer to the source material with the X-Ride 650 Trail.
Gallery: 2023 Mash X-Ride 650 Trail
Rocking a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel, the new X-Ride rolls on a 90/90 front and a 130/80 rear tire. Armed with a proper off-road wheelset, owners can also opt for even more aggressive tires than the stock semi-knobs. A smaller 280mm wave disc paired to a two-piston caliper meets the demands of the trail, while the rear 240 mm disc and single-pot binder remain the same.
Fittingly, Mash equips the 650 Trail with switchable ABS for unimpeded slides in the dirt. The new wheelset bumps the Trail’s wet weight to 397 pounds and its seat height to 35 inches. Aside from those minor adjustments, the dirt-going variant remains close to its Classic cousin.
Both models feature Mash’s air-cooled, SOHC, 644cc single, which musters 39.3 horsepower. A five-speed gearbox and chain final drive transfer all that oomph to the rear wheel. That thumper rests in a retro-appropriate single split cradle frame suspended by a compression- and rebound-adjustable Fast Ace 43mm fork and a Fast Ace single shock absorber.
Fortunately, Mash holds onto the XT 500-esque white and red livery with the 2023 X-Ride 650 Trail. The model will retail for €5,899 ($5,885 USD), but the French brand will offer customers a promotional price of €5,599 ($5,585 USD) when the Trail launches in October.
