Mat McEntee enters the world of Sherco enduro fun at the Australian launch.
STORY MAT MCENTEE PHOTOGRAPHY IKAPTURE
I was swinging off a nail gun on a job site when DA’s Editorial Content Manager, Matt called. “Are you free to head to Melbourne to test some bikes for me?” I dumped my gear and was ready to start driving my van directly there. “Absolutely” I replied. Matt had injured himself and was unable to ride and the launch was only a few days away. After some flight changes by the legends at Sherco, I was soon on my way to Melbourne to ride the 2020 Sherco Enduro range at the famed Krusic’s Ride Park in Victoria.
I had never been to Krusic’s before, but Matt had assured me it would be epic. He was right, nice sandy soil, awesome tracks and fun trails – the perfect testing ground for the 2020 Sherco range. So, what did I think?
300 SE-R
I had a blast on the muddy motocross track after the rain fell. The 300 sounds as good as it goes. The engine puts out some fantastic power and nature of the carburetor powered 300 is exciting but usable. On the motocross track, you could keep it in the mid-range to the top-end and have some fun, when the going gets tight, click it up a gear and use the torque on hand to pick your way through the trees. Being an enduro bike the forks are a little softer than what I am used to on a motocross bike. I had a couple of small front-end washes but being that this bike is so light and nimble it just takes it in it’s stride and keeps on charging. The KYB suspension is a huge step up from the WP set suspension, it handles the more aggressive riding style of a racer and responds well. It’s set-up plush, which is great for a mixture of riding. I am pretty tall, so the low bend of bars took some getting used to. I would look at running a higher bend of handlebars if I was to spend some more time on the bike, however, that’s where the changes would end for me.
NEW FOR 2020
- Improved suspension linkage system
- New graphics
- New blue frame protectors
- New AFAM steel rear sprocket
- New manganese coloured clutch cover, ignition cover, cylinder head
- New intake hose
- Refined fuel tank with better fuel tap access
- New fuel tap with 1.5-litre reserve
- New one-piece rubber intake pipe reducing weight by 270g
- New reed block with increased performance
- New central engine castings to accommodate new reed block
- New forged clutch hub reducing inertia and reducing weight by 196g
- Improved clutch lubrication and feel with 20% less clutch lever effort
- New drive sprocket with 40g weight reduction
- New silencer with carbon-look plastic end cap and titanium anodized with 150g weight reduction
300 SEF-R
As soon I rode out and hit the first section of trail I noticed the WP forks were a lot harsher then the KYB on the factory. The cool thing with the WP is I was able to make some changes without any tools while out on the trails. This was able to improve the feel while out in the trails and become pretty comfortable with the set up. Although the KYB are better in my opinion, you would need a screwdriver so you can’t adjust to the different terrains without tools. I have the same problem on all the bikes, the bars a tad low for my height, when I stand up. Simple fix for someone of my height. It’s noticeable that the race is more restricted then the factory 300 but in saying that, when I rode them back to back in muddy wet slippery conditions it was super interesting. The racing 300 is smoother and more tame, but it still pulls as hard as you need it to throughout the rev-range, but is tame enough that you are able to keep it tractoring forwards without getting out of shape or feeling out of control. This bike was a big eye opener as I was worried about the 300 not being enough in the 450 class with enduro racing, but it is very impressive. For the trailrider, I think the 300 is an awesome option.
NEW FOR 2020
- Improved suspension linkage system
- New graphics
- Adjustable fork pre-load settings
- Improved gear selector
- Reduction in starter system sprocket and lubrication system sprocket weight. Saving 400g.
- New manganese coloured clutch cover, ignition cover, cylinder head cover
300 SEF FACTORY
It was good to have both the racing and factory models on hand on the day. The main differences between the bikes are the KYB suspension on the factory model in place of the WP and also the Akropovic exhaust on the factory model. These two changes completely transform the bike, its almost as the if the racing model is designed for the average trail rider and the factory is ready for battle on the enduro scene. The exhaust just livens the power up, it’s gives it that extra bark and snap which I found suited me. It’s still a quite usable engine and you do need to keep the engine revving in the mid-range to get the most out of it, but it really is an impressive package. The seat cover on the factory model is also a worth addition, although it’s a cheap and simple change, it allowed me to keep my body in the correct position and make full use of the power on hand while riding.
NEW FOR 2020
- Improved suspension linkage system
- New graphics
- New blue frame protectors
- New AFAM steel rear sprocket
- Improved gear selector
- Reduction in starter system sprocket and lubrication system sprocket weight. Saving 400g.
- New manganese coloured clutch cover, ignition cover, cylinder head cover
250 SE-R
The 250 SER is a great package, the engine is strong and to me, more enjoyable than the 300 powerplant. There’s wasn’t anything that this bike couldn’t take. The deep water filled ruts to the rocky slippery up hills, the seat was noticeably slipperier then the factory seats and the grips are super tough on your hands but it was all smiles every time I threw my leg over it. It’s a massive bonus to have an electric start two-stroke as well. I feel like this bikes over looked because of it’s bigger brother the 300. You rarely hear of someone looking for a 250 two-stroke over a 300 two-stroke when talking enduro riding. I think the 250 is on par and if not better than the 300 in every way. The engine isn’t as torquey, but still has a great powercurve that is usuable in both the bush and on a track. Personally, I would choose the 300 over the 250 any day of the week.
NEW FOR 2020
- Improved suspension linkage system
- New graphics
- Adjustable fork pre-load settings
- New manganese coloured clutch cover, ignition cover, cylinder head
- New intake hose
- Refined fuel tank with better fuel tap access
- New fuel tap with 1.5-litre reserve
- New one-piece rubber intake pipe reducing weight by 270g
- New reed block with increased performance
- New central engine castings to accommodate new reed block
- New forged clutch hub reducing inertia and reducing weight by 196g
- Improved clutch lubrication and feel with 20% less clutch lever effort
- New drive sprocket with 40g weight reduction
- New silencer with carbon-look plastic end cap and 150g weight reduction
500 SEF FACTORY
This is the ultimate big bore. I’ve ridden other brands of 500, but this thing had the handling and engine that the others should be aiming for the KYB suspension worked well in the other factory editions but with the added inertia from this big engine the forks still held up under braking and shock did nothing but create perfect traction even on the gnarliest stuff on the tracks we were riding . Although the 500 excels on the nice open flowy sections it wasn’t a hand full in the tighter more technical parts of the track . And this bike doesn’t take the energy to ride that you think it would . At the end of a big day I thought I’d take it out on the mx track and next thing I knew I was 25 minutes in and felt like I only spun a couple of laps . There’s a few minor things that I think would be cool to top it off with white hand guards to match the white plastics and possibly a couple of bling bits on the engine to make it seem a bit more factory like it’s name suggest but on the end this is surprisingly the best big bore I’ve had the chance to throw my leg over so far.
NEW FOR 2020
- Improved suspension linkage system
- New graphics
- New blue frame protectors
- New AFAM steel rear sprocket
- New manganese coloured clutch cover, ignition cover, cylinder head cover