Tag Archives: Shercos

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RIDING THE 2024 SHERCOS: THE WRAP

Last week, I attended Sherco’s 2024 dealer meeting in San Antonio, Texas. It was an amazing opportunity to hang out with Gary Hazel, Pat Smage, Cooper Abbott, and Cody Webb, and check out the 2024 models. We then had the chance to ride the bikes at Zars Ranch, a private riding area outside of San Antonio. Here’s what I learned:

SHERCO 500 DUAL-SPORT

Cody Webb rode the 500 dual-sport like it was a trials bike.

The Sherco 500SEF Dual-Sport is now approved by the DOT, EPA, and CARB, making it legal in all 50 states. This is a surprise because the U.S. homologation process is typically lengthy and costly. Sherco managed to keep this a secret, and they now join KTM, Husqvarna, Beta, and Honda as one of the few manufacturers committed to producing a fully legal dirt bike. The 500SEF is based on the 500SEF off-road bike that Grant Baylor used to win the 2020 National Enduro Championship. The Sherco 500 is the most powerful dual-sport 500 available, with excellent low-end power and substantial mid-range performance. It offers a smooth ride with no intense power surge at high rpm. The fuel delivery is clean, and the bike doesn’t stall, even when Cody Webb rode it over logs and rocks at low idle. More details will be available in the November print edition of Dirt Bike.

SHERCO 500SMF SUPERMOTO

2024 Sherco 500SMF

Sherco went through the extensive homologation process again with the 500SMF Supermoto, which shares the same motor as the dual-sport version. The main differences are the wheels and brakes, targeting street-bike canyon racing. The front wheel features a 3.5 x 17-inch black rim with a 120/70 Michelin tire, and the rear has a 5 x 17-inch rim with a Michelin 150/60 tire. The front brake boasts a massive 320mm rotor.

125 DUAL-SPORT AND SUPERMOTO

2024 Sherco 125 Dual-Sport

Sherco recognizes the need to explore new markets to compete with the Austrian models. That’s why they invested in the homologation process for two street-legal 125 four-strokes. The 125SEF Dual-Sport and the 125SMF Supermoto are unique options in the U.S. market, featuring fuel-injected single overhead cam engines with six-speed transmissions. Although not particularly fast, their target price is under $5000.

300 AND 250 TWO-STROKES

2024 Sherco 300SE

The two-stroke enduro bikes are always highly anticipated by dirt bike enthusiasts, and Sherco understands this. The 2024 models of the 250SE and 300SE have minimal changes, including a new LED headlight, updates to the wheels, clutch cover, and swingarm. It’s hard to choose a favorite when riding both the 250 and the 300 back to back. Both offer excellent low rpm performance and similar peak power output. The 250 has a more aggressive feel but requires more shifting, while the 300 provides an effortless ride. We are excited to get our hands on these bikes in the DB shop.

250 AND 300 FOUR-STROKES

Hey, that’s me on the 2024 Sherco 250SEF! Photo by Andrew at Winpics.

Sherco made significant changes to the 250 and 300 four-stroke enduro motors for 2024, although these changes may not be obvious externally. The center cases and head are new, and there are updates to the valves, valve springs, and the addition of a transmission sensor for different maps per gear. On the trail, the 250 has improved throttle response and more power, making it feel snappier. The small Sherco four-strokes have always delivered power suitable for off-road riding, without the intense hits of motocross bikes. The 2024 models offer even more power without sacrificing their smooth characteristics.

450 AND 500 FOUR-STROKES

2024 Sherco 500SEF, off-road version

The 500SEF off-road bike shares similarities with the 500 dual-sport, but without the homologation restrictions. It lacks DOT equipment, airbox restrictors, and exhaust catalysts. It also features a functional map switch. For those interested in racing without the need for a license plate, the large Sherco models are the way to go. They offer ample power but aren’t designed as motocross bikes. The power delivery is smooth, and the suspension provides a comfortable ride. The only difference between the 450SEF and 500SEF models is a 3mm bore size.

SHERCO TRIALS

Pat Smage recently won his 14th National Trials Championship using the brand-new fuel-injected STR300 bike. This was a bold move considering the bike was still in development, and mapping adjustments had to be made between rounds. Sherco has been working on fuel-injected two-strokes for more than five years, initially focusing on the enduro line. The technology has now reached a competitive level. While I didn’t have a chance to ride the trials bike, Pat Smage is absolutely in love with it.

See you next week!

–Ron Lawson
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RIDING THE SHERCO 125SE FACTORY: THE WRAP

We don’t get many Shercos to test, so we were delighted when a big crate showed up on our doorstep with a 2023 125SE enclosed. Sherco is one of those sneaky companies that quietly stays just ahead of the curve. The 125SE has been around for years with a mix of old-school tradition and cutting edge technology. Electric start? Got it. Electronic powervalve? Got it. Multiple maps available on the fly? Got it. The 125SE still has a carburetor, and that’s fine with us.

Pete Murray, our resident 125 lover, on the Sherco 125SE.

This isn’t our first experience with this bike, but it is the first time we have had a chance to ride one on U.S. soil. When the bike was first introduced in late 2017, Sherco invited us to test  it in Italy. We loved it, but in the wildly unfamiliar environment over there, we had no idea how it would stack up to other 125s off-road bikes. Actually, “other” 125 off-road bikes were rare. Beta and TM had them, but the KTM 125XC and Yamaha YZ125X were still years away.

The Sherco 125SE Factory sells for $9999.

To back up a little, Sherco started off as a Spanish maker of trials bikes, then built a fancy new factory in Nice, France to expand into the off-road world. They had immediate success in extreme enduro and most Americans perked up when Cody Webb signed up with the Sherco FactoryONE team. The 125SE is very similar to the 300 two-stroke that Cody Webb rides in extreme enduros. It has a steel frame, KYB suspension and Brembo brakes. The motor has had an electronic powervalve from the start. There’s no kickstarter and no place to put one. The battery is mounted so low in the chassis it’s hard to find. Check under the air filter. The carb is a 36mm Keihin PWK.

The bike arrived a little rich, but we dropped the needle one position and it came alive. The bike is super easy to ride. It has decent low end (for a 125) and over-rev that’s not bad. We had a brand new Yamaha YZ125X for comparison, and the Sherco held its own. It had more low-end, a smoother transition and similar peak power. One area where the Yamaha has an advantage is weight. The Sherco weighs 226 on our scale without fuel, which is about 20 pounds more than the Yamaha. Why such a difference? Most of it is in the electric starter, of course. But the Sherco is a very substantial feeling bike. It has a hydraulic clutch and many frame components that seem like they were taken straight from the 300. As we have pointed out many times, though, engine characteristics have as much to do with handling as the chassis. The Sherco has such a mellow, benign power delivery that you feel like you can toss it around like a BMX bike. We will be testing the bike for some time, and a feature will appear in the September, 2023 print edition of Dirt Bike.

FUN WITH GIFs

Want to see how the 2024 Kawasaki KX450 compares to the ’23 model? Here’s a fun tool. The two bikes obviously are similar in overall dimension. There are big changes in the motor’s top end, muffler, frame and bodywork.

VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS

The 2023 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Royal Enfield takes place July 21-23 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The event will include many exciting opportunities for classic-bike fans, including North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet, a classic bike show, vendor displays and much more.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Steve Wise will serve as the Grand Marshal of the three-day event and will be on site to sign autographs, speak to enthusiasts at the AMA Soundstage, participate in a Lap For History on each day and more.

There will also be plenty of vintage motorcycle racing — from hare scrambles, to motocross, to road racing, to flat track and more — for racers and spectators to enjoy. Racers can register to participate in all the vintage racing fun at VintageMotorcycleDays.com/page/racing/.

THUNDER VALLEY