Trail Rider Magazine

12 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com 2014 SHERCO SE-R 300 to say, day two was rocky, wet and muddy with some impres- sive hills that sent the pucker factor high. A walk around the new Sherco reveals some neat features like an S3 cylinder head and an FMF Fatty pipe (the silencer is OEM). The open cartridge forks and rear shock absorber are provided by WP and despite being sprung light (.41 forks and 52 spring), the valving is quite firm and sits high in the stroke. The open cartridge forks are far from "wallowy". The power valve is electronic with the only visible components being a cable that runs from the motor, under the fuel tank, and adja- cent to the throttle. A 36 mm Keihin carburetor is fitted to a V Forces block. The starter for the Sherco is located under the motor and bathed in oil. In addition to being equipped with a headlight and tail light, the Sherco is wired for blinkers, which are removed prior to shipping. A coolant catch tank is located to the rear of the bike on the left side. And for what it's worth, the chain guide is the same as the KTM. The 2 stroke chassis is nearly identical to that of the 4-stroke with the exception of the frame being augmented to accommo- date the 2 stroke motor. An interesting feature is that the 2- stroke line does not come fitted with a kick starter, nor is there any place to install one. Given that the electrical system pumps out 220 watts of DC power, one could infer that Sherco is paving the way for a fuel injected 2-stroke. Sitting on the Sherco doesn't reveal anything odd. The pegs are slightly higher but not enough to be bothersome. The bike is also very slender with the only snag point being that annoy- ing (and useless) plastic silencer guard that so many other bikes are fitted with. The Sherco still feels like it has a shorter wheel base but in reality it's only slightly shorter than other 2-stokes. And what about the availability of parts? Well, I stood in the Sherco Headquarters parts supply room and can confirm they have everything you need in stock and ready for ship- ping. Like all boutique brands, you will need to be proactive in ordering parts and supplies. So what's it like to ride the new Sherco 300 SE-R? Quite honestly, it's a great bike. The first thing the Sherco reveals about itself is its trials motor heritage. With a long history of trials riding success, the small Spanish manufacturer knows how to build two stroke engines – and it shows with their introductory 2-stroke. The motor is a true enduro specialist that provides a smooth, linear delivery of power - courtesy of that big electrical system we mentioned and its larger flywheel. If the new trend in the off road 2-strokemarket is a The Sherco comes with great features like a coolant overflow tank and a FMF Gnarly pipe. The cylinder head is provided by S3 and is prey trick. The power can be adjusted via different inserts. The S3 can also hold more coolant. The bike is slender and excels at slinking through the ght trees. Right: The ignon curve can be altered via the toggle switch adjacent to the throle. The "aggressive" opon will add 5 hp.

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