1511 DT final

it of water running through it. No choice but
to nail the throttle and hope the front end would
come up. Flip, that bike saved the day, didn’t
expect the bike to jump like it did. Fortunately,
bike and rider sailed right over the ditch. Here
is one of the best things; this is FACTORY
suspension. The bike soaked it up like nothing
was in my path…
The Sherco is quite simply – brilliant. It
feels exceptionally light and nimble. The WP
suspension is quite remarkable – and the 300cc
engine is just so smooth. It produces a nice clean
linear power spread. While the 2-stroke that we
rode a few months back left your mind trying
to catch up with what was going on around you
when you hit the meat of the power, the 300 fourstroke
is predictable and confidence inspiring.
300cc’s is such a great capacity – it offers more
torque than a 250 and is much easier to control
than a big 450. Make sense? This bike is so easy
to ride. We left the mapping switch in standard
mode for most of the ride and to be frank – that’s
probably exactly where we’d leave it. It’s not at
all surprising that many of the European brands
are building mid-range four strokes It is easily
as quick as most 450’s out there, but it is just so
– well at the risk of repeating ourselves - easy.
Nothing snatchy, you know exactly where your
throttle is all the time.
Sending it through the rivers – (ok, there is a
serious drought, so they are not deep) was a
blast, we had no sputtering from the engine
– this tells us that everything is well sealed.
Remember, the bike was brand new when it
was delivered – so we did take it easy, playing
through the rev range to get it all settled and
nicely run in. The engine provides amazing
tractability – we pointed her at quite a few steep,
slippery slopes and chugged up – the bottom
end torque is very impressive – smooth, easy
keeps coming to mind. Where on a 300 2-stroke
you tend to hold on for dear life, the 300 four
stroke delivers easy power for climbing. We
did flip the mapping switch and it’s actually a
mapping switch that works. You can really tell
the difference in power delivery. This is one
impressive little machine.
The WP suspension is truly very good –the small
square edged bumps and ruts were soaked
up with no fuss by the WP suspension. it is no
surprise that so many manufacturers have
chosen these units as original. The fan kicks on
and off quietly – keeping things cool and we saw
no hint of overheating.
So what’s the verdict?
Refer to paragraph 1. Seriously, Sherco is
right up there with the very best bikes on the
planet. Watch this space – when the bike is run
in properly, we’ll be heading out for a proper
weekend in the mountains…
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 4 stroke DOHC, 4 valve Sherco technology Displacement: 303.68 cc
Bore and stroke: 84 x 54.8 mm Fuel system: Synerject digital electronic
fuel injection Starter: Unique electric starting system Ignition: Shihlin
alternator 220 W Transmission: 6 speed sequential gearbox, primary
gear drive chain secondary drive Clutch: Hydraulic, multidisc in oil bath
Exhuast System: Stainless steel header pipe, stainless steel muffler with
catalytic converter meets Euro 3 stds. Frame: Half perimeter frame Chrome-
Molybdenum Front Suspension: WP telescopic fork, Ø 48 mm tubes rebound
and compression adjustable, 300 mm of travel Rear Suspension: WP
progressive, multi adjustable rear shock utilizing a linkage and rod system, 320
mm of travel Brakes Front: Hydraulically activated Brembo Ø 260 mm front
Brakes Rear: Hydraulically activated Brembo Ø 220 mm rear Tyre Front:
90/100 - 21 inch Michelin Enduro Competition Tyre Rear: 140/80 - 18 Inch
Michelin Enduro Competition Wheelbase: 1,480 mm Ground Clearance: 355
mm Fuel Tank: 8.5 Litres Dry Weight: 102 kg
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22 NOVEMBER 2015
1511 DT Sherco 300.indd 22 2015/10/23 3:55 PM
Kata