RUST magazine: Rust#22

RUST Enduro
So not much to mention, but plenty to
report. This is how it shaped up:
ENGINE
There’s no kickstart (never has been) so it’s
reassuring that the Sherco starts so well on
the button. And despite riding in freezing
temperatures the battery didn’t suffer despite
lots of stopping and starting over the two
days of riding. Likewise there’s no drag on
the (hydraulic) clutch, which works seamlessly
too. This was a near-new bike with just
a few hours on the hour meter so we did find
the gearbox a little reluctant to shift up at
times, needing a firm boot to engage the
next gear, but at least that six-speed box has
a ratio for every occasion. It can seem a little
short-geared – reaching sixth gear real fast if
you short shift – but that is until you realise
you’re typically riding on no more than half
throttle. That rev ceiling is a long way up.
The engine response is, as before, quite
linear. There’s no discernable bottom end
punch and the transitions from there to the
mid to the top-end feels step-less. That’s
fine, but in the wet and slippery Welsh going
I’d have to say a bit of extra punch off the
bottom might have helped, particularly as
going for the full-rev F1 experience didn’t
feel entirely comfortable in the slippery