To preview the 2025 off-road line, Sherco invited us to France where we had the opportunity to ride all the new bikes. The U.S. will get seven off-road models; 125cc, 250cc and 300cc two-strokes plus 250cc, 300cc, 450cc and 500cc four-strokes. For international markets, the standard models are called the “Racing” editions and the premium line is called the “Factory” collection. In the U.S. the range has been simplified; only the Factory models will be offered, so all U.S. bikes will have high-end KYB suspension and premium exhaust systems. Additionally, the U.S. importer is working on dual-sport hom*ologation for its 500 dual-sport and a 125 four-stroke. This was supposed to take place last year, but the U.S. government works at its own pace. It now looks like the dual-sport models will have to wait until January, 2025.
450SEF & 500SEF
When we think of Sherco, we generally think of two-strokes, but the company’s big four-strokes have an impressive racing resume of their own. The 450/500 platform won the 2020 National Enduro Championship with Grant Baylor and has clicked off stage wins in international rally racing. For 2025, all the Sherco off-road bikes get a new frame and redesigned bodywork. Weight loss was a big focus, whereas the basic chassis geometry didn’t stray too far from the existing design. Grams and milligrams were shaved off of the subframe, the cooling system, the axles, the engine mounts and even the wiring harness. The 450 and 500 also got the new wheels that the smaller bikes got previously. The fuel-pump, mapping and the Akrapovic exhaust are all updated, too.
In the woods, the 450SEF isn’t quite like any other bike imported to the ‘States. It’s a grizzly bear with good table manners. Most other 450 off-road bikes are one extreme or the other; either motocross bikes with kickstands or overly dumbed down trail bikes. The Sherco strikes a rare balance between the two poles. It has far more power than bikes like the Honda CRF450X or any of the dual-sport 450s. But, it’s still smooth and perfectly controllable at low rpm. It feels at home on tight trails without any tendency to stall or overheat.
During our brief ride in the French foothills, it was rainey, slick and dark. It was the last setting where you would want a big four-stroke. It turned out that the 450SEF was ideal. It was smooth and gentle down low, but when you had to have a massive burst of power to get out of the glop, it was there. The 500, contrary to what you might think, was even more gentle. The biggest difference between the two is that you are almost always in the right gear on the 500. Both bikes are wonderfully easy to manage.
Still, there’s no denying that they’re big motorcycles. They might have started off reasonably light, but quickly accumulated 20 or 30 pounds of French clay. Despite being encased in mud, they never overheated. From our past experiences with the big Shercos, we know that the company’s weight-loss strategy for 2025 is on the right track. In the past, weight was our biggest complaint. As far as other changes, the new bodywork is a big improvement. Last year, the bikes had some square edges that could catch your boots and grab your knees. Now, the tank, seat and shrouds all blend together smoothly.
Suspension is always difficult to evaluate in an unfamiliar setting, especially with wet weather. All the Sherco Factory models have high-end KYB suspension with a closed-cartridge fork. In general terms Sherco resisted the temptation to go overly soft. That’s often the case with dedicated off-road bikes. They feel great until you start riding hard and picking up speed. In this case, the 450 and 500 worked well at speed, even with the aforementioned stowaway weight. We will know more once we test the bikes on familiar (dry) dirt.
SHERCO 250SEF & 300SEF
The Sherco 250SEF has the distinction of being the only 250 four-stroke that was designed as an off-road/cross-country racer from the ground up. All the others were adapted from motocross models. As a result, the Sherco has a very distinctive feel. It will scream, but it doesn’t have to. It will happily cruise along at half throttle all day. The motor doesn’t surge and is easy to hold steady at exactly 6000 rpm. Or 6010 rpm, if that’s what you want. In the past, the biggest sore point of the 250SEF was its outright power output. It gave away considerable peak power to most of those MX-based 250 four-strokes. Sherco’s engineers addressed this by paying attention to details like the camshaft bearing cap, raising the rev limiter, remapping the EFI system and redesigning the Akrapovic exhaust. And, just like the other bikes in the line, the chassis lost weight and got new bodywork.
The result is a distinct overall improvement across the board. The 250SEF motor gained just enough on top to make a noticeable difference. It’s still not going to out-drag a KTM or a Kawasaki 250 four-stroke in a straight line, but we get the feeling that Sherco’s priorities lie elsewhere. In muddy, awful terrain, the bike runs flawlessly without missing a beat. The clutch has an easy pull and deals with all the abuse you throw at it.
If peak horsepower is the most important factor, clearly, the 300SEF is the solution. It’s almost identical to the 250 aside from displacement. It simply has more power. It pulls well from the bottom without the need for extraneous clutch work and will idle through mud and muck, just like the 250. When there’s a little open space, it rises to the task with just a little more enthusiasm. Both bikes run cool no matter how clogged up the radiators get, and both benefit from the smooth new bodywork.
SHERCO 250SE & 300SE
It’s easy to get lost in Sherco’s alphabet soup nomenclature, but the models without the “F” suffix are the two-strokes, and those are the ones that the company is most famous for. The 250SE and 300SE are among the world’s most successful hard enduro bikes. They both have electronic power valves and Keihin carburetors. It’s interesting to note that Sherco built a limited run of throttle-body fuel-injection two-strokes over 10 years ago. The project was put on hold indefinitely. At the time, Sherco said that EFI technology hadn’t yet reached the point where it demonstrated a clear advantage. Apparently, the company engineers still feel that way.
It’s hard to argue. The Sherco two-strokes perform as well as any motorcycles on earth in the most treacherous conditions. The jetting is flawless on both bikes and they will run all the way down to zero rpm without a cough or a hiccup. They don’t stall, overheat or provide anything but smooth, clean power. Like the other bikes, the two-strokes lost some weight with the 2025 frame redesign. We will wait to weigh one for ourselves, but in the meantime we are whole-hearted on-board with the improvement in ergonomics. The new bodywork is a big upgrade. So are the handguards, the skid plate and the instrument visibility. The 250 also has a new gearbox that was designed and built in-house at the Nimes factory. Third, fourth and fifth gears have new ratios. The 300 didn’t get the new gearbox this year, presumably because Sherco’s in-house production capability is still being developed, but otherwise, the bike has all the same strengths.
Once again, the only real difference between the 250 and the 300 is power. The 250 is decent, but the 300 is spectacular. Like all of Sherco’s bikes, the right side of the handlebar has a switch to toggle from the aggressive engine map to a more conservative one. In every other case, the aggressive map was preferred, even in super slippery conditions. With the 300, you could make a case for using the mild map. The only real difference was on top, and the 300 always hooked up better at low rpm. The mild map simply provided a reminder to shift earlier and take advantage of the torque.
SHERCO 125SE
Sherco’s 125SE got the new chassis just like the other bikes. To confess, we ran out of time and it was the one bike that we didn’t ride in the French countryside. We already have considerable Stateside experience with the 2023 version (tested in September, 2023). It’s a fast, temperamental bike with electric start and excellent handling. It definitely needed to lose weight and all the changes listed will be welcome. Even more welcome will be the new pricetag. Sherco shaved off $2000. It now sells for $7999. For more information, go to ShercoUSA.com.
