The 2025 Sherco 250 SE Factory range has now officially hit the market with the world media launch recently taking place just outside of Lyon, France.

It was rumoured that the Sherco two-stroke would score a new fuel injection system for the first time, however 2025 is not the year that the French manufacturer will adopt EFI, rather staying with the tried and tested carby setup. When asked, Sherco said that the advantages of fuel injection were “not there yet”.

What we did see at the launch of the 2025 Sherco 250 SE Factory was a host of other noticeable updates, with the main focus on weight minimisation and a redesign of the air intake and airbox, the latter making it easier to change air filters without any tools, and an improvement in performance thanks to more air into the airbox in a more direct route.

On track

For the launch Sherco rented out a picture perfect location not far from Lyon, on the grounds of an old mental asylum that has now been transformed into a wedding and function centre. Importantly, it features an insane (sorry) 44-corner grass test track and a wooded off-road test loop. With 16 international journalists on hand, and only 10 bikes available, we were all keen to hit the track early as the rain had not stopped overnight, which had made conditions fairly dreary and slick.

The grass track deteriorated quickly and it was hard to get a great gauge on the bikes, but what are you going to do when you fly halfway around the world to ride bikes for a day. We made the most of it and had plenty of fun in the slippery conditions.

Updates

Improvements can be seen all around the bike from front to back. Starting with maybe the most obvious, the in-mould graphics are updated along with a redesign of the plastics kit. There’s also a flatter seat, new LED front and rear lights and, best of all, tool-less side access to the airbox so you can more easily access the redesigned air filter.

Sherco has redesigned the cooling system, too, and it’s now 157g lighter and claimed to be 15 per cent more efficient. New radiator grilles, which are more rigid, help with the cooling… and they provide more support and protection when you decide to launch your bike up a rock ledge without you attached to it. There is also a lighter and more compact fan which is more easily removed than previous model.

The frame has had some upgrades and changes which have shaved 250g off it, and the subframe has shed a further 254g. There are also new 7075 CNC triple clamps and a new steering stem, along with better sealing around the steering head bearings. A new handlebar position is 5mm higher, improving rider comfort and providing a good rider triangle feel.

Accessibility to the exhaust and muffler have also been improved, while the redesigned exhaust raises ground clearance and allows for better access to the skid plate bolts for easier servicing.

The 250 SE also receives a new gearbox, which the 300 SE misses out on for the time being.

Further changes to the 2025 250 SE include new larger handguards, new fork protection, new sidestand, new dashboard support, revised brake discs, lighter electrical harness, a fuel tank damping system, flat-sided linkage axles, and a new fuel tap.

Verdict

If you were to tell me after going through the entire Sherco Enduro range that the 250 SE would be my favourite, I would have told you to check the used by date on your snails and frog legs. The last few times riding the Sherco range the 250 SE was my least favourite bike of the 2-stroke range, but not anymore.

Sherco is offering three 2-stroke options: 125 SE, 250 SE and 300 SE, and the 250 is the only one with the updated gearbox. Having said that, I didn’t detect a huge difference between the 250 and 300 gearboxes on the first ride; the incredibly slippery conditions made it hard to get a consistent lap and to focus on gear changes, but after a while shifting did seem to be slightly smoother. I really want to try the 250 and 300 back to back at some stage, in dry conditions, to understand the changes a little better.

The 250 SE feels a little snappier and was a lot more playful than the 300, especially in the tricky conditions, and while the 300 might lap faster, the 250 was certainly the most fun.

The 250 SE’s KYB fork and shock are matched to the bike’s characteristics and the tuning is unique to Sherco. The 2-strokes tended to have a little less initial feel on the slick track compared to the heavier 4-stroke bikes, and I put this down to the weight of the bike not sitting down in the initial part of the stroke when braking. Aside from that the 250 SE handled exceptionally well in the slick and tricky conditions. Overall it felt planted and inspired a fair bit of confidence.

Sherco has improved engine perfromance for 2025 and the 250 SE again comes with a map switch, which makes taming 2-stroke rocket ship in slick and tricky conditions a breeze on the fly.

2025 Sherco 250 SE Factory

Engine

Type: Single cylinder, two-stroke,

Displacement: 249.4cc

Bore & Stroke: 66.4mm x 72mm

Cooling: Liquid-cooled

Compression Ratio: Not given

Fueling: Keihin PWK 36 carburettor

Fuel Tank: 10 litres

Transmission: Six speed

clutch: Brembo hydraulic, wet multi-disc

Dimensions  

Wheelbase: 1480mm

Seat Height: 950mm

Ground Clearance: 355mm

Dry Weight: Not given

Suspension

Front Suspension: KYB 48mm USD fork, 300mm travel

Rear Suspension: KYB monoshock, 330mm travel

Brakes:  

Front Brake: Brembo/Galfer, Wave disc 260mm

Rear Brake: Galfer, Wave disc 220mm

Tyres:  

Front Tyre: Michelin Enduro Medium, 90/90 – 21  

Rear Tyre: Michelin Enduro Medium, 140/80 – 18

Frame: Chrome-molybdenum stee, semi-perimeter

PRICE & CONTACTS

RRP $16,299 (+ORC)