Mitch fears the worst with his long term 2023 Sherco 300 SE Factory and waits for the breakup call from head office.
There’s nothing worse than knowing something is about to end. Maybe it’s your favourite television series, the racing season or your current relationship! That feeling of deflation is depressing and in your head you replay all the highlights and low lights. Sadly, the time is coming when I will have to break up with my 2023 Sherco 300 SE Factory. We still love each other but our relationship has run its course.
In an effort to be as comprehensive as we possibly can in our testing department at ADB, it’s imperative that we ride as many bikes as possible. This means hanging onto one bike for more than a year is not an option. One year is a good amount of time to learn if anything is going to break on a bike and what a bike is like to live with and short enough to ensure we still get through a bunch of testing of current-model bikes.
I’ve only got another two months with the 2023 Sherco 300 SE Factory and I think this bike will be one of the hardest to say goodbye to in nearly fifteen year of long term testing. The reason this one is set to be a teary affair is because by the time I get back on a Sherco two-stroke, it’s likely that it will no longer be carbureted! The Sherco 300 SE Factory is one of the last premix, carby jobs on the market and it is that fuel measuring system that is the Sherco’s greatest asset.
The carb on this Sherco is a Keihin PWK36, one of the most tried and trusted carburetors on the market. It’s an exceptional carby that’s easy to tune and rarely has any problems. It helps the Sherco 300 SE Factory produce more torque than any other 300cc two-stroke on the market and it helps deliver it in a such a strong way, all off the bottom. But it is also responsible for that old-school two-stroke snap I love from the Sherco 300 SE Factory which is one of the reasons I love riding two-strokes.
Everything else on the Sherco is still in perfect working order. I haven’t fouled a plug in 40 hours or worn out a chain. I haven’t even snapped a clutch or brake lever thanks to the surprisingly strong motocross-style handguards. Sure the expansion chamber is full of dings but that just adds to that delicious two-stroke ting!
SHERCO 300 SE FACTORY
RRP
$15,499 + ORC
WARRANTY
Six months
DISTRIBUTOR
Mojo Motorcycles
INTERNET
https://mojomotorcycles.com.au
SO FAR
42 hours
MODS THIS MONTH
None
MODS NEXT MONTH
None
Words & Photos | MITCH LEES