The Sherco 300 SE Racing was never supposed to end up in Wes Mills’ shed.
Originally, this bike was meant to be ADB Editor Mitch Lees’ long-term test mule. But as often happens in the real world, timing got in the way. The Sherco arrived late, Mitch promptly disappeared on six weeks of long-service leave, and then came back to buy the magazine and get chained to a desk for the next six months. The result? The Sherco went to Wes instead, with one simple goal: see if it could convince a lifelong motocross guy to fall for enduro.
If that sounds like a big ask, that’s because it is. Wes is not a lug-it-around, first-gear-crawler type. He likes bikes that rev, bikes that snap, bikes that feel more like a 250F on a supercross track than a tractor on a hillclimb. So throwing him on a 300cc two-stroke enduro bike was always going to be a proper test of whether the Sherco could genuinely bridge the motocross-to-enduro gap.
From the very first ride, it did exactly that. “The high-revving engine, the front-end feel, it all feels very much like a motocross bike,” Wes said early in the test. And that pretty much set the tone for everything that followed.
Unlike many 300s that are all about lazy torque and short-shifting, the Sherco SE 300 Racing loves to be revved. It still has enough bottom-end to get through technical terrain, but where it really shines is when you hold a gear high and let it sing. That character made it instantly familiar for a motocross rider. Instead of feeling like he had to change his riding style, Wes could ride it the way he always does.
That personality also made it a weapon in the sand. One of Wes’ standout rides was behind Stockton Sand Dunes, where the Sherco’s combination of 300cc pull and rev-happy delivery made deep, soft turns an absolute blast. It didn’t bog, didn’t fight him, and didn’t require any fiddling with settings. He just rode it. And that became a recurring theme with this bike.
Out of the box, the KYB-equipped base-model suspension was spot on for Wes’ 85kg-with-gear weight. It’s not the Factory Edition, but it didn’t feel like a budget bike either. The fork pitch gave it that motocross-style front-end bite, and the shock stayed composed in everything from loamy grass tracks to rocky singletrail.
When the Sherco was thrown straight into the deep end at the Transmoto 8-Hour at Young, it only confirmed how versatile the platform is. With a fresh Dunlop soft-terrain tyre bolted on, it ripped through perfect, rain-soaked grass tracks and flowed through tight tree sections without missing a beat. Second gear in the tight stuff, fourth gear pinned across the open sections, the Sherco never felt out of its depth.
That race also showed how tunable the bike is. A small jetting change, dropping the needle clip to Mitch’s recommended spec, transformed the bottom end. Suddenly it had more snap off idle and a much cleaner, crisper response through the midrange. Combined with the map switch, which allowed Wes to flick between aggressive and standard modes on the fly, the bike became even more adaptable. Sharp and edgy when he wanted to push, smooth and controlled when traction was at a premium.
Over the next few months, the Sherco saw everything from flowing Capertee Valley singletrail to technical Blue Mountains climbs and long beach runs. And across all of it, the front-end feel remained the standout. The steep steering angle and slight frame flex give it a lively, responsive feel that suits riders who like to attack corners and pick lines aggressively.
That flex is worth mentioning. Like older Shercos and early GasGas models, the SE 300 Racing has a noticeable amount of chassis give. It’s not a flaw, just a trait. Some riders will love it, others will notice it. For Wes, it contributed to the bike’s forgiving nature, letting it soak up trail trash without deflecting or feeling harsh.
There were quirks, of course. Vibration through the bars is more noticeable than on a KTM or Husqvarna with their heavily balanced cranks. It never made the bike unpleasant, but after a long ride you could feel it through the levers. Rubber-mounted bar clamps or flex bars would probably sort that out.
The stock rear tyre was another weak link. It did the job, but it wasn’t anything special, and most owners will burn it off quickly and fit something better. A bash plate was also a must-add for anyone planning on serious trail riding, something the Six Days model includes from the factory.
Then there was the two-stroke reality: jetting. Early on, the Sherco showed a few typical carby quirks. Fouled plugs at very slow speeds and the odd hesitation reminded everyone that this wasn’t a modern TPI bike. But once the float height was corrected, the needle sorted, and a JD Jetting kit fitted along with a 50:1 premix, the transformation was dramatic. From that point on, the bike ran clean, crisp and reliable in everything from cold alpine mornings to humid summer rides. After that, the jetting wasn’t touched again for the rest of the test.
That consistency is what really won Wes over. In tight, technical singletrack, the Sherco could be calm and controlled off the pipe, then instantly come alive when asked. In faster terrain, the motocross DNA came through, letting him carry speed and push without the bike ever feeling nervous. Even without a pipe guard, the expansion chamber somehow survived unscathed, whether through luck or design.
And slowly, almost without realising it, a motocross rider became an enduro convert.
“It’s been a really, really good bike to ride, everyone who’s had a go has been shocked,” Wes said after another month of riding with mates. The Sherco’s lack of mainstream brand hype only made it feel more like a dark horse, quietly embarrassing bikes with far bigger marketing budgets.
By the time the odometer ticked past 44 hours, the verdict was clear. The Sherco SE 300 Racing didn’t just do its job, it reset expectations. For a base-model enduro bike to feel this refined, this capable, and this fun across such a wide range of terrain is rare. It made hard days easier, good days unforgettable, and left Wes genuinely dreading handing it back.
When it finally went, the decision was already made.
If Wes is buying an enduro bike in the future, it’ll be a Sherco SE 300 Racing, or possibly its SEF Factory four-stroke sibling, because this long-term test proved something important: you don’t have to give up the feel of a motocross bike to enjoy enduro. Sometimes, you just need the right Sherco.
Mitch Lees
MY25 SHERCO 300 SE RACING
RRP
$15,799
WARRANTY
N/A
DISTRIBUTOR
Sherco Australia
INTERNET
sherco.com.au
SO FAR
TOTAL HOURS
52
MODS THIS MONTH
None
