I have always been a big fan of mid-capacity four-stroke machines in the bush. It’s a good feeling to have enough power to tackle anything on the trail, but not so much that it will wrap you around a tree when you get tired or lazy. Mid-size thumpers offer that perfect mix and when the chance came up to ride Sherco’s 300SEF-R I was pumped.

This mid-sized four-stroke has been a huge hit for Sherco Australia. It took a while for some riders to get their head around the fact that it has a few less ponies than other offerings in the mid-size thumper category but many riders who have experienced the Sherco range say it’s the pick of the French fillies.

It has been on the list of bikes I have wanted to ride for a few years. It started to get my attention after spotting more of them on trailrides. After seeing Australian enduro legend Matt Phillips use one to win the World Enduro Championship in 2016, I was definitely keen to throw a leg over it.

OFF AND RACING
For 2019, Sherco has two models in its 300cc four-stroke enduro range – a SEF-R Racing and SEF Factory. On paper there are a lot of parts and bling that separate them but the major difference in my eyes is that the SEF-R comes with the WP Xplor fork and WP shock from the 2018 Factory model, while the 2019 SEF Factory has picked up a KYB spring-cartridge fork, KYB shock and full Akrapovic exhaust system. The bike I tested was the Racing with the WP kit.
My first ride on it came straight after I hopped off the very impressive Sherco 500SEF Factory. The 300SEF-R’s reputation and results alone had my expectations in some crazy place, especially after being all pumped from riding the 500.

I took the 300 straight onto the enduro loop at Krusic’s Ride Park in Gippsland, Vic and charged into a very tight right-hand corner in fourth gear, not really thinking about anything other than how excited I was to finally ride this 300. I left it in fourth, exited the corner, gave it a fist full of throttle expecting it to launch forward like a world beater, and that didn’t happen.

The lack of punch was almost like a slap to the face as if to say, “wake up fool. You’re only on a 300cc four-stroke, not a 500 anymore!”

HORSES FOR COURSES
Now that I was over my crazy expectations, I reminded myself it was a mid-sized bike that would need more gear changes than a 500 and I was on my way again. For the next 10 minutes it did feel under-powered after getting off the 500 but what mid-sized four-stroke wouldn’t?

What I did start to notice after a few more minutes riding was how easy the 300SEF-R was to get through all the singletrack sections. It just felt so light and easy to put wherever I wanted.

The small engine really makes flipping the bike from side to side between trees very easy. In most of my testing you will read how I talk about the way a bike reacts engine-wise when opening and shutting the throttle, mainly because I find a lot of enduro bikes have become really abrupt in this area since going to fuel injection. This Sherco is just how I like an enduro bike to feel. It rolled on really smoothly when opening the throttle and slowed down just as nicely when closing it.

ON THE STOPPERS
Engine braking was not as fierce as I expected and that’s a positive as, a lot of the time, I have found smaller four-stroke engines shut down so quick it can be daunting. It can feel like someone has jumped on the brakes even though you haven’t touched them. This engine braking felt more like what I’d expect from a 450cc enduro bike – strong enough that I didn’t need to use a lot of rear brake but not scary like I mentioned above.

Braking on this bike is a real stand-out. I could stop it anywhere, anytime and that’s a good feeling, especially when you are trailriding and not sure what’s ahead. Now remembering I had just jumped off the 500SEF that is equipped with top-of-the-line KYB suspension and straight onto this 300SEF-R that comes with WP gear which is more of a base model in spec, it was going to be good to feel the difference.

On all of the small, messy kind of terrain that you find while trailriding, the SEF-R suspension was softer, and more comfortable at both ends to ride. Even on some of the faster style choppy ground you would find in the desert or on fire trails, the WP suspension felt as good as the KYB legs. But what I did find was anywhere I encountered bigger racetrack-style bumps or started to get up to race speeds on singletrack, the WP suspension was very soft, showing it is clearly set up more for trailriding than racing.

For 2019 both Racing and Factory models have a new frame that is lighter, while designed to give the rider less impact through their hands with better control of the front wheel. The 400g that was pared from the frame was not noticeable to me but I did get a really smooth feeling through the handlebar while riding. Combined with great front wheel traction and the ability to steer onto any line I wanted on the track, I have to say the frame and suspension work extremely well.

THE HEART BEATS TRUE
At the heart of this bike is the 303.68cc DOHC, four-valve engine. Apart from expecting the world out of this engine during the first 30 seconds, I was otherwise impressed. On the enduro loop the power was pretty much spot-on. I could ride it all day without getting worn out. Off the bottom it has more than enough power to stay a gear higher than on a 250F and it was pretty impressive how well it lugged.

Yes, when I came out of the first corner in fourth gear and gave it a fist full it didn’t jump forward, but it did keep chugging along, no worries at all. The mid-range is where this engine really comes to life. If I kept it around this area everything about this bike worked so well and produced power that I would expect from a bigger engine than this 303cc ripper.

Top-end power was also impressive while riding the enduro loop. I thought I was revving this bike hard at times but when I got out onto the sandy, natural-terrain moto track, I found it had way more up top and revved to the moon while still making power. This is what makes it possible to give riders on much bigger capacity machines aneurysms on the trail.

I had a play with the power map switch in both hard and soft mode. I don’t find it as important as on the 450 or 500 but it still gives two very good options in each gear. I did find myself running the 300 in hard mode most of the time, but I could feel the soft mode would be a nice option in slippery conditions.

ALL-ROUNDER
After my time on the 300SEF-R, it’s easy to understand why it is such a popular bike that also won a world enduro title. Perhaps the best way for me to describe this bike is that it doesn’t do any one thing that I would call amazing, but it does absolutely everything really, really well.

Trailriders all over Australia can feel comfortable on this machine. It’s so nimble and easy to ride in technical terrain which is where it shines but still has enough power to run with bigger capacity machines.
This is why Phillips chose one to win his world championship.

I could easily live with this machine. I would just go with the SEF Factory model as I still enjoy lining up for the odd race and that’s where the KYB suspension allows me to push the bike as hard as I can and a full Akrapovic exhaust would only make this little ripper even more powerful. Ben Grabham

Sherco 300SEF-R

Engine
Type DOHC, four-valve
Displacement 303.6cc
Bore & STROKE 84 x 54.8mm
Cooling Liquid
Compression ratio N/A
Fuel metering Synerject 42mm EFI
Tank capacity 9.7L
Transmission Six-speed, constant-mesh
Clutch Brembo hydraulic, wet multiplate

Dimensions
Wheelbase 1480mm
Seat height 950mm
Ground clearance 355mm
Weight 102kg (dry)

Suspension
Front WP Xplor 48 USD, 300mm travel
rear WP monoshock, 330mm travel

Brakes
Front Brembo twin-piston, 260mm wave
Rear Brembo single-piston, 220mm wave

Running Gear
Handlebar Oxia tapered alloy
Front Michelin Enduro Comp 90/100-21
Rear Michelin Enduro Comp 140/80-18

Price & Contacts
PRICE $13,390
web sherco.com.au
PHONE (03) 8363 1600
Warranty Three months parts and labour