RIDING THE SHERCO 250SEF: THE WRAP

MotoFactory · 15 марта

We love it when a big package comes in the mail. Last month we got a big box that said Sherco 250SEF on the side. Sherco is a fairly young company out of Nimes, France that had perfectly awful timing. The company’s presence in the ‘States has coincided with recessions, pandemics and periods of truly weird international trade relations. Importers have come and gone, but 2026 marks a new start with a new importer and a fairly optimistic view of the future. James Jordan and Sherco U.S. took over the job last July and is starting fresh.

What separates the 250SEF from virtually every other 250 four-stroke on the market is that it did not start life as a motocross bike. The off-road 250s from KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and even Triumph all started with full-race competition bikes, then received changes deemed necessary for the closed-course competition off-road market. Sherco had no motocross line to kick-start the process, so the 250SEF was designed from scratch. It’s also a premium model, meaning that it comes with just about all the parts that off-road guys generally install after the purchase. That includes a cooling fan, an AXP skid plate, a coolant catch tank, an LED headlight and handguards. The bike also has a fuel tank that is slightly larger than most other off-road bikes: 2.6 gallons.

This has been a tough season for anyone bringing motorcycles to the U.S. The current MSRP for the Sherco 250SEF is $12,090, but the picture is changing rapidly.

In Europe, this is seen as a premium “Factory” edition because of the KYB suspension, Excel rims, Akropovich exhaust and other upgrade parts, but in the U.S. this is the primary model. Sherco has no major updates for the 250SEF this year, although it received a major revamp in 2025. At that time it lost weight through a systematic redesign of parts that included a new frame, subframe, engine mounts, linkage and radiators. Even the wiring harness was streamlined. Weight had been a major target of criticism, and by addressing that issue, Sherco brought the bike more inline with other off-road 250s. On our scale, the 2026 model is 233 without fuel. For comparison, a Yamaha WR250F has a very similar list of accessories and is about 4 pounds heavier. Sherco also redesigned the airbox, bodywork and all the plastic components.

Virtually all other 250 four-stroke off-road bikes started life as motocrossers. The Sherco was designed as an off-road bike from scratch.

As a whole, 250cc four-strokes have smooth power already, but the Sherco takes it to the next level. There’s no jerkiness down low. Engine braking is minimal and there’s virtually no danger of stalling no matter how slow you go. Sherco made its name with trials bikes and two-strokes, so the company’s priorities are clear to see. As you progress into the midrange, the power is soft compared to 250cc motocross bikes. If you want to go fast, you have to rev it. On top, it catches up but don’t expect it to win any matches based on sheer horsepower. That’s not the 250SEF’s strength.

If, however, you can lure your victims into a tight canyon, now you’re in the Sherco’s wheelhouse. Not only does the motor’s smooth nature work well, but the overall handling is nimble without being nervous. The Sherco goes where you point it, but rarely over reacts. In suspension set-up, there’s a fine line that must be navigated between racing and trail riding. Sherco leaned into the racing side of that divide, but knew not to go too far. The 250SEF is cushy enough to suck up bigger rocks and roots, but is no marshmallow. It won’t give you the ultra plush ride of a dedicated trail bike, and it can roll around on top of smaller rocks. In the past, U.S. riders have been slow to jump on the Sherco bandwagon. We get it; the company has had a very spotty presence in the U.S and at $12,090, the 250SEF is priced at the high end of a very pricey market. It is, however, unquestionably a premium product. There isn’t a single part or accessory on the bike that isn’t the very best available.

Sherco is making a fresh start in America for 2026 with a new importer. The 250SEF remains a dedicated off-road bike for the true enduro purist.

A GATHERING OF EAGLES

Gunnar Lindstrom is Dirt Bike Magazine royalty. After he was on the first U.S. Motocross des Nations team and after he won the Daytona Supercross, he was the editor of Dirt Bike. That lasted a couple of years before he moved on to work in American Honda’s engineering department.

This Eagle 250 is serial number 001.

Last week he dropped by with a few friends and their American Eagle motorcycles. What’s an American Eagle you ask? It’s a fascinating story. Back in the early ‘70s an English company called Sprite headed by Frank Hipkin wanted into the motocross market and attempted to buy Husqvarna motors to put into their own frames. Husqvarna said no, so they promptly built copies of Husky motors themselves. Galaxy Wholesale brought the bikes into the U.S. under the name American Eagle. Their first factory rider was none other than Brad Lackey. Gunnar is putting together a feature for an upcoming print edition of Dirt Bike.

An American Eagle 405 similar to the one Brad Lackey raced.

EARLY SUPERCROSS

Back in the ‘70s shooting Supercross was every photographer’s worst nightmare. The stadiums were much too dark for the film of the day. The late Tom Corley was one of those early photographers and he didn’t mind experimentation. At the L.A. Coliseum in 1976 he captured this image of Tony DiStefano with his medium format wedding camera. Well done, Tom.

FROM THE WAYBACK FILE

Honda EXP2

Also in the Dirt Bike archives is this photo of the Honda EXP-2 from the mid ‘90s. At the time, Honda still believed in the future of the two-stroke, and this was a significant effort to pass upcoming emission standards. It used fuel-injection and a computer controlled powervalve to make a much cleaner burn than other two-strokes of the era. Unfortunately, the standards that were to come were even more stringent and the EXP-2 never reached production.

LATEST JAY CLARK CREATION

Jay Clark is in the project bike business. he builds some very cool bikes. This one, for example is a Yamaha YZ450FX that he reconfigured for trail riding. That’s none other than Mark Tilley making dirt fly. It will be featured in the May, 2026 print edition of Dirt Bike.