2020 SHERCO 300 SEF FACTORY
R I D E R E V I E W
P94
make any clicker changes
on this day. Once we dialed-
in the proper amount of sag,
we were on our way and
never looked back. Nearly
100-percent of the riding
we did in Kentucky was on
extremely narrow and twisty
trails deep inside the sur-
rounding and heavily wood-
ed hillsides. And we can't
forget about the extremely
slippery and sticky mud that
immediately packed the
tires and made the knob-
bies seem all but useless.
It didn't matter, though. The
300 SEF was the perfect
bike for these conditions.
The suspension, combined
with a well-balanced steel
frame that seemed to flex
just at the right amount and
in all the right places, and
an extremely user-friendly
motor, made the 300 SEF
Factory a blast to be on
when you really shouldn't be
having a blast!
The hydraulic clutch got
plenty of abuse on this day,
but it never faltered. The
clutch remained consistent
and did an outstanding job
helping control the power
delivery, which could be
accomplished with just one
finger, but two was best.
We had no issues with
the six-speed transmis-
sion, which changed gears
seamlessly.
The good-handling
and light-feeling
300 SEF is a very
forgiving motorcycle
that is easy to ride
yet is still very
competitive.
Braking is handled by
Brembo hydraulics with Gal-
fer discs and pads; again,
no issues here. There is
plenty of stopping power at
both ends, and we didn't
have any problems with the
rear brake overheating and
losing effectiveness.
In the saddle, the Sherco
is a very comfortable motor-
cycle with neutral ergos and
handlebars, and seat height
isn't bad at 37 inches. We
loved the Sherco's ribbed
seat cover and grippy grips.
After spending additional
time on the 300, it turns out
our first impression of the
2020 300 SEF Factory in
Italy was spot on. This is an
outstanding motorcycle that
simply does everything well
when it comes to technical
terrain and getting through
it quickly, or even not so
quickly at a trail-riding pace.
