5 Reasons Sherco’s 450SEF-R Rocks Stock

Five compelling reasons you don’t need to spend up big on aftermarket parts or performance mods for Sherco’s race-ready 2016 450SEF-R.

Right off the showroom floor, the 2016 Sherco 450SEF-R is a serious enduro weapon. Aside from its super-tractable DOHC engine and quality WP suspension, it comes complete with hydraulically activated Brembo brakes and clutch, six-speed gearbox, billet hubs and triple clamps, a bar-mounted dual engine map switch, frame guards, hand guards, bashplate, digital instrumentation, black rims, and a host of other top-shelf componentry as standard equipment. In other words, compared with the main rivals in its class – KTM’s 450EXC ($13,795), Husqvarna’s FE450 ($14,295) and Yamaha’s WR450F ($12,999) – the $13,290 Sherco represents damn good value for money.

Now that Transmoto test rider and contributor, Grant “Goba” O’Brien, has racked up a couple of months aboard our 450SEF-R project bike, here’s his take on the five major aspects of the French-made machine that don’t require a spend on aftermarket parts or performance mods…

1. ENGINE

What I like most about Sherco’s 450cc engine is its incredibly smooth and tractable power delivery, which has been improved again by the Synerject fuel injection system’s revised mapping for 2016. Getting power to the ground out of corners or accelerating over rough terrain almost seems too easy. It’s so effortless to control, it demands less energy from you. And it’s fair to say that means fewer mistakes when riding or racing technical trails; the rear wheel simply hooks up and drives you in the direction you want to go. Alternative power maps can be changed on-the-fly with a flick of a switch on the bars, and that makes a really noticeable difference when you want to mellow out the power curve even more in greasy conditions. This super-versatile engine has no weak points, so I found it impossible to justify spending any money on performance mods.

2. SUSPENSION

There’s a reason why several leading enduro bike manufacturers use WP suspension componentry – it works! We gave the 450SEF-R a pounding at the recent Transmoto 12-Hour, where the course became so rough by the end of the day, we had to stay on top of the fork and shock settings to enable as smooth a ride as possible. The Sherco’s manual lists settings for different riding levels, which is a good base to start from. You really notice a difference after making only a few clicker adjustments, and a good tip is to change one only setting at a time to get a feel for what the compression or rebound is doing. If you make too many changes at once, you never know which change does what. The settings I found worked best in these conditions were:

• Fork preload: 1.75 turns (remember that with fork’s spring preload, the turns are made from all the way out, rather than all the way in, as is the case with clickers)
• Fork comp: 16 clicks out
• Fork rebound: 15 clicks out
• Shock comp (low-speed): 9 clicks out
• Shock comp (high-speed): 1.75 turns out
• Shock rebound: 11 clicks out

3. COCKPIT

The 450SEF-R just feels right as soon as you throw a leg over it. The relationship between the footpegs, bars and seat is spot-on. The tapered alloy bars have a good bend and sweep, and for bigger riders the four-way adjustable handlebar clamps offer plenty of movement to accommodate your riding style and/or height. The seat is firm but comfortable and allows you to slide your arse right up to the fuel cap when cornering. The tank and radiator shrouds are kept slim and the bike feels very narrow for a 450. The Brembo brake and clutch levers come with handy OTF adjusters, and the multi-function digital instrumentation is easy to read at a glance. The hand guards are much more sturdy for 2016, and all switchblocks are compact and functional. It’s a minimalist, race-oriented cockpit that’s hard to fault.

4. STEERING

This is one of the most positive features of the 2016 450SEF-R. The Sherco engineers have really nailed it when it comes to how easy this machine is to flick around in tight corners, and how responsive the bike’s steering is to rider inputs. In short, it goes exactly where you want it to go. I recently spent a weekend pounding laps around an enduro loop that included a mix of off-camber grasstrack turns on the side of a hill and more technical singletrail sections, where you had to be spot-on with your lines. And that experience confirmed to me that the 450SEF-R’s chassis geometry and balance inspires confidence in a wide range of conditions. Whether it’s lining up a rut, changing lines mid-corner, or accelerating hard through fast, sweeping turns, it consistently behaves super-predictably and remains enjoyable to ride.

5. NICE NOTE

What tops off this Sherco’s package for me is how quiet the bike’s exhaust note is. Some riders can’t wait to ditch the standard muffler (or entire exhaust system) and replace it with a loud, aggressive aftermarket one that makes it harder to find traction and leaves your ears ringing long after the ride. No me. Loud exhausts can make the bike more of a handful to ride smoothly, and piss a lot of folk off while riding your local trails. The 450SEF-R’s standard exhaust system uses a stainless steel header pipe and aluminium muffler. And aside from delivering a really linear power curve, its non-obnoxious exhaust note means you’ll be welcome on public trails/roads and mates’ private properties alike.