Comparo: 2021 Sherco 300cc 2T vs 300cc 4T

Not only are Sherco’s 300cc Factory models – the 300SE two-stroke and 300SEF four-stroke – the biggest-selling models here in Australia; they’re also the machines that have been behind much of the racing success for the French manufacturer over the past five years. In 2016, Australia’s Matt Phillips used the 300SEF to hand Sherco their first ever Enduro World Championship win (claiming both E2 and EnduroGP/Outright titles that year). And New Zealand’s Hamish Macdonald has just wrapped up his second consecutive Enduro World Championship (EJ class) on the same machine.

Meanwhile, Sherco’s 300cc two-stroke has been the weapon of choice for a bunch of hard enduro-winning riders in recent years – including the brand’s recent podium sweep in Australia’s Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro, led by Tim Coleman, and the USA’s Red Bull Override hard enduro, where Sherco filled four of the top five positions. And that’s not to mention the fact that Tasmania’s Jonte Reynders claimed second position in the 2020 AORC’s E3 class aboard a 300SE Factory (and established himself as the fastest two-stroke off-road racer in Oz for 2020), or the wins that South Africa’s Wade Young has notched up on the 300SE at races such as Wildwood, Roof of Africa, and Red Bull Romaniacs and Sea to Sky.

But how do these two very different 300cc Shercos compare to ride? What sort of rider do they best suit? And what terrain is each bike most comfortable in? With help from a couple of former Pro off-road racers, Damian Smith and Scott Keegan, we put these two trick 300s back-to-back for a day to find out.