Sherco’s Wildwood-Winning 300cc 2T

It’s hard to believe that it was as recently as 2014 that Sherco released its first-ever two-stroke model because in the meantime, the French manufacturer has sure kicked some rapid-fire race-winning goals – particularly in hard/extreme enduro circles. Case in point: last November’s Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro, where Sherco nailed a podium clean-sweep.

But what’s it take to prep a bike for this brutal extreme enduro race? And how far removed are Sherco’s race bikes from the standard machines that roll off the French production line? To find out, we took an up close and personal look at the SE300 Factory machine that Tim Coleman used to spearhead that memorable Wildwood podium clean-sweep.

ENGINE…

• The only addition to the engine is a flywheel weight (made in Geelong and distributed by Chad’s Offroad Setups)
• Lubricants: Motul 800 2T @ 45:1, Motul Transoil Expert
• Evans Waterless Coolant
• Everything else is stock (for example: 13/50 gearing, FMF expansion chamber and muffler, clutch, thermo fan, radiator recovery bottle, bar-mounted dual-map switch, TwinAir air filter, etc)

SUSPENSION…

• The fork is the Factory model’s standard KYB unit with:
  – Inner tubes have been coated (DLC)
  – MX Tech Merge springs
  – Chad’s Offroad Setups valving
  – XTRIG ROCS Triple Clamps

• The shock absorber is also the stock KYB unit with:
  – MX Tech Piston band
  – DLC shock shaft
  – XTRIG ride-height adjuster
  – Chad’s Offroad Setups valving

PROTECTION…

• Force Accessories Radiator Guards
• Force Accessories Case Saver
• Force Accessories Rear Chain Guide Protector
• Force Accessories Front Disc Protector
• Force Accessories Clutch Cover
• Polisport Clutch Cover Protector
• AXP Bash Guard (with full linkage protector)
• AXP Rear Disc Protector
• AXP Chain Guide
• Zeta Fold-Back Levers
• Sherco Genuine Parts Bar-ends

MISCELLANEOUS…

• Genuine Sherco front and rear grab/pull straps
• ODI Full Diamond Grips
• ODI Podium Flight Country Boy Bars
• Sherco Genuine Parts Bar-ends
• Polisport Clutch Cover Protector
• Zeta Brake Snake
• RK EXW Gold Chain (with rivet link)
• SK Designs Graphics Kit

WHEELS…

• Michelin Medium rear tyre (standard, FIM-approved)
• GoldenTyre 216AA front tyre
• GoldenTyre G-Mousse in the front
• Nitro Mousse (soft) in the rear.

ACCORDING TO…

Tim Coleman: “Out of the box, Sherco’s Factory model is an amazing bike and really doesn’t need anything done to it for racing. For me, any changes made to the bike are more about setting it up to suit my personal preferences and the ‘feel’ I like. Plus, Wildwood is no ordinary race. I know how harsh it is on bikes, so having some added protection is probably the most important thing – a bulletproof chain guide and clutch cover is a must. These parts don’t give you a performance advantage, but they do help the bike survive any contact with gnarly obstacles. I’m not super-fussy with my bike set-up, but there are few things I’m particular about for Wildwood. Handlebar and lever position is always important, but a really good set of grips and a properly adjusted clutch engagement point is key for hard enduro races like Wildwood. With the coaching clinics I run, I’ve noticed a lot of people have their clutch engagement point too far away from the grips, and that makes it more difficult to get their timing right with the clutch in really technical terrain. The jetting on Sherco’s two-strokes is pretty much spot-on, and there’s a real advantage in being able to toggle between the two very different engine maps on-the-fly. I’ll often flick to the softer traction map for hillclimbs to get ever better traction, but I keep it on the standard, more aggressive map for high-speed sections or trials-type super-tech terrain to make sure I’ve got that instant throttle response and can loft the front wheel over obstacles more easily. The one mod is asked the team to make to my race bike is the front brake. The standard Brembo brake is good, but maybe because of my trials-riding background, I like the slightly more bitey feel of the Nissin master cylinder. It’s just a personal preference thing. The bike itself ran perfectly at Wildwood, and it was really good to have a team there to support me. Makes me feel factory [laughs].”

Derek Grundy (Team Manager/Technician): “The 2021 model has been a much easier bike to build for Tim because Sherco produced a more refined engine this year, along with massive weight savings and a revised compression ratio. Plus, the new mapping has given us an awesome bike out of the box that works better not only for Hard Enduro, but also for Jonte Reynders’ 2021 AORC race bike. It’s incredible how well Sherco’s two-stroke models manage to get traction. For Tim’s Wildwood Extreme enduro race bike, the engine is stock, but I have spent some time on the jetting to make this bike sweet in hard terrain. Tim only had one request: that I change the front brake master cylinder to a Nissin to give him a more aggressive feel. The Brembo calliper remains stock. Beyond that, the updates are really just to bulletproof the machine.”