Quick Ride

Quick Ride

SHERCO 2.9 One more reason to try trials

THE SPORT OF OBSERVED trials has come a long way over the years, and it's still heading out there. Just look at what trials bikes have evolved into: a motor housed in the slimmest of frames, and not much more. Wheel sizes have stayed the course with a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear, and suspension travel hovers in the 6to 8-inch range, but beyond that everything has changed. Fixtures such as the seat and gas tank have shrunk into obscurity, lights are concealed within minimalist styling and even the mandatory radiator fan is tucked away behind the smallish cooler. Next on the horizon? Thumpers and fuel-injection, just check the Internet.

Sherco isn't a new company, just a young one. Company principals revived the vaunted Bultaco name a few years ago for their first trials bike and switched over to Sherco shortly thereafter. Made in the trials capital of the world, Spain, the Sherco 2.9 shares many similarities with a Gas Gas. Wheels and swingarms, for example, are strikingly alike, and the frames share some traits as well.

The Sherco's engine, however, is completely different. Slightly larger than the tiny Gas Gas mill, the 272cc case-reed two-stroke possesses a perfect blend of torque and revvability. It has a very user-friendly delivery, though top-lever riders might want more zing. The clutch is magic and proved to take abuse without complaint. The five-speed tranny has a gear for any section and trailing between them. The motor stays pretty cool, but not so the muffler, which makes up part of the subframe-it got hot enough to melt its cover after some serious hill-climbing.

The 2.9's chassis continues the perfect-blend theme with neutral steering and handling. Neither the chassis nor the suspension is too stiff, just right for a 180-pound rider. Without much in the way of adjustments, the fork and shock don't really need to be tuned unless you're really picky or like some kind of funky setup. At 153 pounds, it isn't the lightest trials bike available and feels as much, slightly heavier than some of the more featherweight (and brittle) machines on the market. But the weight is down considerably from the trials bikes ofjust a few years ago, and it sure feels lighter than any other motorcycle you're likely to ride.

Why ride trials? Personally, I have more fun on my Gas Gas 280 than on any other bike I own. And this Sherco will likely cost me money because my wife Heather, who currently rides my old Beta, is ripe for an upgrade. Together, we can spend all day poking around a small area-balancing, pulling wheelies and hopping around-and it improves our riding skills by leaps and bounds, all for pennies in gasoline. Plus, it's one of the most complete workouts I've ever experienced.

Trials riding is a ton of fun, and the $6075 Sherco 2.9 is as good a way to get into it as any.

Jimmy Lewis