We’ve had the new 2013 model Sherco ST2.9 for a few weeks now so I thought we’d better share some of our opinions of the new bike and show you all the changes they have made from last years bike.
The most obvious change is the frame colour which is now Yellow, I have to admit I wasn’t too keen on the colour when I first saw the pictures but when you see the bike for real it definitely looks a lot better, in fact I even like it now.
The best change for me is the new Formula brakes and clutch, Sherco have put a lot of work in with Formula to get the new design right and I think they have cracked it, the brakes are very positive and powerfull.
The new lever now has a separate plunger that can pivot and on the piston end there is a ball joint so this helps to remove the sideways forces that were applied to the piston on the older master cylinders that caused the aluminium bore to wear and turn the brake fluid black.Another neat touch on the lever is the plunger can be adjusted by screwing it in or out after undoing the locking screw on the underside of the lever, this allows the biting point of the lever to be adjusted independantly of the lever reach adjuster, this is great for kids with small hands or adults with big hands. The spring used on the lever to keep the lever in the correct position has been strengthened which should stop the lever moving when riding but it will still allow the lever to freely move in a crash.Another improvement to the clutch is the addition of a radial bearing between the basket and the inner clutch hub, this helps to remove any friction between the basket and the hub and to keep them parallel to each other, resulting in a more predictable clutch. It can also be seen in this photo the increased thickness of the inner clutch cover which makes the cover much stronger so it’s less likely to get damaged if the sump plate gets hit too hard. The steering lock has been improved by machining the yokes away at an angle to match the frame, a new modified plastic stop has also been added which is slightly thicker so it should stop any damage to the frame occurring with the increase in contact area the new machined yokes give.The new longer kick start lever makes starting the bike much easier and even though they have tucked it away nicely it is even easier to flick out with your foot and start the bike if you accidently stall the bike in a section.The Footrests are new for this year, the spring has been moved to the side of the peg and there are 2 bushes so they can be swapped sides moving the footrest forward and slightly up.The vacuum pipe from the inlet manifold to the fuel pump is all new, it has a pre moulded shape to help remove any kinks in the pipe, not a big change but it is a nice touch.The gearbox breather pipe now has 2 neat guides welded to the frame which loop the pipe up then down which help stop any water and muck being sucked up the pipe and helps keep the gear oil in the gear box. It also keeps the pipe out of the way when cleaning your carburettor which makes it a slightly easier processA drain pipe has been added to the carburettor overflow, this helps keep the crankcases clean and stops water being sprayed into the carb when washing.The earth point behind the headstock now has the paint removed and a spring washer to help get a better earth.The radiator has been very slighly moved back from the frame, which will stop it vibrating on the frame.The screws holding the radiator in place have also been replaced.Locking washers have been added to the screws used to secure the cylinder to frame brace, this should hopfully stop them working lose.Washers have been added to the sump plate securing nuts and bolts, this will hopefully stop the paint coming off when they are tightened.
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