Sherco Sahara 450
Sherco has built its first adventure bike for riders who’ll keep going when the gravel gives way to rocks and ruts. The French enduro and trials specialist unveiled the Sahara 450 at EICMA in Milan, adding a 47.5 hp parallel twin to the growing 450 cc class. It offers 240 mm of adjustable suspension travel at both ends, a pukka off-road-oriented 21-18 rim combination and a 19-litre tank.
There’s good reason for the rush into this class. In October, Australian importer Mojo Motorcycles told us that more than 4,000 CFMOTO 450MTs had reached Australian riders since the bike arrived in May 2024. BMW has its F 450 GS in the mix, and Kawasaki’s KLE500 runs a 451 cc parallel twin.
240 mm of travel and pukka off-road rims
Sherco has competed in rally raid since 2009 and says its Dakar experience informed the Sahara’s design. The upside-down fork and rear shock each offer 240 mm of travel, with adjustable compression and rebound damping. That’s 40 mm more travel at each end than the 450MT. Sherco’s technical sheet lists 250 mm of ground clearance and an 875 mm seat height.
The fork and shock show no visible maker’s mark in the photos; however, we know Sherco works closely with KYB across much of its enduro range.
It rolls on 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked aluminium rims, with a pair of 300 mm floating discs up front and ABS. Both front calipers on the show bike carry Brembo branding.
The Sahara shown at EICMA bristles with pukka kit. There’s a Brembo mark on the front brake master cylinder at the handlebar, too, and Akrapovič lettering on the silencer.
The generous 19-litre fuel tank sits low, and the flat seat gives riders room to move around as they shift their weight on the pegs.
An aluminium bash plate protects the underside. With those wheel sizes, that much suspension travel and Sherco’s enduro and trials roots, we’d back the Sahara to be a very capable machine when the trails turn proper gnarly.
47.5 hp from a 449.5 cc twin
The liquid-cooled DOHC parallel twin makes a claimed 47.5 hp and about 41 Nm. It sits in a chrome-moly steel frame and is paired with a six-speed gearbox and slipper clutch. Sherco says it has tuned the engine for low-down torque and progressive power delivery.
There’s a 7-inch Bluetooth TFT with navigation functions, along with traction control, handguards and USB charging. The technical sheet also lists heated grips and a heated seat.
When might we see it in Australia?
Sherco is aiming for European availability around mid-2027. If the Sahara comes to Australia, we reckon the third quarter of 2027 is the earliest we’ll see it. On the figures so far, it looks likely to be learner legal here.
The one vital figure we’d love to know is what it weighs with a full tank. That’ll tell us a fair bit about how manageable it’ll be when you have to pick a line through a rocky climb, or pick the bike up halfway through one. But of course, the aim is not to fall off in the first place, and I like to ride with that front of mind!
Sherco Sahara 450 specifications
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Engine | 449.5 cc liquid-cooled DOHC parallel twin |
| Bore × stroke | 70 × 58.4 mm |
| Claimed output | 47.5 hp / 41.2 Nm |
| Gearbox | 6-speed, wet multi-plate slipper clutch |
| Frame | Chrome-moly steel |
| Suspension | Inverted fork and rear shock, 240 mm each. Compression and rebound adjustable. |
| Brakes | Twin 300 mm floating front discs, rear disc, ABS |
| Wheels | 21-inch front, 18-inch rear, spoked aluminium |
| Wheelbase | 1,600 mm |
| Seat height | 875 mm |
| Ground clearance | 250 mm (Sherco technical sheet) |
| Fuel capacity | 19 litres |
| Kerb weight | To be confirmed |
| Display and aids | 7-inch Bluetooth TFT with navigation, traction control |
| Other equipment | USB/USB-C charging, heated grips and seat, handguards, aluminium bash plate |
