Sherco was founded in 1998 in France by Marc Teissier and Andreu Codina, both accomplished trials riders who set out to build their own competition motorcycles. The brand's name blends "Sherpa" and "Bultaco," a reference to the Bultaco Sherpa T, the machine credited with transforming trials riding in the 1960s. Sherco sold its first trials motorcycle in early 1999 and expanded into enduro and supermoto models in 2002, later adding fuel-injected four-stroke engines to its range in 2004. The company manufactures its trials bikes at a factory in Caldes de Montbui, Spain, while enduro and supermoto models are built at a separate plant in Nîmes, France. Sherco built a strong reputation in hard enduro through riders like Graham Jarvis, whose 2008 Romaniacs win on a Sherco helped establish the brand as a serious competitor in one of off-road racing's toughest disciplines.