Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Review, First Ride

In recent years, Royal Enfield has experimented with many new genres for their motorcycles. The company launched the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, a roadster, a few years back. Now though they are back in the market with another one called the Guerrilla 450. So what brought the Guerrilla 450 to the war zone and is it good enough to challenge the competition which includes The Mavrick 440 Hero, Harley-Davidson X440 and Triumph Speed ​​​​400?

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Design and Features

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 comes as a fresh design from Royal Enfield. The front is dominated by 17-inch Ceat fat tires that feature a knotted pattern. There are also alloy wheels offered across the range. The headlamp is an LED unit and is borrowed from the Himalayas. In terms of instrumentation, the top variants will get Himalaya’s 4-inch fully digital single bridge instrument panel. There is a small USB charging port added to the handlebars. To use it, however, you need to install a mobile mount on the handlebars. The switch is also shared with other Royal Enfield bikes and feels solid to operate. The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 comes with an 11 liter fuel tank with an offset cap. The graphics will depend on the colors and variants chosen. While most have decals, the Brava Blue will be special because the graphics are hand painted. The seat is a one piece unit and the seat height is 780mm. The GMA division will also offer additional options to increase the seat height. The tail section of the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 reminds one of the Himalayas.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Engine and Fuel Efficiency

The Guerrilla 450 uses the same engine as the Himalayan 450. Hence, the same 452cc liquid-cooled engine can be seen here. Power and torque output remain the same at 40 PS and 40 Nm. However, the engine has been tuned to suit the needs of the roadster category. Power is sent to the rear wheels using a 6-speed gearbox. The fuel efficiency is expected to be around 29 kmpl. Royal Enfield has also equipped the Guerrilla 450 with multiple riding modes, but unlike the Himalayan, the ABS cannot be disabled.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Chassis

When it comes to the chassis, things have changed quite a bit. Up front, the Guerrilla 450 has a tighter angle and everything beyond the rear subframe has been redesigned. The rear chassis is also narrower. Only the middle section where the engine is mounted remains the same as in the Himalayan. The footrests have also been repositioned and are now placed a bit further back. But nothing substantial that would be a hindrance during long journeys.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Suspension and Wheels

The Guerrilla 450 comes with 43mm telescopic forks that offer 140mm of travel and a monoshock at the rear that offers 150mm of travel. In terms of brakes, the Guerrilla 450 gets a 310mm disc at the front and a 270mm unit at the rear. Dual-channel ABS is also in the works. It will also be pertinent to mention that the company has chosen to load the bike with a bulky 160/70 R17 tire at the rear and a 120/70 R17 unit at the front. But what is surprising is that these Ceat tires feature a block pattern that is generally reserved for scramblers rather than roadsters.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: What it’s like to ride

Cross a leg and you feel quite comfortable on the bike. The seat height is comfortable and will suit most Indian frames. The handlebars fall easily in the hand, and the rear pegs add to the feel but don’t add to the discomfort. The seat though felt a bit on the softer side and after a long day of riding, we would have preferred to have the touring seat that the company offers on most of the other bikes they offer. Start the bike and the noise is familiar and the exhaust note is whirring. Especially past the 5,000rpm mark and on the move, the noise seeps through the headset and adds to the aura. The engine is quite manoeuvrable and the acceleration is also fast. One can feel the tug through the gears. Plus, there’s ample torque across the range to negate the need for frequent downshifts. This makes the Guerrilla 450 a pleasure to ride on city streets and on the highway. The bike can also go at higher speeds effortlessly. One look at the speed and we were surprised to see numbers in the triple digits, and even then the engine had more to offer. However, beyond the 5,000 rpm threshold, vibrations creep in and are prominently felt. But is it a dealbreaker? No, it is not.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Handling

Our travel itinerary included driving some pretty scenic mountain roads around Barcelona, ​​Spain. We were told that we were riding the road that was once a track called Circuitul Montjuic where road races were held between 1933 and 1986. This also meant that the course featured some great corners and the tarmac was also impeccable. Around these curves, the Guerrilla 450 exhibited good handling skills. The bike leans with relative ease and gives confidence to the rider. The only obstacle comes in the form of the weight which at 185 kg is still a bit high. So is it as nimble as a scalpel? No, it isn’t, but it is by far one of the best Royal Enfields in terms of handling. The other cause of concern for us was the tires. Even on gorgeous tarmac, the block patterns somehow didn’t provide as much confidence as we would have liked. In terms of ride quality, the Guerrilla 450 felt on the stiffer side. But to be honest, the roads were too good to judge this attribute. So we will keep till we get the bike here in India.

Technical specifications

Engine: 452cc, liquid cooled, single cylinder

Power: 40 HP at 8,000 rpm

Torque: 40 Nm@5,500 rpm

Gearbox: 6 gears

Wheelbase: 1,440 mm

Own weight: 185 kg

Fuel capacity: 11 liters

Seat height: 780 mm

Price: Rs 2.54 lakh (ex-showroom)