The New Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: How It Works, Pros and Cons

Every legend has its truth, which is that small, not very powerful and balanced scooters are especially fun. Even more so when the scooter in question is the Guerrilla (pronounced Gherri-ià) 450, Royal Enfield’s new naked that comes from the same base on which its Himalayan sister is built. The parts that the two share, as I said, are the engine and, with some modifications, the frame, subframe and swingarm, and consequently have various points of contact. However, there is no doubt that the overall result is, in both cases, well-defined in every respect – look, character, ride. This is also because, without the shared DNA, Guerrilla is actually quite different from “Hima”. Rims, suspension, dimensions, front of the frame and part of the subframe change; the swing arm is shorter, dedicated brakes, the tank is different; the riding position changes; the height of the bike from the ground changes. And Royal also reviewed the energy delivery mapping and final report.

In the saddle, those who know the Himalayas will find the beautiful instrumentation through which you can (also) navigate on Google Maps. And the engine is completely similar. This beautiful single-cylinder revs without too much complaint already from 2,000rpm and beyond 2,500 it’s nice and lively, with a tasty launch that only loses its verve towards 7,000rpm. From there you can insist until almost 9,000 where it is useful to save a change of speed, for example between one curve and another, but only the regime increases and not the sand. As with the Hima, the gearbox works well and the clutch is ‘soft’ and fairly well modulated. Neutral is easy to find, and engagements are precise and precisely contrasted, both up and down. The only shame is not being able to have the quickshifter, an accessory that some competitors make available. Although the two units can be said to be identical, when placed in different contexts of use of the two bikes, they exhibit different characters. The Himalaya by its nature leads to the use of low and medium revs, while the Guerrilla invites you to “pull” (also due to the excellent dynamic qualities that we will talk about shortly). The power delivery mapping has actually been overhauled to be more responsive and it is. The engine is thus brighter and capable of satisfying speeds for anyone, even those who “know” about motorcycles. More than in its adventure sister, vibrations are noticeable, because higher revs are often used and a reactivity that in our opinion is excessive at small throttle openings in short gears. This last note applies to the use of top-performing mapping.

With a very low seat and an equally slim waist, the Guerrilla makes life easy even for those between 1.60 and 1.70m tall. Although it is not very easy to lift, when on the stand; the only situation in which a weight probably greater than that of some competitors is evident. The triangulation is perfect and offers good control between curves, the necessary control in traffic and a certain comfort in transfers. The only negative note is addressed to those taller than 1.75 m, who wake up with quite bent legs, in the long term even in a vaguely unpleasant way. For them, we recommend the optional raised seat (+22 mm) which, among other things, in our opinion improves the look of the bike. A note dedicated instead to those who are different in height and with properly sized hands, the levers on the handlebars are not adjustable in distance and could be a bit far.

As far as driving dynamics go, it’s a gem. It’s true that it’s generally easier to create a balanced chassis when there’s little HP at stake. But the work done by Royal Enfield stands out in any case. The Guerrilla has all the qualities you would expect a naked bike in this category to have: light steering in its positive sense, a balanced weight distribution that makes the bike very easy to handle even at very low speeds and adjustable brakes. At the same time, it’s capable of faster-than-expected paces around corners and, above all, it’s surprising how well it performs at brisker speeds. The brakes ooze (also) some power, and every phase of the ride is handled in a fluid and competent manner thanks to the well-tuned suspension as well. This gives you the confidence to brake and enter the corner with a bold attitude and the same determination to slide along with the ground supports or change direction. There’s even an ABS that lets you trigger slight skids when entering a curve. A calibration chosen by Royal technicians with the precise aim of giving the most experienced drivers a more engaging driving experience than they would expect.