Royal Enfield Guerilla 450 Review: It’s a Funky, Bargain Roadster

VaselineJuly 30, 2024

0 7 minutes read

Royal Enfield Guerilla 450 Review: It’s a Funky, Bargain Roadster

After the usual stream of teasers and a few leaks, we finally have our first proper look at the new Royal Enfield Guerilla 450. Not only that, but we have all the specifications and the price to share with you.

The new bike from the Indian company takes the Himalayan and revamps it into a neo-retro roadster that now looks like the closest rival to the popular Triumph Speed 400. Both have reasonable single cylinder engines, both are made in India and price wise there isn’t much in it.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 – rear

Royal Enfield Guerilla Price and Availability

The Guerilla is priced from £4,850, making it a chunk less than the aforementioned Speed 400 and quite a bit less than some of the other bikes in the lightweight A2 segment. Delivery to UK dealers is expected later this summer. In its native India, the bike costs 239,000 rupees, or the equivalent of just under £2,200. MSRP in Germany is €5,290 – expect a similar figure in other Eurozone countries.

Guerrilla vs Himalaya

Making the most of Royal Enfield’s investment in developing the Himalayan, the Guerilla uses that bike’s tubular steel frame and ‘Sherpa’ engine, which is a stressed chassis member.

The Guerilla 450 is driven along a winding road

The liquid-cooled 452cc single produces 39.5bhp at 8,000rpm, backed by 29.5lb ft of torque at 5,500rpm, just like it does in the off-road-focused Guerilla. Beyond that, though, there are plenty of differences. For starters, the engine is powered by a much smaller 11-litre fuel tank compared to the Himmy’s 17-litre tank.

The Guerilla also swaps the Himalayan upside-down fork for a conventional one, while the travel drops from 200mm up front to 140mm and 200mm out back to 150mm. As expected, the 21-inch front has been swapped to a 17-inch rim.

A motorcycle going on a bend in the road

There’s new bodywork in the form of a fresh tank, seat and tail, but the display is the same TFT unit used on the Himalayan. It has a USB-C charging socket, mobile phone connectivity for proper navigation (not just row by row, like many bikes) and can be used to access different riding modes. Lower-spec models use a part-analogue instrument cluster, which can be accompanied by the four-inch ‘Tripper’ navigation unit if desired.

Braking is provided by a single 310mm disc squeezed by a twin-piston caliper at the front plus a 270mm disc at the rear with a single-pot caliper, all managed by dual-channel ABS.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 – Front

Wet weight comes in at 184kg, slightly more than the 170kg quoted for the Triumph Speed 400.

“A Game-Changing Roadster”

Royal Enfield CEO B Govindarajan had this to say about the new bike:

“The Guerrilla 450 is an absolutely gorgeous and game-changing roadster. When we started with the Sherpa 450 platform, we envisioned an adventure tourer and superlative roadster that would be distinctly Royal Enfield. The Guerrilla 450 is just that – a roadster full of character and confidence.

“Developed in parallel with the Himalayan, the Guerrilla is tuned to perfection for city trips as well as weekend rides on twisty roads. It has amazing on-road handling coupled with accessible power delivery and superb chassis dynamics enhance the bike’s character. and offers amazing performance, stability and easy handling.

“We had a great time testing this bike and riding it around the world. It really grows you and allows you to grow in confidence as a pilot”

how are you going

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 – riding

The launch ride for this bike could go down as one of the longest single day events I’ve attended. We had about 10 hours of seat time, temperatures rising 35 degrees Celsius and one of the busiest European cities to contend with. You could say this was a proper test of the bike and its riders.

The initial part of the ride is the not-so-simple act of getting through Barcelona’s morning rush hour, and as expected, the Guerilla 450 proves to be as user-friendly and affordable as we’ve come to expect. from Royal Enfield. The steering is light and there are acres of steering lock on offer, the rear brake is extremely strong and the gearbox is precise and direct. As with the Himalayan 450, the Sherpa 450 is an extremely easy-to-understand engine, offering strong low- and mid-range grunt with enough girth at the top of the rev range to keep you engaged. The clutch lever also has a light feel, although my small paws are at a premium to reach the lever and there’s no adjustability offered – something to keep in mind if you have smaller hands.

The compartment and brake lever on a motorcycle

Another thing I enjoy about the Guerilla is that despite looking bigger than the Speed 400 and KTM 390 Duke (both of which are heavier than each and physically bigger in almost every way), the seat of 780 mm still allows me to pay myself completely. foot off. For taller riders, an enduro seat is available as an option, which could come in handy if you want to add some extra legroom.

A motorcycle driven on a winding road

With rush hour behind us, we finally hit the curves, and the Guerilla proves to be a very different animal compared to the adventure bike with which it shares a number of key components. The outstanding feature of the bike is its handling. With much more aggressive front-end geometry, the Guerilla 450 is a sharp-turning bike that moves quickly from left to right, but with a level of composure that can be attributed to the non-adjustable Showa cartridge forks. High levels of agility don’t mean a lack of stability either, as with a 1,440mm wheelbase the bike feels extremely composed in faster corners and at high lean angles.

Sherpa 450 engine

I expected to have ground clearance issues on the Guerilla, but with the mounts up and back, it’s actually very good on that front. You can push the hooks if you want, but you have to go to the limit of how far you want to push the bike for that to happen.

Guerrilla 450

One handling trait I notice is the ability to momentarily lock the rear wheel, even with ABS that apparently can’t be turned off. If you hit the rear brake while wearing a lean angle, the rear tire can lock up and kick the bike to the side, which it will continue to do even after the ABS catches up and takes some of the pressure off. braking. Personally, I don’t have a problem with this, although for those who prefer the front and rear wheels of their bike to point in the same direction, it might be something to keep an eye on.

A motorcycle seat

With such a long day of riding (about 160 miles, including photo and video stops), I have a very good idea of how comfortable the new bike is, and that’s good news. Seat comfort is great, the driving position is neutral, and the foot position is just on the right side of sporty. Taller riders might want to try it before they pass, as with the quite high dropouts it may require a higher seat, but other than that (and the non-adjustable levers) the comfort and ergonomics are all good. It’s also surprisingly, for a 452cc single, fairly vibration-free. Locking my feet on the fuel tank will transfer some vibration to me, but the seat, bars and footrests feel well isolated from the engine.

What technology does it have

A TFT dash

If you’re looking for a mix of rider aids, the Guerilla 450 isn’t the bike for you. Dual-channel ABS and two rider modes (which adjust the throttle mapping) are pretty much your thing. However, you get the same smart-looking TFT bezel as on the Himalayan 450. This means you get Bluetooth connectivity right out of the box, and therefore turn-by-turn and full-screen navigation, calls, texts and music. on the run

I should buy Royal Enfield Guerilla 450

a motorcycle driven on a winding road

The new Guerilla 450 launches in a small and lively segment and will go up against bikes like the aforementioned Speed 400 and 390 Duke, as well as the Husqvarna 401 Svartpilen, Yamaha MT-03, BMW G 310 and its TVS cousin . Apache 310 RTR. While the Guerilla is less advanced than almost all of the bikes mentioned above, its big-bike aesthetic might be something that appeals to riders, especially those over the six-foot mark.

The bike’s styling is also individual enough to set it apart from the pack, with a neo-retro look that’s neither classic like the Triumph nor dystopian like the Husqvarna. It’s also available in a range of bright and vibrant color schemes – not something you can say about all the other bikes in the segment!

2024 Royal Enfield Guerilla 450

However, there is another big tick on Royal Enfield’s balance sheet and that is the handling dynamics and stability of the new bike. I’ve ridden all the bikes mentioned above for a long time and I’m not sure any of them could prove as flawless when ridden hard on a twisty road as the new Guerilla 450. The chassis and suspension seem to come at you with the faster you go, he never complains, whines, weaves or shakes his head in protest. It might have less power, torque, and electronics than some of the bikes I mentioned above, but for real road riders, I’d trade every electronics under the sun for sweeter handling at the limit.

And finally, we have the price to consider. The Enfield is £345 less than the Speed 400, £749 less than the 401 Svartpilen and £849 less than the 390 Duke. These aren’t life-changing savings, but a handy sum that could go towards a newly licensed rider’s first year of big bike insurance.

VaselineJuly 30, 2024

0 7 minutes read

Vaseline

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