Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 review: Unlike any other RE motorcycle

In the past few years, Royal Enfield has entirely revamped its lineup and is now doing the same with its image. People had high expectations but were also a bit sceptical at the same time with the 450 cc platform because it was the first time that the brand was doing liquid cooling. First up, there was the Himalayan to use the new engine which received a phenomenal response from everyone and then followed the Guerrilla 450.

Where the Himalayan is made for munching miles, the Guerrilla is for the streets and the city. We spent some time with the motorcycle and the Guerrilla 450 did end up surprising us.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Looks

With the colour schemes of the Guerrilla 450, Royal Enfield ensured that it turned heads wherever it went.

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With the colour schemes of the Guerrilla 450, Royal Enfield ensured that it turned heads wherever it went.

With the Guerrilla 450, the approach of Royal Enfield is different. The brand wants to change the perception about itself. The Guerrilla is a muscular modern roadster which does turn quite some heads when it is out on the road. What helps in this are the colour schemes that the brand is using, they are loud and demand attention.

Up-front, there is the same LED headlamp that we have seen on other new RE motorcycles. It is not the best one out there. The turn indicators are LED and at the rear, they are integrated into the tail light only. The thick 120/70 section tyre in the front and a 160/60 section tyre at the rear, add to the road presence of the motorcycle.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Pros

Powering the Guerrilla 450 is the Sherpa 450 engine that made its debut on the Himalayan 450.

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Powering the Guerrilla 450 is the Sherpa 450 engine that made its debut on the Himalayan 450.

The Guerrilla 450 is a hoot to ride in the city. It feels angry and ready to attack. There are two riding modes on offer - Eco and Performance. In Eco, the power delivery is linear and the motorcycle also feels smoother. For the most part, I left the motorcycle in Performance, where it feels at home. After 3,000 rpm, the motor pulls and the rev needle starts climbing quickly. The engine feels strong but you will need to change gearshifts if you need to do a quick overtake and the engine is in higher gear. It is also quite buzzy but the vibrations never ruin the riding experience. Overall, the engine is engineered for an eager and spirited performance that pushes you to chase the redline. So, if you are that type of rider then you would have fun.

The riding position is really nice with the handlebar being ample wide and slightly raised rear-set footpegs. Because, the Guerrilla 450 shares its underpinnings with the Himalayan 450, the chassis is the same so the wheelbase is quite long but this helps in providing stability at high speeds. In terms of handling, the Guerrilla 450 feels predictable, and neutral and pushes you to corner harder.

The tail lamp is the same unit as the Himalayan 450. The exhaust style is also shared between both motorcycles.

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The tail lamp is the same unit as the Himalayan 450. The exhaust style is also shared between both motorcycles.

The tyres are from Ceat and work quite well in dry and we cannot comment on how they perform in wet. The braking setup consists of a disc at both ends, it takes some time to trust the braking power but once you do that, you realise that they offer an ample amount of braking power. The suspension is also tuned just fine, unlike a few other recent Royal Enfield motorcycles that had a stiffer rear setup.

The instrument cluster is taken from the Himalayan, it is crisp, clear and shows plenty of information. The rider can choose between analogue and digital setup and there is also Google Maps functionality available on it which is a bit laggy though. Weirdly, this was not the case on one of the Himalayan 450s that I tested. There is also a USB Type C port to charge mobile devices.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Cons

Because, there is no proper tyre hugger and mudguard, the tyre throws a lot of mud around the chain, tail section and even on the seat.

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Because, there is no proper tyre hugger and mudguard, the tyre throws a lot of mud around the chain, tail section and even on the seat.

A few of the niggles that we noticed on the Guerrilla 450 were that it would refuse to change the riding mode and this happened several times. The joystick to control the instrument cluster is a bit finicky. Then there are the rear view mirrors, which are quite small and create blind spots. The fuel tank capacity is also less at 11 litres, and the fuel efficiency is not particularly exciting. The Guerrilla 450 delivered around 28 kmpl. Another gripe that I have is that the pillion seat is way too stiff, and it makes the back hurt very soon.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Verdict

I loved the time with the Guerrilla 450. It does not feel like any other Royal Enfield motorcycle that is on sale. It is quick, eager, and aggressive; it can handle, and you would enjoy it while riding through the city. If you are in the market for a motorcycle that you can ride on a daily basis and have fun while doing it then the Guerrilla 450 might suit your requirements. Just remember, that it would tease you to push it, and you will have to be a bit careful.