Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Review: Neo-Roadster Redefining Middleweight Motorcycling in India

In the past few years, the emerging categories, such as roadsters, neo-classics and modern cruisers, have gained traction within the middleweight commuter range of India. This segment is slowly changing the preference of a common consumer with their unique character and similar offering to the higher displacement alternatives at a comparatively affordable price, catering to the evolving mass market. The popularity of the mentioned categories came into existence looking at their ability to handle diverse road and riding conditions, which is also visible in the surging sales trajectory. However, where few names are on the majority’s voice, many are still underrated despite deserving praise and recognition.

Talking of the underrated names, surprisingly one of the top sellers across the nation has a model registered in the list named Guerrilla 450. The term "guerrilla" is taken from the infamous guerrilla warfare, where particularly the OEM is trying to sync the identity of a force as an individual engaging in unconditional battles, bringing a fascinating quotient to the name. The Guerrilla 450 inherits a journey of a year, yet you’ll hardly spot it roaming around the streets regardless of belonging to the Royal Enfield family. The Guerrilla 450 is a neo-roadster with the culminated charm of a modern-retro naked urban tourer, carrying the DNA of its ADV sibling, the Himalayan 450. So, is the familiarity a boon or a sin, and does the Guerrilla deserve to be in a similar state? Our ride review experience delves into the overall aspects of this middleweight commuter and shares all the possibilities.

Design

The Guerrilla 450is an under-500cc single-cylinder naked modern-retro urban tourer, which the Royal Enfield terms a neo-roadster. This middleweight commuter accentuates a similar profile to the new-age American cruisers underpinning the steel tubular frame, following an exposed design language. The body panel covers a mixture of components; excluding the fenders and side-centred toolkit box, almost every part comprises metal, especially the bulked 11.0L tank. The materials altogether are lightweight but equally durable. The front profile boasts circular LED headlamps which come with adjustability for levelling, whereas the tail section highlights a sleek styling with BMW Motorrad-inspired LED taillamps. The taillight is a shared element from the Himalayan 450, similar to the headlamp and the chassis, functioning as a dual-purpose unit.

Diving into the technological end, this motorcycle features a 4.5-inch round TFT instrument cluster which does not only support Bluetooth connectivity for calls and message notifications. However, it also allows the Google Maps Chromecast to assist with turn-by-turn navigation through the RE application. In addition, this console highlights the gear position indicator and side stand cut-off, which is eventually quite helpful from the perspective of safety.

Performance

The Guerrilla 450 shares the same 452 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder displacement from its ADV sibling. However, depending on the change of segment, the character has been amplified with engine calibration, camshaft timing, and gear ratio for an aggressive appeal. This engine produces a power output of 39.5 bhp and 40 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm, which is achievable in sports mode and during mid-end between the fourth and fifth gears. The performance figure is not only on paper; it can be experienced in real-world conditions depending on the accurate riding situation and style. We took the motorcycle under extreme riding with a pillion onboard, taking it through the dug holes to check the torque supply management, and to our surprise, the result was extremely overwhelming, where the engine did not feel to be suffering for a moment. This test was performed on eco mode, yet the motor did not produce any lag.

However, in performance mode the motorcycle simply glides effortlessly even in the first gear, which is quite practical during traffic manoeuvres, especially in tight spaces. Having said that, in performance mode the 4V motor pushes all its limits, resulting in producing the maximum output, which is top speed exceeding 140-144 km/h in real-world conditions, shifting constantly at the fifth gear.

The sports mode unleashes the beast within the engine, although it severely impacts the fuel economy, and is best suited for faster acceleration rounds where the 45-tooth rear sprocket also plays a crucial role shortening gear travels and increasing higher RPMs on lower gears, which is applicable in both modes equally. In addition, the sports mode allows higher double digits to be obtained on lower gears as well, ensuring the overtakings without further downshifts. Cutting short, the eco mode is best suited for daily city commutes and highway cruises, maintaining a close figure to the claimed 29.5 kmpl (ARAI), following the numbers between 16-20 kmpl, regardless of aggressive riding.

The Guerrilla, despite being a youngster-centric product, therefore carries the Royal Enfield’s cruising DNA, which is mostly visible in eco mode revving above 65-70 km/h in the sixth gear. Furthermore, the combination of lower gears at higher speeds, or vice versa, is odd with this 6-speed transmission and hence is not recommended. Additionally, this gearbox is offered with a slip & assist clutch, which smoothens the aggressive downshifts and makes the gear travels smoother, shaping convenient traffic experiences and highway accelerations. This clutch setup, along with the ride-by-wire throttle response, turns the overall braking experience assisted by dual-channel ABS quite accurate and crisp with every bite performed through sintered pads. The dual-piston radial callipers up front add to the firmness, avoiding irregular pauses evenly.

We also threw the bike around corners in order to check its constant speed maintenance for longer durations, and it actually lived up to our expectations. This does not just highlight the particular single-cylinder engine’s refinement levels but also how efficiently the liquid-cooling mechanism syncs to the Sherpa displacement all round. Talking of the liquid cooling, it works quite well keeping the engine cool, with the radiator fan coming into play almost all the time the motorcycle is in motion at higher revs. The liquid cooling in the Guerrilla, in synergy with the motor, is adaptable to the diverse climatic conditions of our nation and reacts accordingly. However, it is highly advised not to cross the rpm limits above 4000 to 6000 to avoid engine overheating and vibrations in spite of the utilisation of dampeners, as at this point the cooling is not considerably effective. So, in terms of performance, this machine seems multi-purpose with respect to the engine optimisation.

Ride/Handling

The Guerrilla 450 shares its underpinnings with the Himalayan 450, which is a steel twin-spar tubular frame. This chassis has an exceptional weight dissemination ability, allowing the overall 185 kg of kerb weight to shed while the bike’s on the go. For the riding dynamics, the tubular set of handlebars features a shorter width, acting in the direction of the aggressive stance and purpose of this neo roadster. The shorter width and a steering geometry of 21.8 degrees guarantee a comfortable posture and better lean angle for the rider with painless stretch while riding in diverse conditions.

This rake angle also helps during cornering, affirming the body-to-weight ratio being stable at both higher and lower speeds, where the contribution of both 17-inch tubeless block tyres could not be underestimated, notably with holding the grip on all ends.

We also took the motorcycle across extreme testing, crossing the slush, city potholes, and rough sandy roads where these tyres, and in any of these conditions, the tyres did not feel to lose grip and slip for a moment; this, moreover, let us know the water-wading capacity of the bike as well, which seems quite practical, referring to water-seeped roads of our nation.

To check what level of water depth the guerrilla is capable of passing, we onboarded a pillion over its 790 mm of heightened one-piece seat, further crossing a deeply waterlogged road, partially sinking the engine at a speed limit not exceeding 45 km/h in the third gear on eco mode, and despite a lower ground clearance of 169 mm, the water could touch the pillion’s feet; the bike tackled the situation with ease, keeping the handling nimble and confident at the same time. The bike was also taken to rough sandy stretches with rear tyre drags at higher speeds around 87 km/h. However, the loss of control or command did not occur for a minimal time interval, thanks to the fatter 160-section rear tyre profile keeping the body balanced.

This bike has riding ergonomics where the rider sits a bit low with centre-positioned footpegs for a comfortable stature, but the pillion sits upright, having a commanding position, mimicking the naked streetfighters.These tyre profiles, though, carry a con; that is, they limit your options, restricting variety depending on one’s preferred riding style and demography. The suspension on the other end does not complement the mentioned riding convenience. The front 43 mm telescopic forks with a travel of 140 mm and the rear 7-step preload gas-charged monoshock both soak up the small potholes and broken highway patches.

However, it is only felt at lower speeds; the moment you speed up and come over a rough surface or a bigger pothole, the suspension does not behave comfortably. The pillion faces jerks and is even at high risk of regular back pains, although the scenario completely changes on smooth roads, where the rider would want to accelerate more and for longer distances with the pillion onboard for about 50-100 km. The higher speeds under 4000 rpm are considered the sweet spot of this bike, over which the wheels absorb any unevenness, which eventually allows them to escape the jolts.

Moreover, the short circumference of the seat could also be considered a cause for the riding discomfort of the pillion. The rpm limit above 4000-6000 is suggested not to be achieved with an aim to dodge the body vibrations, as if continued for longer durations, it could lead to wobbling issues that might result in casualties. In simpler terms, the Guerrilla 450 is not an off-roader, so if you take it on the trails, there would be consequences. This motorcycle is meant to be ridden across the normal conditions of a city or township, sometimes highways. Therefore, ride it the way it is built for.

CarBike360 Says

Drawing a conclusion around the Guerrilla 450: should you, or should you not, consider this under-500cc single-cylinder Royal Enfield? Well, the design of this Neo roadster is intriguing, carrying a muscular stance, which is offered in a variety of vibrant shades going hand in hand with distinguished decals depending on one’s preference that attract a mixed age of consumers. Furthermore, in the tech department, the Guerrilla is the sole offering Google Chromecast navigation over the TFT, besides turn-by-turn indication and two riding modes, which transforms the riding experience to another level depending on their abilities. The displacement on the other end is also quite responsive, and so are the performance figures, which again go sideways to the impressive on-paper mileage figures.

In addition, the excellent ride and handling for urban commutes are due to the applauded weight dissemination of the chassis, resulting in safety altogether. These qualities surpass the cons compared to the price point it is being offered, such as the issue with rearview mirror adjustment and stiffer suspension on extremely bad roads apart from the heating and vibration issues at higher rpm.

Now, talking of the prices, regardless of the OBD2B compliance, adding two oxygen sensors, the price remains unchanged for all three variants, which are ₹2.39 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Analogue (base) variant and ₹2.49 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Dash (mid-spec) variant, which goes all the way to fully loaded Flash costing around ₹2.54 lakh (ex-showroom). The motorcycle might not be on par with the competition, but it is definitely upmarket, and the multiple variant choices further create a pendulum of needs and requirements enabling options, which altogether allows the Guerrilla 450 to feel considerable and worth the price point.