Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 offers oodles of performance and weighs less than Himalayan 450, which will prove to be an advantage
One of India’s most anticipated motorcycles, Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 has been launched todayin Barcelona, Spain. There are three variants on offer, to establish a wider price bracket. Base Analogue variant costs Rs 2.39 lakh, mid-level Dash variant costs Rs 2.49 lakh and top-end Flash costs Rs 2.54 lakh (all prices Ex-sh). Let’s take a look at where it falls in terms of competition.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Vs Rivals
Questions hit me at the speed of light. Is it as lightweight as CB300R? Nope. Is it as jam-packed with electronics as TVS Apache RTR 310? Nope. Is it as VFM as Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z? Never. Does it have badge value like BMW, Triumph and Harley? Pretty close. Does it have raw performance like KTM 390 Duke? We don’t know yet. So, is it a jack of all trades? We would love to find that out.
On paper, it would be logical to only compare Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 with neo-retro and classic Roadsters like Triumph Speed 400, Harley-Davidson X440, Hero Mavrick 440, Honda CB300R and Yezdi Roadster. Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, Dominar 400, TVS Apache RTR 310, KTM 390 Duke and BMW G 310 R emerge as sporty Roadsters. So, highlighting Pulsar NS400Z’s Rs 54,000 price advantage over Guerrilla 450 makes less sense.
Design is subjective. If you ask me, I would rate Honda CB300R the highest among these contenders followed by Triumph Speed 400. Many motorcycling enthusiasts will find that Guerrilla doesn’t have that quintessential Royal Enfield DNA lurking all around vehicles like Classic 350, Bullet 350, Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. However, Guerrilla is a far more pretty motorcycle if we compare it to its platform sibling, Himalayan 450.
Performance-wise, Guerrilla 450 has the largest engine displacement at 452cc and packs the highest torque at 40 Nm. Not just that, peak torque is generated at a relatively low 5,500 RPM, while Harley-Davidson X440’s 38 Nm peak torque comes up at an even lower 4,000 RPM. Speed 400 and Guerrilla 450 offer comparable power figures. CB300R has the least power in this comparo, but it only weighs 146 kg.
Except for X440 and its re-branded cousin Hero Mavrick 440 gets oil cooling and a 2V head with SOHC setup. Every single one of these contenders packs a DOHC 4V head with liquid cooling. Guerrilla 450 is the only one with ride modes, while others offer ride-by-wire, slipper clutch and other attributes. Features-wise, Harley X440 offers e-sim telematics. But RE’s Tripper Dash with Google Maps, music control, and app support is significantly superior.
Dimensions & Components
At 185 kg, Guerrilla 450 is lighter than Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and rivals like Yezdi Roadster and X440. But the arch-rival Speed 400 is lighter at 176 kg. Guerrilla 450 and Yezdi Roadster have the longest wheelbase at 1,440 mm, while CB300R’s is the shortest at 1,357 mm. Guerrilla 450 has the lowest seat height at 780 mm and the second-lowest ground clearance and the second-smallest fuel tank at 11L.
In terms of componentry, Guerrilla 450 is very well kitted out. It gets RSU telescopic front forks like Yezdi Roadster and offers mono-shock rear suspension, unlike Yezdi and Harley. Notably, Guerrilla 450 offers the largest rear disc brake setup at 270 mm. Only Harley offers wire-spoke wheels as an option, while others offer alloys only. At 120-section front and 160-section rear, Guerrilla 450 offers the fattest tyres of this segment and a couple of segments above.
Even though it had a lot of 1st-gen niggles, there was immense potential in the Sherpa 450 platform, as we found in our long-term review. Building on Himalayan 450’s strengths, Guerrilla 450 is a well-rounded package. Even though the pricing is slightly on the higher side, it should not affect Royal Enfield’s massive appeal and is likely to be the best-seller of its segment.
