Orders open for Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450

The covers have come off Royal Enfield’s latest model – the Guerrilla 450 - and orders are open ahead of Australian delivery.

A model that Royal Enfield are calling ‘the return of the real roadster’, the Guerrilla 450 takes the engine and several of the cycle parts from the Himalayan 450 and wraps them in a new skin that has little of the “retro” DNA that’s defined many of Royal Enfield’s past models.

The shared componentry can be explained by the fact that the two models were actually developed alongside each other, it just so happens that the Himalayan came to market first.

Just as the Scram 411 was a road-biased companion to the old Himalayan, the Guerrilla 450 is the “city” version of the new Himalayan, although it’s arguably much more of a road bike than the Scram was.

According to Royal Enfield, the Guerrilla 450 redefines the essence of a roadster and was born from rider feedback. At the global launch in Barcelona, Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO Of Eicher Motors Ltd. (Royal Enfield’s parent company) said the Guerrilla was a deliberate move away from the “clones” that are filling the market, particularly in medium capacity singles.

LAMS-legal and accessible for riders of different sizes, the Guerrilla 450 features neutral ergonomics, a strong but frugal engine, easy operation, modern styling and tech features that should appeal to the younger market this model is aimed at.

450 Single

As already mentioned, the Guerrilla 450 is powered by the same Sherpa 452cc single found in the Himalayan 450. Outputs of 29.44kW at 8000rpm and 40Nm at 5500rpm from this DOHC, liquid-cooled single keep the new model within LAMS parameters. The max outputs are identical to the Himalayan 450, although there are apparently some changes in the power delivery to suit the new model’s tarmac focus. The engine is connected to a six-speed gearbox and chain final drive; also carried over from the Himalayan 450 with little to no change.

There are two riding modes – Performance and Eco – that adjust response from the ride-by-wire throttle. Obviously, the latter mode improves fuel economy, but how much difference there is between the two is unclear.

Road Specific

Move to the cycle parts and the two models start to separate. The Guerrilla 450 still features a twin-spar steel frame using the engine as a stressed member, but runs with conventional telescopic forks instead of the USD type that’s on the Himalayan 450. A link-type monoshock is used at the rear and offers adjustable pre-load for pillions or luggage. Suiting the Guerrilla's road focus, travel is 140mm at the front and 150mm at the back (on the Himalayan, it’s 200mm at each end). Both the front and rear suspension components are from Showa.

The wheel and tyre package differs, too. A 17-inch alloy wheel is used at each end of the Guerrilla 450 (instead of 21- and 17-inch), with wider-profile 120/70 R17 front and 160/60 R17 rear tyres than the Himalayan. While unconfirmed at this stage, Australian-delivered units of the Guerrilla 450 will most likely run with the CEAT tyres seen in the launch images that feature a more aggressive tread pattern than normal road tyres. Apparently, this tread pattern was created exclusively for the Guerrilla 450 and has been designed to “keep you in control through all speeds and all situations”.

For the Guerrilla 450’s braking, the single front disc from the Himalayan 450 has been downsized to 310mm, but the 270mm rear remains unchanged, as does the two-piston front and single piston rear calipers. Dual channel ABS is standard, but can’t be deactivated on the rear wheel, like it can on the Himalayan 450.

TFT Tech

While some markets are apparently getting the Guerrilla 450 with an analogue instrument pod in lower grades, it seems that all units for the Australian market will come with the Tripper TFT Cluster as standard.  This 4-inch, full-colour circular display offers smartphone connectivity and media controls, as well as full map navigation, powered by Google Maps.

All lighting is LED, and like the Himalayan 450, incorporates the stop/brake light into the indicators. A USB Type C charging point is standard, positioned under the handlebars.

Stance and Style

As it doesn’t need the rock-hopping ability of the Himalayan 450, the Guerrilla 450 is significantly lower, with a very accessible seat height of 780mm (825mm on the Himalayan). Along with the high bars and footpeg position, this makes for a very neutral riding position – just what a LAMS bike needs. Taller seats are available as an accessory, as are a number of other practical and cosmetic add-ons.

Overall length is 2090mm and width 833mm. At 185kg wet, the Guerrilla 450 is a full 11kg lighter than the Himalayan, although much of that comes down to the fuel tank that’s downsized from 17 litres to 11 litres.

The sculpted shape of that tank, with its Husqvarna Svartpilen-style side bulges and offset fuel cap, is part of the attempt to bring a modern look to Royal Enfield. This continues on to areas like the wheels and muffler, but the round headlight, round mirrors and fork gaiters are very much throwbacks to the past.

Colours are bold and funky, with three options offered in Australia – ‘Brava Blue,’ ‘Playa Black’ and ‘Yellow Ribbon’. In each instance, the colours are mostly confined to the tank, tail and sidecovers, although some variants add colour to the frame and wheels, too. The engine, forks, ‘bars, mirrors and the like are black, regardless of colour choice, while the exhaust has a bare metal finish. 

Disappointingly, it looks like we’ll miss out on the ‘Smoke’ and ‘Gold Dip’ options offered in some other markets. Smoke is a monotone matte silver, while Gold Dip is particularly striking, combining a rich gold finish with red at the leading edge of the tank and on the front mudguard.

Aus Pricing and Delivery

Orders for the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 opened on 6 September, ahead of local delivery from early October. Pricing starts at $8,590 rideaway and is backed by a 3-year, unlimited km warranty, with 3-year roadside assist.

For more details and to pre-order, see your Royal Enfield dealer, or go to: royalenfield.com.au