The covers are off! Say hello to the much-awaited Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, the newest motorcycle from the brand and the first motorcycle to be derived using the Himalayan 450’s platform. Available in two variants, prices of the new Guerrilla 450 begin from Rs 2.39 lakh for the base Analogue variants, Rs 2.49 lakh for the Dash variants and Rs 2.54 lakh for the top-spec Flash variants (all prices, ex-showroom). The motorcycle is available in a total of five colourways split between the two variants. While the Guerrilla 450 has been officially unveiled in Barcelona, Spain, with bookings commenced, expect it to soon be available at a Royal Enfield showroom in your city.
The Guerrilla 450 shares its underpinning with the current second-generation Himalayan 450, from the chassis to the powertrain, the former being tweaked to match its sportier roadster persona. It is the same steel tubular frame with a sharper rake, a much more accessible seat height of 780 mm and a kerb weight of 185 kg.
In terms of design, while the Guerrilla 450 does look similar to the Himalayan, it is a proper road-focused roadster motorcycle with subtle changes in design. You get a circular LED headlamp up front flanked by LED turn indicators, a slim and long 11-litre fuel tank and a one-piece seat, both different from the Himalayan. The rest of the body panels including the tail section and the side panels and also the stubby exhaust are identical to the Himalayan.
The engine is the same Sherpa 450 from the Himalayan used as a stressed member. The motor is a 452 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled DOHC unit rated at 39.47 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 40 Nm at 5,500 rpm, the same as its adventure touring sibling. The engine is coupled to the same 6-speed gearbox and is assisted by a slip-and-assist clutch.
The throttle is ride-by-wire and there are two riding modes, Eco and Performance, which can be switched on the fly. While you do get dual-channel ABS, traction control has been given a miss on the Guerrilla 450 as well. For instrumentation, while the lower variant features a digi-analogue unit with the Tripper pod as an optional extra, the top-spec variants come with a 4-inch circular display that has phone connectivity, Google Maps and media controls apart from access to the motorcycle settings.
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Furthermore, the other department where the Guerrilla 450 is different from the Himalayan 450 are the cycle parts. Instead of a 21-17 spoke wheel setup, the Guerrilla 450 rides on 17-inch alloys at both ends shod with road-focused tyres. For the suspension setup, you get a telescopic fork unit instead of USDs as offered on the Himalayan, meanwhile, the rear is the same featuring a link-type monoshock. On the Guerrilla 450, the suspension travel is set at 140 mm for the front, and 150 mm for the rear. Braking duties are handled by 310 mm and 270 mm disc brakes at both ends.
On the competition front, the Guerrilla 450 in India locks horns with the Triumph Speed 400, Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, Harley-Davidson X440 and Hero Mavrick 440.