The evolution of Royal Enfield in the last six years has been a remarkable thing to witness. With the launch of its new 650-cc, air-cooled parallel-twin engine, Royal Enfield instantly became a brand possessing considerable global heft, selling in big numbers in markets like the UK, Europe and South America. And while it continued to manufacture an updated version of its 350cc, single-cylinder engine, its next marker of evolution was the all-new Sherpa 450, which debuted in the all-new Himalayan, last year. The first liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine from the brand, the Sherpa 450 was markedly different from the thumping, reverberatory and torquey singles that had become the mainstay of Royal Enfield, and simultaneous with the word “Bullet”. This was different. In fact, ride a Sherpa-equipped and heavily camouflaged Himalayan and you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a Royal Enfield. Smooth, high-revving and somewhat urgent in its throttle response, the 40 bhp engine is what will serve as the beating heart of a multitude of new Royal Enfield motorcycles, serving as many form factors.
That’s where the new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 comes in. At first glance, it’s hard to put the Guerrilla in a bracket. It’s an urban street roadster, with a hint of scrambler to it. Not the kind of scrambler with an upswept exhaust, spoke wheels and block-tread tyres but more in-line with the sort Ducati has. A scrambler that’s not quite a scrambler. However you slice it, this is a good looking bike. Featuring an aggressive rake angle, a relatively, but not entirely upright seating position, wide handlebars – it is, in every way a neo-retro roadster, complete with a round headlamp, sharp rake angle and a somewhat more sculpted derivative of a teardrop fuel tank. To make things more snazzy, Royal Enfield offers a bold array of colourways, some of which border on eccentric, which was quite likely, the plan. In profile, the Guerrilla is taller, wider and has a longer wheelbase than any of the motorcycles it competes with in India. But this, along with marginally higher displacement gives it a fuller appearance and considerably greater road presence, making it, by a country mile, the best looking motorcycle in the segment. That it’s the most modern and sporty machine ever-produced by Royal Enfield, is an added bonus.
The mountain roads surrounding the city of Barcelona – the venue for the launch and the press ride of the Guerilla – are the perfect playground for testing just how playful the motorcycle is. Its form factor clearly suggests it’s meant for street riding with a bit of B-road action thrown-in. Royal Enfield has also given the added assurance that long hours in the saddle aren’t going to prove tiresome. Although the Guerrilla is taller than some of its rivals, it feels incredibly accessible and comfortable, with the riding stance slightly more aggressive and forward-leaning than, say, on a standard motorcycle like the Interceptor. The handlebars allow your elbows to be nearly parallel to the ground while the foot pegs are pushed back ever so slightly, allowing you to lean into corners more effectively.
Not surprisingly, the bike shares much with the Himalayan. Its engine is a stressed member of the chassis, but its smaller, 17-inch alloys running tubeless tyres and 11-litre fuel tank make it a good 11kg lighter than the Himalayan. Much like the Himalayan it too gets a TFT dash screen with connectivity features and on-board Google Maps, accessed via RE’s native app.
Performance
With all that out of the way, let’s talk about the most important thing – how this thing rides. Right off the bat, the throttle is aggressive, bordering on being a tad tightly-wound. Peak torque kicks-in at 5500 rpm, so this thing likes to be revved and the meat of the power can be accessed in 3rd gear, if you’re going to go around the sort of twisty B-roads I had the pleasure of going around. The 6-speed gearbox is a beaut, never missing a beat, no accidentally going into neutrals or ever feeling clunky. RE has ever so slightly altered the tuning of the engine, with a smaller rear sprocket, giving the Guerrilla taller initial gears compared to the Himalayan. Still, this is a gearbox that begs your constant engagement, with frequent up and downshifts for a crisp, unhesitant throttle response.
The Guerrilla runs on tubeless CEAT tyres with a fairly wide 120/70 (R17) front and a 160/60 (R17) rear, and this has two effects – it makes the bike feel very planted on straights and in corners, although you have to put in some added effort to maintain your desired line while exiting a corner fast, at an acute speed angle. Grip is considerable but any misguided throttle inputs while leaned-in and exiting the corner can irritate the rear a tad bit, so instant is the ride-by-wire throttle response. Methinks a narrower front wheel and slightly narrower handlebars will make the Guerrilla feel more pliable around corners. Dual-channel ABS works flawlessly, although, in 6th gear, on highways, some vibrations do make their way up the balls of your feet.
Verdict
With prices starting at Rs 2.39 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom) for the base variant and Rs 2.54 for the top-end one, the Guerrilla is competitively priced (go for the full TFT display, it’s well worth the money) One can split-hairs about power-to-weight ratios and kerb weight but the fact is that the Guerrilla has a quality that cannot be measured with numbers. It has a way of sneaking-up on and into your heart, much like its name suggests and it takes RE several steps further into being one of the most wholesome and accessible motorcycle marques in the world.
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