Jeff, Nick, Adam and Simon all enjoyed time living with our long term Guerrilla 450. The Sherpa powered pocket rocket proved fantastic on many levels but it is time to say farewell...
It’s always interesting how some motorcycles win you over immediately, while others take time to reveal their strengths. The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 definitely fell into the second category for me. When the Guerrilla first arrived in the BikeReview garage, I wasn’t entirely convinced.
We had our Guerrilla 450 from November to November, so all four seasons. The bike proved a gem, and we highly recommend it.
The styling didn’t immediately grab me and, if I’m honest, neither did the colour scheme. It looked a little quirky, a little different, and perhaps not quite what I expected from Royal Enfield. But over the months and thousands of kilometres together, something happened. The Guerrilla slowly but surely got under my skin.
Read Parts 1 to 4 of our Guerrilla 450 Long Termer here… and our World Launch Report and Tech Overview of the Guerrilla 450 here…
Part of that was simply becoming familiar with the bike. The ergonomics took me longer to adapt to than I expected. For the first few rides I couldn’t quite work out where I wanted to sit or how I wanted to interact with the chassis. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just different. After around 10 hours in the saddle everything clicked. Suddenly the riding position made sense, the relationship between the bars, pegs and seat felt natural, and I found myself completely at home on it.
A huge part of its appeal is the Sherpa 450 engine. Royal Enfield has absolutely nailed this powerplant. It’s smooth enough for everyday commuting, punchy enough to have fun with and packed full of character. The engine never feels intimidating, yet it always feels engaging. Every ride, whether it was a quick trip to the shops or a longer run through the hills, felt entertaining.
The chassis deserves equal praise. It’s light, playful and surprisingly capable. Point it at a winding road and it happily encourages you to carry corner speed and enjoy yourself. Unlike some larger-capacity motorcycles, you can actually use all of its performance without risking your licence every time you twist the throttle.
Over the course of the test the Guerrilla proved itself to be a genuine all-rounder. It commuted effortlessly, filtered through traffic with ease and returned excellent fuel economy. Heather was perfectly happy on the back, which isn’t always the case with motorcycles in this class. Weekend scratching duties on my favourite roads were handled with enthusiasm, while gravel and dirt roads never caused it any concern. That’s probably the highest compliment I can pay the Guerrilla. It never felt limited by its capacity or learner-approved status. Instead, it simply got on with whatever task was thrown at it.
For new riders, it offers an ideal entry point into motorcycling. For experienced riders, it delivers a refreshing reminder that fun isn’t measured by horsepower figures. For commuters, it’s practical and economical. For tourers, it’s comfortable enough to disappear for a weekend. For everyone else, it’s simply a really enjoyable motorcycle.
As we say goodbye to the Guerrilla 450, it’s the everyday moments I’ll miss most. The easy morning commute. The quick blast to grab a coffee. The winding-road detour that turned into an extra hour of riding for no reason other than I was enjoying myself.
2025 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Specifications
Price & Availability: $8590 Ride Away (Playa Black)
Colours: Brava Blue (+$100), Yellow Ribbon (+$100), Playa Black, Smoke Silver (.
Claimed Power: 29.44kW(40.2hp)@8000rpm
Claimed Torque: 40Nm@5500rpm
Claimed Fuel Consumption: N/A
Claimed Fuel Range: N/A
Wet Weight: 191kg
Fuel capacity: 11L
Engine: Liquid-cooled DOHC single-cylinder four-stroke, four-valve head, 84mm x 81.5mm bore x stroke, 452cc, 11.5:1 compression ratio, EFI with 42mm throttle-body, semi dry sump, wet multi-plate slipper clutch, six-speed gearbox
Chassis: Steel tubular frame and sub-frame, steel swingarm.
Rake: N/A mm Trail: N/A mm
Suspension: SHOWA 43mm forks, 140mm travel (f), SHOWA monoshock, 150mm travel (r).
Brakes: Single semi-floating 310mm brake rotor, two-piston caliper (f),
Single 270mm rotor, single-piston caliper (r). Dual Channel switchable ABS.
Wheels & Tyres: 120/70 – 17 (f) 160/60 – 17 (r) CEAT GrippXL tyres.
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1440mm
Seat height: 780mm
Ground clearance: 161mm
Overall width: 833mm
Overall Length: 2090mm
Overall height: 1125 no mirrors
Instruments & Equipment: Ride Modes, TFT dash, ABS.
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