Bike Review | 2026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex

Royal Enfield’s Guerrilla 450 Apex takes the familiar 452cc roadster and gives it a sharper street focus, with lower ’bars, road-biased tyres, revised modes and louder styling. We send Axel to find out whether the sportier treatment adds substance as well as styling…

The Apex’s 56mm lower ’bars put more weight over the front, helping it tip in with more confidence.

The day started early. I had barely rubbed the sleep out of my eyes or managed more than a couple of mouthfuls of food before heading down to the car park to collect my Guerrilla Apex 450. The first thing that struck me was the colour. Bright red. Red being my favourite colour, I quickly called dibs. The other option on hand (one of four available) was a grey finish with racy graphics across the tank, called Apex Black. It was refreshing to see a modern bike with a bit of visual energy, rather than another exercise in minimalism – especially from a brand so rooted in history.

The Apex treatment adds a seat cowl, sharper bodywork and louder graphics.

The rear seat cowl is one of the Apex’s clearest visual changes, giving the Guerrilla a neater, more focused tail section.

The Guerrilla 450 is available in two plain coloured versions and two versions with graphics, like this Apex Black.

The colour-coded front cowl is a small change, but it helps the Apex look more finished and less utilitarian than the standard Guerrilla.

On closer inspection, the changes that separate the Apex from the regular Guerrilla model started to stand out. The road-focused tyres, sharper front and rear cowls and sportier presentation give it a more purposeful feel, while the lack of the rubber fork protectors found on the standard Guerrilla 450 also points to its more road-biased intent. If the standard Guerrilla falls into the scrambler category, the Apex is a clear-cut naked bike.

If the standard Guerrilla falls into the scrambler category, the Apex is a clear-cut naked bike.

The Guerrilla 450 and Apex share the same 452cc Sherpa engine, the very engine that made its debut in the hugely popular Himalayan 450. With two switchable engine modes, the change in character between Street and Sport mode is immediately noticeable. Street gives you a smoother, more linear delivery that would be easy to live with in everyday commuting, especially through bad weather and stop-start traffic. Sport mode gives the bike a sharper response and a more eager feel off the bottom.

With a smaller-capacity single, I was curious to see how it would cope on the highway at 100km/h. The answer was better than I expected. In sixth gear it felt settled enough that I was not constantly reaching for another ratio, which is exactly what you want from a bike that still needs to handle the boring bits between the good roads.

The 11L tank keeps the Apex narrow through the middle, which suits its light, easy side-to-side feel in tighter bends.

And when the road did get good, the Apex made a strong first impression. It had me interested within the first couple of corners. Through the hills, the bike tipped in easily and felt stable mid-corner, with good traction as I picked it up and accelerated out. The 56mm lower handlebars compared to the standard Guerrilla made a real difference here, putting me slightly further over the front, which gave the bike more front-end feel and helped build confidence as the pace picked up.

The red detailing gives the otherwise dark finish just enough bite.

The Apex runs a 320mm front disc and road-focused Vredestein tyres.

The road conditions were challenging, but perfect for getting a feel for the new tyres. There were wet patches, rough sections and areas where the road was close to flooded, yet the Apex stayed composed. It was impressive how well the tyres coped with a wet section of road, then still gave enough confidence to tip into the next corner soon after.

Through the S-bends, the Apex could be flicked from one side to the other with very little effort.

Through the S-bends, the Apex could be flicked from one side to the other with very little effort. It still has the easygoing nature that makes the standard Guerrilla approachable, but the riding position and tyres make it feel more willing when the road tightens up.

Apex Black is the moodier option, with red graphics and rim tapes doing most of the visual heavy lifting.

There is a trade-off, of course. With the sportier setup, you do sacrifice some comfort compared to the more upright Guerrilla 450. That said, I rode the Apex for nearly 190km and only started to feel sore towards the end, so it is nowhere near as demanding as a proper sportbike. The riding position is simply something to keep in mind when deciding which version suits you best.

Sport mode gives the Sherpa single a sharper response, which suits the Apex’s more aggressive attitude through the hills.

The 452cc single has enough snap off the bottom to lift the front when provoked.

The Guerrilla 450 and Apex share the same suspension, with adjustable preload on the rear shock. It does a good job of smoothing out most bumps, but after a long ride I did find myself shaking my wrists out, as they absorbed a few of the sharper hits through the front end. Even so, the extra cornering confidence and the amount of fun I had on the Apex made that compromise easy to accept.

Royal Enfield has taken a bike that already had plenty of everyday usability and given it a sportier stance, sharper steering feel and more focused attitude.

That brings me to the point of the Apex. I would not say it is outright better than the standard Guerrilla 450. It is just aimed at a different rider. Royal Enfield has taken a bike that already had plenty of everyday usability and given it a sportier stance, sharper steering feel and more focused attitude.

The Apex keeps the Guerrilla’s everyday 452cc single, but wraps it in a sharper road-focused package.

For riders who like the Guerrilla 450 but want something with a bit more edge, the Apex makes a lot of sense. At $8390 ride away, it also lands at a competitive price for a bike that can commute during the week and still make you grin when the road gets interesting.

Tech breakout

The Guerrilla Apex is powered by Royal Enfield’s 452cc liquid-cooled Sherpa single-cylinder engine. The DOHC, four-valve engine uses electronic fuel injection and produces 29.4kW at 8000rpm and 40Nm at 5500rpm. Power is sent through a six-speed gearbox, with an assist and slipper clutch helping smooth the shifting and reduce rear-wheel hop under aggressive downshifts.

With its light weight and sharper response, the 450 Apex makes really good commuting sense.

While the engine is unchanged from the standard Guerrilla 450, the Apex package is focused on creating a more road-biased riding experience. Lower handlebars place the rider in a slightly more forward position, while the road-focused tyres are intended to improve grip and steering response on sealed roads.

The Apex keeps the standard 160-section rear tyre, but switches to Vredestein Centuro ST rubber for sealed-road grip.

The 452cc Sherpa single is unchanged for the Apex, with the sharper feel coming from rider position, tyres and ride-mode tuning.

The steel tube frame is unchanged, as is the suspension, with telescopic forks up front and a rear monoshock with adjustable preload. Braking is handled by hydraulic disc brakes front and rear, with dual-channel ABS fitted as standard.

The Apex also gains a sportier visual package, including revised bodywork, a rear seat cowl, colour-coded front cowl, rim tapes and exclusive Apex colour schemes. It retains the Tripper smart dash and full LED lighting package from the Guerrilla 450. The result is a motorcycle that keeps the everyday versatility of the standard Guerrilla, but adds a sharper look and a more focused feel for riders who want their 450 with a sportier edge.

2024 Royal Enfield Guerrilla Apex 450 Specifications

Royalenfield.com.au

Price: From $8390 Ride Away (Apex Red and Apex Black)
Colours: Smoke Silver (+$200), Brava Blue (+$300), Apex Red and Apex Black.
Claimed Power: 29.44kW(40.2hp)@8000rpm
Claimed Torque: 40Nm@5500rpm
Wet Weight: 185kg
Claimed Fuel Consumption: 3.5L/100km
Claimed Fuel Range: 300km+
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: 21.8º Trail: 91mm
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) Vredestein Centuro ST tyres.

Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1440mm
Seat height: 780mm
Ground clearance: 169mm
Overall width: 833mm
Overall Length: 2090mm
Overall height: 1125mm (without mirrors)

Instruments & Equipment: Ride Modes, TFT dash, ABS, LED lights, USB type C outlet,