Back in July we attended the Global launch of the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450. Now, the Sherpa powered nakedbike is on the road Down Under. PB and JS head to the Aussie test... Photos: RE ANZ
Back in July we had AJ head to Spain to the global launch of the new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, a test held on smooth hot mix. Now we have had the chance to hit the roads Down Under at the Aussie launch to see how it performed on our bumpy roads…
The day started at the new Royal Enfield dealership, Moto Machine, at 1/10 James Ruse drive in Clyde, Sydney, right on the corner of Parramatta road. A quick briefing on the bikes and we headed off for our first stop at Glenbrook at the base of the Blue Mountains. It was an easy ride to Glenbrook with mainly the motorway to contend with, but it did give us all a chance to settle into the Guerrilla 450 before we stopped for the first break.
I was pleasantly happy with the power of the 450 and its ability to easily ride in city traffic and motorway traffic at speed. I never felt that I needed more from the engine, if anything the 450 wanted to go harder. It has a very strong mid-range which equated well to the 110km/h speed limit being right on the boil and ready to go quicker at the twist of a wrist.
“I never felt that I needed more from the engine, if anything the 450 wanted to go harder”.
I had confidence and satisfaction that I wasn’t going to be caught out or put into a situation where I would want more from the 450 engine. The Sherpa engine is tough, strong and is a willing rever that makes good strong torque and power right where you want it. It’s the same engine as the Himalayan but has been tuned differently for road use with the Guerrilla in mind.
The Guerrilla 450 is priced at $8590 for Playa Black, and $8690 for Brava Blue and Yellow Ribbon, order at www.royalenfield.com.au.
After Glenbrook we rode up to Springwood and then north towards Richmond via Yarramundi lookout where we regrouped before heading down the long windy road to the flood plains around Yarramundi . A good photo op along this windy road plus a hell of a lot of fun on the Guerrilla roadster through the very tight at time bends. It handled very well.
“It has good ground clearance for its design brief, is precise and controlled when pushing it hard”…
You can really use the 450 engine to its best in these tight windy conditions. The benefit of a good chassis and brakes the bike was a real lot of fun. It has good ground clearance for its design brief, is precise and controlled when pushing it hard. There is a video floating around of Chas Hern (Royal Enfield Tech and test rider) chasing me through some of the bends, we weren’t mucking around and the bikes did everything right, a shame we came upon some slow cars.
“I’m 179cm and 100kg, I felt comfortable the entire time I was on the 450″…
The chassis is based around the Himalayan with the same concept of the engine being a stressed member of the bike. It’s a twin spar design with 43mm forks with a 140mm of travel, rubber gaiters over the tubes and all done in black, looks smart. The rear shock is a linkage type mono shock with 150mm of travel with preload adjustment. Fairly basic stuff, but Royal Enfield has done their homework, the suspension is not lacking when you start to have a serious play, it all works quite well.
“Royal Enfield has done their homework, the suspension is not lacking when you start to have a serious play”…
After Yarramundi we continued to Richmond then up the Bells Line for a quick lunch and a taste of some locally made ciders. Riding the Bells line is again an ideal environment for the Guerrilla 450. Speed is limited to 80km/h most of the way so the 450 is again right in its element, plenty of power for the conditions and road with lots of the fun factor, with the style of the bike giving a comfortable riding position which made it easy to ride the entire day. I’m 179cm and 100kg, I felt comfortable the entire time I was on the 450.
There is a different style seat available that offers a taller seating position but is narrower for the rider, the seat is more like an off road or trailbike style of seat where the stock one is more for travelling. I tried both seats, I liked the extra 25mm height for my bad knee, it relaxed the knee just that bit more and that gave me more comfort. I think though that I would use the stock seat if doing a big ride, it was nicer to sit on over a longer distance.
The chassis design is both practical but also fits and flows well with the rest of the bodywork, not an easy task on a nakedbike…
“I liked the extra 25mm height for my bad knee, it relaxed the knee just that bit more and that gave me more comfort”…
After Bilpin it was just a direct ride back to Moto Machine at Clyde, a good days ride all up and a lot of fun on this bike. The real standout features of this bike for me are the visual appeal, the correct wheels, sizes and colour choices. Visually the bike looks great. It has a stance that just says roadster. The riding position is relaxed yet sporty, the body work is modern and unique but not to be confused with another brand at a glance.
The short tail section is smart and just fits the roadster/scrambler type of styling. The large yet low fuel tank is unique as well and has a purposeful look to it. The chassis design is both practical but also fits and flows well with the rest of the bodywork, not an easy task on a nakedbike. I really like the shorty exhaust that just looks all sport, nice stock note too.
“The chassis design is both practical but also fits and flows well with the rest of the bodywork, not an easy task on a nakedbike”…
The wheels are exactly right for this bike, 17in front and back with a 120/70 – 17 tyre on the front and a 160/60 – 17 tyre on the rear. The tyres are Indian but, don’t think that’s cheap or a problem. The brand is CEAT and totally made in India as the Indian government requires of all of its vehicle manufacturing to be fitted with locally owned and produced tyres. They are a semi off-road tyre in design with a large open tread, just like any other scramblers would run.
“The wheels are exactly right for this bike, 17in front and back with a 120/70 – 17 tyre on the front and a 160/60 – 17 tyre on the rear”…
I don’t believe anyone on the launch had an issue with the tyres, I know I gave them a good workout where I could and found them to precise, grippy and stable under all conditions. But with Royal Enfield being smart with the wheels and tyres sizes, it is always possible to fit a brand of tyre that you like without any hassles of them being odd sizes, smart move.
The dash is a 4in TFT display with features such as maps, music messages and more all linked to your iPhone or Android if you wish with features via the Royal Enfield App. It all is at the touch of a button, including ride modes. There is also a USB port, dual channel ABS and a Ride by Wire throttle.
There are three available colours on offer currently in Australia, Playa Black, Brava Blue and Yellow Ribbon. All are smart and again, unique. Playa Black is very traditional to Royal Enfield, Brava Blue is modern and my personal choice is Yellow Ribbon which is definitely for the attention seeker!
The controls and ergonomics of the bike are nice, the rider triangle (hands-feet-seat) is comfortable and suited my 179cm frame. All the levers both on the ‘bars and the foot controls are adjustable to help make it your bike. Simple but both practical and effective. They would be easy to replace in the event of a mishap and most likely not cost you a fortune…
The fuel tank holds 11L, which is ample for the 450. We left on a full tank, did our ride with lots of time doing ride-by photos and we filled up back near the dealership, at least 350km travelled. The dimensions are also nice, with a kerb weight of 185kg, seat height of 780mm and ground clearance of 169mm it makes it a go anywhere type of motorcycle.
“Fuel capacity of 11L is ample… we filled up back near the dealership, at least 350km travelled”…
The urban warfare type of theme with the name suggests that it can go anywhere and be tough and durable. I think it lives up to the Guerrilla name. It’s one step down from the Himalayan in regards to ground clearance and long travel suspension, but that’s a good fit for a lot of people, not everyone wants a tall adventure bike.
The Guerrilla gives you the Sherpa 450 off road engine, with the chassis from the Himalayan, 17in wheels and tyres that can handle most off-road conditions plus also be very good on the road, add in the optional tall trailbike type seat and you really do have a very good multipurpose 450cc motorcycle.
There is also a selection of genuine accessories that also hint at the off road adventuring with crash bars, radiator protectors, frame work for travel bags tall rider screens, even duel spotlights for better night vision. This is a versatile motorcycle!
Second Opinion – Jacinta Siracusa @MotoDoll
Definitely the sportiest little number in the Royal Enfield line up, the new Guerrilla 450 is an absolute blast. Based on the new and improved Himalayan 450 Sherpa engine, I was expecting a similar ride experience, but was surprised to discover that the genies at Royal Enfield have managed to make this little ripper feel totally unique. Styled as a ‘roadster’ the Guerrilla 450 is a naked, urban motorcycle that has really comfortable riding position, a lower seat height and is surprisingly a high performance small capacity machine.
The bike is light and nimble, which makes it great in traffic areas but also so much fun in the twisties. With comfy ergonomics and responsive agility, the Guerrilla 450 is zippy, easy to throw around and effortlessly tips into the corners. The torque of the Sherpa 450 motor is great. It has really good power down low, yet is super revvy and responsive throughout the gears as the rpm climb.
Available in three different colour options, I rode the Playa Black and thought it looked pretty sharp. The fork gators are a fun throwback to the old school nakedbikes and I quite like the minimalist styling. In summary, the Guerrilla 450 handles the highway easily, is very forgiving in high traffic and is an absolute delight in the tight stuff. The only let down for me was that I didn’t get to ride it long enough!
The only let down for me was that I didn’t get to ride it long enough!
TECH TALK – 2024 ROYAL ENFIELD GUERRILLA 450
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 colours L to R: Yellow Ribbon, Brava Blue, Playa Black, Smoke (O/S), Gold Dip (O/S).
Sharing the 452cc Sherpa engine with the Himalayan 450 but re-mapped for street use, with a 42mm throttle-body, RbW throttle and 84mm x 81.5mm bore x stroke, the Guerrilla run an 11.5:1 compression ratio and makes a learner legal friendly 29.44kW@8000rpm and 40Nm@5500rpm. It also features a slipper clutch (cable actuation) and a six-speed gearbox.
Chassis-wise, the steel tubular frame uses the engine as a stressed member. The swingarm is steel and runs a linkage-type SHOWA monoshock and offers 150mm of travel, while up the front 43mm conventional SHOWA forks are covered with fork gators and give 140mm travel. Wheels are 17in cast alloy with 120/70 – 17in and 160/60 – 17in on-road/off-road 50/50 CEAT GrippXL tyres.
Braking is taken care off by ByBre (By Brembo) with a 310mm front rotor with two-piston sliding caliper and a 270mm rear rotor with a single-piston caliper, and dual channel ABS is a feature too. The front master-cylinder is of the conventional type with integrated fluid reservoir, and the brake lines are braided stainless-steel for added feel and power.
The Guerrilla is 2090mm long, with a wheelbase of 1440mm and a seat height of 780mm. It is 833mm wide and 1125mm tall without mirrors, and ground clearance is 169mm. Weight comes in at 191kg wet and ready to ride, or 174kg dry. The fuel tank capacity is just 11L, so expect plenty of fuel stops here in Australia, with an estimated fuel range of 300km between filling up a best case scenario to bone dry, we estimate it will be closer to a range of 250-260km between fill-ups.
Electronics include the ABS, and two Ride Modes, Economy and Performance. The TFT dash is Tripper enabled should you wish to add it and it can also Blutooth to your mobile. The lighting is LED and the engine is of course electric start. No anti-theft immobiliser or traction control. Guerrilla 450 colours are Brava Blue, Yellow Ribbon, Gold Dip, Playa Black and Smoke.
Pricing has been announced for some International markets (it’s under $5000 AUD in India but don’t expect that here), we predict it will be somewhere around the price of the Himalayan, perhaps a little less, so $9,000 – ish Ride Away, but nothing official is available on price here in Australia. There are three variants, one with a basic analogue dash and two with the TFT dash.
2024 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Specifications
Price & Availability: $8590 Ride Away (Playa Black)
Colours: Brava Blue (+$100), Yellow Ribbon (+$100), Playa Black.
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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Ratings | Bike Review | Aussie Launch, Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450
Versatile!
The little 40hp 450cc Sherpa engine is now in its second bike, joining the Himalayan 450 is the Guerrilla 450. Paul Bailey and Jacinta Siracusa take this Learner nakedbike for a spin at the Aussie launch…
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