Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 – Ride Report – Bike Shed Classifieds

Fun. Sure, motorcycles can be practical, convenient even. But if you had to distil the key ingredient that drew you to them in the first place, fun is the one. And with their all-new Guerilla 450, Royal Enfield did not view “fun” as a happy outcome, but an objective, to be engineered into the machine at every level. Their ambition was simple, to create a roadster, dedicated to the enjoyment of the ride. For those days when the road spills out ahead of you, and your thoughts are only of the line you cut through it.

Launching the Guerilla in the heart of Barcelona was a statement of intent from Royal Enfield. Sure the city backdrop is beyond compare, the traffic dense enough to mark the commuting card, and the weather a dead-cert. But in the mountains surrounding the city, snake some of the finest stretches of tarmac I have ever had the pleasure to traverse. Those roads are why we are here. The message was clear, throw this machine at the mountains. Have fun.

But before the ride, an opportunity to meet the varied teams from across the globe that collaborated in the creation of the Guerilla. Although the 450cc, 40hp, single-cylinder “Sherpa” engine, and tubular steel perimeter frame are shared with the 450 Himalayan, it is wrong to say the Guerilla is based on that platform. Both machines began development simultaneously, some 4 years ago, and despite the Himalayan being the first to market, the Guerilla (or GRR in certain territories) received an equal stake in the bones of both. Speaking with the Dynamic / Test-Ride team, it was immediately obvious how proud and excited they were to serve up their work. At their headquarters, a few miles from Barcelona in Northern Spain, the team of riders and engineers have poured over every detail of this machine. From the geometry and ergonomics, to the compound of the specially developed CEAT rubber. The directive of building an Enfield, with ‘17 wheels front and rear, prioritising rider enjoyment, was clearly a proposition they relished. Rake & trail are tighter than the Himalayan, while a redesigned swingarm further shortens the wheelbase. 43mm right-way-up Showa forks, (sporting chip-defying retro gaiters) lead to a classic, yet industrially styled circular headlight. The 11 litre fuel-tank features a near flat base line against the Guerilla specific subframe, while the one piece seat rises up the tank in almost MX aping style. A seat height of 780mm is sure to keep those less adept than I at reaching the top shelf happy, but had me nervous for my over-long lallies ahead of the purported 10 hour route. Thankfully a few flattering words with the Genuine Motorcycle Accessories team secured me the “Bench Seat” option, with an additional 22mm of loft.After digging into the engineering and the evolution of the aesthetic, we heard from those behind the elaborate colour schemes that adorn the Guerrilla. With a youthful rider in their sights, they dug deep into the paint-box for some cracking schemes. First a cool grey, followed by a deep metallic black with lashings of 70’s red & yellow “Matchbox Toy” stripes. A red, half dipped in gold, a white and metallic turquoise statement, and finally… purple half-tone polka dots on banana yellow. Something for everyone. Personally, I was delighted to see my test machine in the flamboyant “Yellow Ribbon” livery. More motorcycles should have purple tank badges! (In my admittedly 80’s favouring opinion).To the ride. High seat installed, we took to the town in orderly fashion. The ride-by-wire throttle was silky smooth, the clutch light as a feather, and the perhaps surprising spec-sheet weight of 184kg, rendered irrelevant by the low-speed balance of the Guerilla. If you are new to motorcycling, you will not find a machine easier to ride through town. Moving out of the city, the round “Tripper” sat-nav enabled TFT dash led led the way via a short burst of dual carriageway. Naturally, as a single cylinder, a few vibes are apparent through the bars and pegs, but not intrusively so. I for one will never complain of the characteristics of a single, and am delighted to see their resurgence in the market. The “Sherpa” is a splendid example of the single breed. The 40nm of torque is spread broadly across the rev-range, delivering a punch of power all the way around the dial. The soundtrack offers surprising bass for a lower capacity machine, aided by the airbox located high and forward under the shapely tank. However it transpires, it is certainly a pleasing and engaging bark.
As the traffic thinned and the mountains welcomed us in, we had the opportunity to discover if the excitement of the road-test team was genuine or well-rehearsed. For want of a better metric, I will refer to the smile beneath my helmet. Ear to ear.

With the wide bars flicking the Guerilla from side to side with the merest input, and those aforementioned tyres feeding back nothing but confidence, the ride through the mountains was one that will live long in the memory. Hanging-off, trying to hang with the rapid riders out-front, braking hard and late, the Guerilla’s suspension remained composed while providing engaging feedback. Easing back to my own pace, I couldn’t shake the idea of the Guerilla as something of a Himalayan Supermoto. Sliding forward in the seat, pushing the bike down into corners proving just as rewarding. While the Supermoto analogy is loose at best, the Guerilla certainly inspires the playful edge of that genre, and combined with the hint of block pattern to those tyres, suggests a machine happy to take a run at all-roads. However (and wherever) you choose to ride it, the Guerilla will gamely play ball. I have long campaigned that working a comparatively low powered machine hard, banging through gear ratios, exploring it’s limits, to be a far superior experience than that of clinging to a machine of significantly more power. Perhaps more than any other, the Guerilla inspires you to ascribe to this mantra.Easing back into town toward the end of the ride, I start to consider the category into which the Guerilla lands. A hugely capable class populated with amongst others, the excellent Husqvarna Pilens and Triumph 400s. All have plentiful virtues, but in a field of remarkable value, it is hard to ignore the Guerrillas startlingly low £4850 starting price. Also in it’s corner is the fact it is a stand-alone machine, not a reference or homage to a larger capacity sibling, and the familial tie to the Himalayan. Built to endure any terrain, the robustness required by the Himalayan imbues the Guerilla with a reassuring toughness. It should deliver many years of miles and smiles.So to conclude… I found the Guerilla to be an incredibly pure motorcycle. Whilst welcome in this day and age, the presence of tech such as the Performance and Eco riding modes, mobile connectivity and more, does little to divert from the refreshingly simple nature and honesty of this machine. True to its intention, the Guerilla delivers first and foremost, on the ride experience. And whilst it is certainly targeting a new generation of young Enfield riders, I’d wager it could make many a more experienced hand rethink what it is they actually want from a motorcycle. Old or young, new or experienced, if fun is first on your list of motorcycling desires, you need to ride the Guerilla.