Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: The Paradigm Shift!
When I rode the Himalayan 450, somehow the motorcycle didn't feel complete. Yes, it handled well, braked well, had good ride quality and all that but it always felt like a sum of parts. That platform never felt like an ADV platform. That's because it wasn't. Now with the Guerrilla and the small tweaks that it brings along, this platform comes to life. This was always a roadster platform and it shines the brightest in the Guerilla iteration. One look at the motorcycle and you cannot help but appreciate the minimalism in design. The LED headlights, the offset speedo console, the flat and wide tank, the contoured seat, the high rear fender and the integrated led tail lamp and indicator lamps, there is a sense of flow in the design that is aesthetically very pleasing. The seat is nice and low, handlebars upright and pegs neutrally set, giving you a very natural riding posture. The seat narrows towards the front where it ends and the tank narrows towards the back where it starts, letting you grip the tank firmly with your legs, adding further to that sense of control. Much like an Rx 100 tank from the yesteryears. The mirrors are nice and wide, the offset instrument cluster is contemporary and looks chique. The colours are funky. All in all, it's very nice looking rider's POV and I'm very impressed with Royal Enfield's ever improving quality standards.
Coming to the heart of the matter: the Sherpa 450. Ironically enough, the Sherpa too feels more at home with the street friendly Guerilla than with the mountain climbing Himalayan. The Guerilla weighs 11 kgs lesser than the Himalayan and every gram of it shows in the performance. The initial lag at lower RPMs that was there with the Himalayan is now non existent. Once you get going, the torque keeps building and building till you look down at the speedo and go whoa! It's more or less a flat torque curve with a meaty mid range. For some reason, the way you are perched on the motorcycle and the way the power is delivered, all you want to do is pull wheelies all day.
What took me by surprise with the Guerrilla is the agility and the lightness of the motorcycle. It's not a light motorcycle, mind you. However, the way the chassis is designed and the way the weight is placed on the motorcycle, it makes it extremely flickable and fun darting around city corners. The wide tyres play their part and inspire a lot of confidence, irrespective of your lean angle. The brakes too are sharp and reassuring, letting you push the boundaries of the Guerilla each time you ride it.
All in all I have come back really impressed with the Guerrilla 450. At more than Rs. 50,000 lesser than the Himalayan, you are getting a motorcycle that is more complete in every aspect, except for going off the road and maybe very long distance touring. So if your use case is predominantly in the city, the Guerrilla definitely deserves your attention. The KTMs are too one dimensional, the Triumphs lack the grunt, the Bajaj lacks quality, the Hero is too confused, the Himalayan is too heavy while the Harley is too slow. I never thought I would say this for a Royal Enfield motorcycle. The Guerrilla 450 is hands down the most fun motorcycle to ride in its segment. Take a bow RE. Take a bow!
