Australian Launch

If there's one brand that have been extremely busy lately, it's without a doubt Royal Enfield. We've seen quite a few new models released recently, with the latest being the Guerrilla 450.

And although it may share the same frame, water-cooled Sherpa 450 engine, TFT dash and LED lighting as the recently released Himalayan 450, but with a revised head angle and subframe, a smaller fuel tank and a 17-inch front wheel, the little Guerrilla is vastly different. So with a group of eager and skilled motorcycle journalists, and I use that term loosely, all standing around nine Guerrilla 450's ready to roll at Moto Machine in Parramatta, it seems we were all in for an interesting day.

Sherpa Motor

The ride started with a quick trek up the M4, with our first stop being at the foot of the Blue Mountains in Glenbrook for a coffee. And in just the short blast up the motorway, you could feel that new Sherpa motor felt smooth and surprisingly lively for a 450. This has a lot to do with that new 452cc single which features a four-valve head, dual overhead cams and short-stroke design, which is a huge improvement over the Himalayan's old 410cc engine.

And even though the claimed output figures are the same of 40hp at 8000rpm and 40Nm at 5,500rpm, there has been an adjustment to mapping and gearing, which makes the little Guerrilla 450 much livelier to ride than the Himalayan 450. It also features a smooth six speed box along with a slip assist clutch and ride by wire throttle, which enables two ride modes, Performance and Eco, which naturally both offering different power outputs. I tried Eco for a small stretch but left it in Performance for most of the launch along with the couple of weeks we've had it on test so far. To be honest, I think Eco would be ultimately handy when the weather turns a little rough and you find yourself riding in heavy rain.

How does it feel?

Tipping the scales at only185kg, the Guerrilla is 11kg lighter than the Himalayan, which is noticeable when you're rolling through the corners. A lot of this weight saving comes from the Guerrilla's smaller tank, which is 11-litres compared to the 17-litre tank on the Himalayan. The seat height is also quite accessible for riders that might be a vertically challenged coming in at 780mm, which is one of the lowest in the mid-sized category. It's a comfortable upright and neutral riding position too made even more comfortable with the mid-mounted pegs and the well-padded seat - there's also a taller seat option available. It did get a little uncomfortable after a couple of hours riding, but nothing that will leave you needing a chiropractor at your destination.

Retro Styling

With its small windscreen, tubular tank protection, split seat and luggage rack, the Himalayan looks serious and purposeful, while in contrast, the Guerrilla features retro styling along with a few notable differences, including those 17-inch cast alloy wheels and the shorter and non-adjustable, non-inverted 43mm telescopic front fork, which offers about 140mm of travel.

Suspension

When it comes to soaking up the rough stuff at the rear, the suspension consists of a linkage-type monoshock which features adjustable preload and offers 150mm of travel. Obviously being a 450, you won't be pushing the limits too hard, but that's not saying you won't still have a lot of fun tearing through the twisties as it really is a well-balanced and punchy motorcycle to ride. With the peak power kicking in at 8000rpm, you will notice some vibration coming up through the pegs and bars which is inevitable when you're having a red hot go on a single cylinder, but it's not a serious issue, you will get used to it. I will say the semi-off road tyre selection is a little bit of a headscratcher, which to me is more for aesthetics than function, especially considering unlike the Himalayan, the Guerrilla hasn't been designed for off-road riding.

Braking

When it comes to rider aids, it's only a 450, so naturally you wouldn't expect too much when it comes to the tech side of things. So there's no traction control, but as mentioned earlier, there are two ride modes - Performance and Eco - which can both be switched on the fly. There is also a dual-channel ABS system working with the Bybre brakes, and with a single fixed 320mm disc and two-piston caliper up front accompanied with a 270mm disc and single-piston caliper at the rear, braking performance won't leave you in awe, but it's more than adequate when you take into account the bike's capacity and level of performance.

The Handling

This was soon discovered on our ride towards Bilpin where we had lunch at a winery. The tight twisting roads up through the Blue Mountains gave most of the journos the opportunity to drop the hammer and see just how well Royal Enfield's new little roadster handled. It really is an impressive motorcycle, with great acceleration along with a strong mid-range, and by staying in that mid-range of revs, you'll soon discover that the Guerrilla is a zippy little road bike that you can have a lot of fun riding. It does run out of steam a little on the motorways, which is where you'll definitely feel the vibrations previously mentioned, but overall, it's a strong lightweight package that's agile and extremely nimble to ride, especially when you're giving it some stick through the urban jungle.

Three Options

The Guerrilla 450 will be sold in three variants - Analogue, Dash and Flash. Analogue doesn't feature a TFT cluster and only comes in Smoke Silver and Playa Black, while Dash has the TFT display and comes in Playa Black and Gold Dip. Finally, the Flash variant, which also features the TFT display is available in the impressive Brava Blue and Yellow Ribbon colour schemes. I'd have to say the colour I liked the most is Yellow Ribbon, which as you can see here features the bright yellow and black gloss paint all accentuated with the purple Royal Enfield tank badges, the 450 graphics and the wheel highlights. Very impressive!

Accessories

And for those that might want to take their Guerrilla 450 a little further, there's also a long list of genuine accessories available including engine and sump guards, urban and bench seats, tinted flyscreens, blacked-out mirrors and soft panniers just to name a few.

Learner Approved

It really is another great addition to the Royal Enfield stable, and one that will once again entice quite a few new riders to the road being a LAMs model. So if the adventure styling of the Himalayan 450 is a little off-putting for some riders, the Guerrilla 450 is sure to have high appeal, especially for those that like a touch of style. And if you think this could be the bike for you, get on down to your local authorised Team Moto / Royal Enfield dealership and take one for a test ride, you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.