Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Long Term Review, June 2025 Report

I had been eyeing the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 from the sidelines for a while now, much like a college boy admiring his crush from afar. Ever since it was first announced, the Guerrilla had my curiosity. I wanted to see how the Sherpa 450 engine fared in a more compact frame. Shivank had the chance to ride it in Spain for the first ride and even when we got the bike for our annual awards, my time with it was tantalisingly short. So, when there was a chance to add this 450 machine to our long-term fleet, I pounced at the opportunity.

Royal Enfield has lately been guilty of providing very stiff rear suspensions to their bikes, even the ones that don’t need it. I knew that the Guerrilla was also a victim of this problem. However, having clocked a decent number of kilometres on the bike, I can say that it is not as bad as it may have initially seemed. You see, while the rear suspension is stiffer than I would have liked, it does cope decently well with most undulations on city roads. Yes, going over a bump at higher speed still leaves you a bit nervous but there is no cause for concern in normal riding. I do like how supple it is while also being taut over the curvy sections of road.

There are two ride modes on offer — Eco and Performance. In the Performance mode, the bike exhibits its wild side, thanks to the punchy acceleration. However, the operating range of the engine becomes rather narrow. It wants you to keep it spinning between 3,000rpm and 5,000rpm. Going higher results in reduced acceleration, and going lower brings out the familiar sputtering of the engine which we have also seen in the Himalayan. The efficiency is also not great in this mode, even if you try to be gentle with your inputs. I managed to extract just 23km/l. Also, I must mention that the on-board mileage indicator is rather accurate as the figure I obtained using the tank-to-tank method and the one displayed on the dash were close. Good job on an accurate reading, Royal Enfield!

Things change a lot if you choose the Eco mode. The engine behaves itself when the revs drop lower and the sputtering comes into play only when you go below 2,000rpm. The bike feels smoother but the acceleration is still decent. You can use the Eco mode for most of your rides and call upon the Performance mode when you really need it. I also saw a decent bump to the mileage figure in the Eco mode but I would like to elaborate on it more in my next report. Till then, I shall be getting to know my new partner more intimately.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Review

Also Read: Royal Enfield Scram 440 vs Guerrilla 450 Spec Comparison - What's Different?