autoX Awards 2024: Royal Enfield Guerilla 450 Performance, Quality and Value for Money Ranked

autoX Awards 2024: It may be cut from the same cloth as the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, but the Guerrilla 450 is a completely different animal altogether. While its elder ADV sibling is meant for exploring uncharted roads and long-distance travel, the Guerrilla is a streetfighter meant for urban environments. Suffice it to say, it’s an enjoyable tool for the daily grind.

You might think that the Himalayan and Guerrilla are identical in terms of their engineering and platform, and while that’s true, there are some crucial differences between the two. The Guerrilla has a shorter wheelbase (by 70mm), a sharper rake by 4 degrees, and a seat height of 780mm, all of which make it more accessible than the ADV (825mm). Although, it does miss out on USD front forks. At the front and rear, it features 17-inch alloy wheels, shod with road-biased rubber. These updates make it quite wieldy around a set of bends compared to the Himalayan. The Guerrilla’s turn-in is more aggressive, and it is remarkably agile and dances along beautifully during quick direction changes. Simran was extremely pleased with the Guerrilla’s handling and claimed he wasn’t expecting the handling to be that good. That said, its sweet handling comes at the cost of comfort, as it feels decidedly firm on bad roads.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Review: Himalayan for the Streets

What makes the Guerrilla a proper street hooligan is the Sherpa 450 engine. Sure, it’s the same powertrain as the Himalayan’s, but here, it’s been tuned for peppier performance. As a result, the throttle response is snappier, and the engine feels hot and bothered all the time as opposed to the laid-back approach of the Himalayan. However, what’s common between both engines is that they are quite vibey, especially between 5,000 and 6,000rpm.

On the whole, the Guerrilla is a solid package and a fun machine. On top of that, it looks uber-cool. The only problem is that it gets overshadowed by its elder sibling, for the Himalayan does everything that the Guerrilla can and more. And, interestingly, all the versatility doesn’t come at a steep premium over the Guerrilla.

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