Among all motorcycle types, a roadster is possibly the most practical body style. Unlike a cruiser or a sport bike or an adventure tourer, a roadster is for everyone – new riders, office goers, college guys.
A roadster, however, isn’t for long-distance touring. Correct?
I rode the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 for an entire day near Barcelona, and came back changed.
What’s a roadster?
Call it a basic bike, with a minimalist design, making it manoeuvrable and light. It has a comfortable, upright seating position – no aggressive leaning or crouching needed.
What’s the Guerrilla 450?
It’s fitted with the same 452-cc, liquid-cooled Sherpa engine that powers the Himalayan 450, with 40 PS power and 40 Nm torque. It has a low seating position, mid-set footpegs, and an upright stance, making it comfortable for various riding conditions. Like usual roadsters, the Guerrilla 450 has a minimalist design – but unlike most roadsters, its design has an X-factor, making you want to look at it over and over again.
How does it ride?
The Guerrilla 450 is light, at 174 kg – almost 10 kg lighter than the Himalayan. It’s got a low seat height of 780 mm, and so even short-heighted riders can easily get on the seat. Your legs will easily find the ground, making the bike super-easy and fun to manoeuvre both in traffic and on twisty roads.
It has two riding modes:
Performance: The full power of the engine is unleashed, throttle response is faster than light, and acceleration is insane. But fuel efficiency goes for a toss (20-25 km/litre). This mode is best used while exiting corners, or moments when you need sudden bursts of speed.
Eco: Fuel efficiency is enhanced (35-40 km/litre or more) and power delivery is controlled. It’s ideal for city riding or for long-distance touring at constant speeds. In the Eco mode, its 11-litre fuel tank can take you over 400 km non-stop.
Brake bite is phenomenal (front is a large 310-mm disc, and rear a 270-mm disc), and it gets dual-channel ABS. Instant braking when riding straight stops the bike in a straight line, and it feels safe. Top speed is close to 150 km/h.
Is it better than Harley-Davidson X 440, Hero Mavrick 440, or Triumph Speed 400?
X 440 and Mavrick 440: The Guerrilla 450 has a far more powerful engine than the Hero/Harley twins. And even though the Guerrilla 450 has telescopic front forks (suspension), it feels more stable and comfortable. Its digital display (Tripper) is also far better. Overall, the Guerrilla 450 seems both performance-oriented and a nice city bike, with advanced technology, while the Hero/Harley twins seem basic, with a focus on comfort and fuel efficiency. The X 440 is expensive (Rs 2.39-2.79 lakh), but the Mavrick 440 is better value for money (Rs 1.99-2.24 lakh).
Speed 400: It gives the Guerrilla 450 solid competition, and is better in some areas like higher top speed (above 160 km/h) and better high-speed stability. It also feels nimbler, and is priced lower (Rs 2.24 lakh). But the Speed 400 looks puny and doesn’t have the road presence of the Guerrilla 450, nor a Tripper-like technology (those maps on the Tripper give the rider such a cool feeling).
Is it the only bike you need?
If there was one motorcycle for one world, the Guerrilla 450 is a strong contender. Look at the pricing:
Prices in India of its three variants are Rs 2.39 lakh (Analogue), Rs 2.49 lakh (Dash), and Rs 2.54 lakh (Flash).
Global prices are £4,850 (the UK), €5,340 (Italy), €5,540 (France), €5,247 (Spain), and €5,290 (Germany). It will also be introduced in Latin America, where it will be called the GRR 450.
At these prices, there is no motorcycle that gives you so much pleasure and so much fun, and looks this amazing! Yes, the Himalayan 450 is great, but it’s not for riding in narrow lanes. Yes, the Speed 400 is smooth, but it doesn’t have the road presence. The Guerrilla 450 has everything you need — it allows you to feel the wind, engine vibrations, road undulations, let’s you cover long distances in comfort, and is also a bike you can take to the local grocery store with ease or drop your girlfriend to college with a lot of swag.
