Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 performance tested

Royal Enfield’s Guerrilla 450 is a modern roadster that shares its underpinnings with the Himalayan 450. It also inherits a 452cc motor from the latter and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Here is how the Guerrilla 450 performed in our tests.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 tested acceleration

It is worth noting that these tests were conducted on damp tarmac

Despite the rain and wet roads, the Guerrilla 450 manages an impressive 0-60kph and 0-100kph time. While it may not be the quickest motorcycle in its class, it most certainly isn’t the slowest. The one thing potentially holding back these acceleration figures are the tyres. While the competition uses more road-oriented tyres, the Guerrilla’s CEAT Gripp XL tyres are geared more towards all-terrain use and come at the cost of outright grip. Despite that drawback, the Guerrilla 450 manages an impressive 6.59s acceleration time from 0-100kph.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 tested rolling acceleration 

Yet again, despite the wet conditions and the tyres, the Guerrilla manages to score well during our roll-on acceleration tests. It is worth noting that the motorcycle can struggle for grip on cemented surfaces with these tyres and the Guerrilla 450 isn’t equipped with traction control. 

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 60-0kph braking tested

A pleasant surprise were the braking figures, which are really good and outperform most motorcycles in its class. Braking feels sure-footed and the ABS seemed well-calibrated.

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 specifications and price

The Guerrilla 450’s engine puts out 40hp and 40Nm. The motorcycle tips the scales at 185kg, which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 216.2hp/tonne. It starts at Rs 2.39 lakh and goes up to (ex-showroom, Chennai) Rs 2.54 lakh, depending on the variant. Key rivals include the Triumph Speed 400, Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, KTM 390 Duke and the Aprilia Tuono 457.

Autocar India's testing standards

Before conducting our performance tests, we check and maintain tyre pressures based on the manufacturer's recommendation and ensure the motorcycle has a full tank of fuel. The motorcycle is then tested in a controlled environment and the data is collected via highly accurate GPS-based timing equipment.

Also see: Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs Triumph Speed 400 comparison