-New 450cc roadster to hit the market
-Powered by the Himalayan’s liquid-cooled engine
-Will take on the Triumph Speed 400
The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is on the horizon and is expected to be launched soon. The company recently sent out invites for the first ride test of the bike that is set to take place in July. Knowing Royal Enfield and their tendency to time their launches close to the first ride experiences, expect the Guerrilla 450 to hit the market towards the end of June or mid-July.
The Guerrilla 450 marks Royal Enfield’s entry into the 400cc roadster motorcycle space. The bike is expected to be based on the Himalayan 450’s platform, meaning its frame should be derived from the adventure bike, whereas the subframe is likely to be different to fit its roadster bike application.
It will be powered by a 452cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 39.47bhp at 8,000rpm and 40Nm at 5,500rpm in the Himalayan. Royal Enfield may tweak the engine’s state of tune and possibly the gearing to suit the performance and rideability of a roadster.
Pictures of the test mules snapped in the past suggest that the Guerrilla 450 will have a simple yet purposeful design. Whether it is the circular LED headlight, the tear-drop-shaped fuel tank, or the small tail section that looks identical to the Himalayan’s, the bike has that quintessential roadster bike appearance. Expect to see a variety of colours and accessories to be available with the bike.
The features list should also be comprehensive and include LED lights all around, dual-channel ABS, and either the colour TFT from the Himalayan or the analouge dial from the Hunter 350/ Super Meteor. While it is too early to say, we won’t be surprised to see Royal Enfiled add ride modes or perhaps even traction control, since that seems to be the norm with recent 400cc bike launches.
Royal Enfield is expected to position the Guerrilla 450 in the same ballpark as the Triumph Speed 400 which is priced at Rs 2.33 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.
