Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Variant: 3 Things We Like & 2 Things We Don't Like
Improved aesthetics, new colours, better tyres and much more
We rode the new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex variant at its launch, in Guwahati, Assam. The brand took an already fun and engaging roadster, and sharpened it further with a more focussed, sporty approach. This Apex version aims to appeal to riders who want a more dynamic riding experience without losing the Guerrilla’s core character. Here’s a quick look at what we liked and what we didn't like about this update:
What We Liked
1. Striking Looks
The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex truly stands out when it comes to design. The new colour options feel fresh, bold, and perfectly suited to its sporty personality. The addition of a headlight cowl gives the front end a more aggressive stance, while the neatly integrated seat cowl enhances its rear profile, making it look sharper and more purposeful.
The colours, graphics, and added elements don’t look like afterthoughts but rather a well-planned upgrade. The bike now carries a more premium and performance-oriented visual appeal.. It has that attention-grabbing presence that makes you want to turn back and admire it after parking.
2. Improved Ergonomics
One of the most noticeable upgrades is the new aluminium handlebar, which sits 57mm lower and 56mm forward. This change transforms the riding posture significantly, giving it a much sportier and more engaging stance.
The rider now feels more connected to the front wheel, which inspires confidence, especially while cornering or riding aggressively. It feels quite sporty and makes you want to push harder and enjoy the twisty roads. Despite being more aggressive, the stance doesn’t feel overly committed, striking a nice balance between comfort and control for spirited riding.
3. New Tyres = Better Grip
The switch to Vredestein Centauro ST Plus tyres is a game-changer. These tyres offer significantly better road grip, especially when leaning into corners. Thanks to their slightly rounder profile, the bike feels more natural and predictable while turning. Changing directions quickly feels easier and secure, making it more fun on the mountain roads. This upgrade alone dramatically improves the bike’s overall riding dynamics and confidence levels.
What We Don’t Like
1. Suspension Still Feels Firm
The Apex variant continues with the same stiff rear suspension, as before. While this works well for spirited riding and stability at higher speeds, it compromises comfort, especially on uneven city roads. A slightly softer setup would have made daily commutes more forgiving and improved overall ride quality without sacrificing too much handling capability.
2. Missing Key Features
Despite it being positioned as a sporty offering from the brand, the Guerrilla 450 Apex misses out on features like traction control and a bidirectional quickshifter, both of which are increasingly common in this segment. While many riders might not feel the need for traction control in everyday riding, newer riders could benefit from the added safety net, especially given the bike’s performance. A quickshifter, on the other hand, would have perfectly complemented its sporty nature.
BikeDekho Says
The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex is a more focused and exciting version of an already likeable motorcycle with better ergonomics, improved tyres, and standout styling, it feels more engaging than before. However, a slightly more comfortable suspension setup and a few modern features would have made it a near-perfect package in 2026.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 User Reviews
- my guerrilla 450I had to many optoins when it comes to mid range cc segment and goes for the budget and this stole my eye with the colours, the glare its has some charm that i wanted to hold and drive and honestly, its been great. Its been hell of a ride and i give it the best bike the enfield ever released the bike, I mean i'm not a guy who has issues with mileage or maintaince, but if you are it might be troublesome except that runs like a butter. Of course, if youre someone who wants to have a classic bike with power torque and i quote an indian brand cause i'm proud as hell while riding this beauty and beast, it gives butterflies not exaggerated.Read More
- Experience and Review of Guerrilla 450An excellent bike with solid engine. It has that attractiveness to fall in love. Compact size, big blast. I choose to experience this machine for its style, liquid cooled engine, TFT display, suspension and everything. Long rides does not feel boring on this machine. It definitely give good comfort, mileage depends on situation, 17-22 in traffic and 23-27 on highway. The torque it generates is just fabulous. It has given me upper hand in drag races. Would definitely recommend this bike to teenagers and those riders who wants to experience the feeling of driving Himalayan. This machine is a segment killer, no other bike can pair with it except its big sister Himalayan 450.Read More3
- good condition and nice looksExcellent bike and this bike give more comfortable while driving long journey, and also bike suspensions are so good at village roads, it feels like going on highway, the head light drl so good at night time, that speedometer design also very unique in this bike, too honestly i'm satisfied with this awesome bike.Read More2
- Its amazing. Dont think too much, just get oneIt is a beautiful bike- that never feels boring. The acceleration is undefeatable! and while it is sporty, it is surprisingly practical too. It's neither too heavy nor too tall, unlike the Himalayan. Its an absolute attention grabber and I love the colour I chose (brava blue). To sum it up- I chose this bike because it was beautiful, it was fast and it seemed practical enough for my use. I use this bike as my daily, and it has never failed me. It feels stable, planted, easy to manage. It always feels like i'm in control, I have not had a feeling of anxiety that it'll wobble, slip or be uncontrollable even once that I have ridden this bike even on high speeds. The fat rear tyre makes me confident even in rain. the feels grippy even on wet roads, loose gravel- though the bike did splash water on my back in rain, I just got the rear mudguard extender from Enfield and now it's not a problem, though I believe it should've been company fitted. The suspensions are comfortable for daily use, and even in Ghaziabad's bumpy roads I almost do not feel a thing. The engine yearns to red line, the bike wants to go fast and I love it every time I pull the throttle. The mileage is reasonable, with 25 on normal city commute (in power mode, using eco mode pushes that up to around 28. I can manage to get 32 if I ride carefully, maintaining gears to keep the engine at 4-5k rpm and not pulling the throttle/ yanking the breaks unnecessarily) It does get hot in the summers, but honestly I can smell the engine getting hot more than I feel it. Its hard to explain really, but hot air does not blow on my leg when riding so that's good, occasionally the win direction may align and the hot air may blow onto your face- but again thats rare. I am a bit conflicted on highway rides, because it is fun to ride on the highway, but the seat does make your buns feel sore after a while, but its manageable. highway mileage is around 28-29 in power mode, and around 30-32 in eco mode. I would recommend this bike everybody over any other bikes in this segment (except the adv tourers, if you can manage them ofcourse). Anyone can buy this bike if i'm being honest, Its fun, its not tall, its not heavy, its not too expensive to maintain, the breaks are reliable, Its stable, the riding posture is good, and its not scary to ride. you connect with the bike in the first ride. I love it, and i'm pretty sure you'll love it too. just go for it.Read More4 4
- One of the best bikes in segment!!!!I chose this because it's different from classic royal enfield bikes, it has better performance for city riding lighter weight, excellent acceleration a balanced bike with 450cc engine, ideal for smooth city riding and some adventure too just love it. My experience with this bike is lovely, it's my 2nd bike earlier I owned 125cc upgrading to 450cc just feels magical it offers smooth riding with enough torque and power to gap almost every vehicle on road. I like it's fast acceleration it offers a whole different experience for royal enfield bikes. Yes absolutely, I would recommend you to buy this if you are looking for 450cc segment than this is the best bikes, ngl ideally for daily riding or even if you want to ride on hilly areas it offers a smooth experience 40N/m torque will let you experience dominance on road.Read More4 2