KTM 390 Duke vs Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450: Which One Should You Consider?

Who would’ve thought that a Royal Enfield bike would be almost as exciting as a KTM bike? Definitely not us! And yet here we are. The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is a flawed but very exciting bike to ride and with its latest updates, the bike has become better than ever, something buyers in this segment should have a serious look at. While now KTM has given the 390 Duke a downsized engine, it’s still fun and definitely one of the best in its segment. 

So let’s put these two bikes against one another and see which one’s the more exciting of the two:

Price & Variants

• The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450’s lower starting price is what helps it win this segment. While its top variant’s price is quite close to the 390 Duke’s price, the lower base price is what could steer people towards it. 

• Royal Enfield bikes have often been well-priced and the Guerrilla 450 is the same. 

• While the 390 Duke sounds quite expensive on paper, it’s also pretty much the sportiest bike in the segment and is loaded to the gills with the most modern kit. All of that adds to the value for money proposition and might make spending that much money on the bike a bit easier. But for now, the Guerrilla 450 wins this segment. 

Dimensions & Design 

• The nearly 16kg weight difference is the biggest talking point in terms of dimensions and that’s only fair. The Guerrilla 450 is a significantly heavier motorcycle and you will feel it. 

• Whether you’re moving the bike around in a parking lot or trying to maneuver it in the city at crawling speeds, you will feel a bit of the Guerrilla’s weight. Over a period of time though, you will get used to it. 

• The Duke 390 on the other hand, just feels light and agile and you will cut through traffic quite quickly, before you even realise it. It flicks around with barely any effort and has great acceleration. 

• In terms of design, none of the two are conventionally pretty motorcycles, but the Guerrilla’s long and low-slung design might be something more people like. That said, the bike has some very bright and flashy colour schemes on offer as well, something that might be a bit too gaudy for some. 

• The 390 Duke doesn’t have a lot of such colours on offer but the massive tank extensions and aggressive headlight design are enough for a lot of people to realise that it’s a bit too pointy and edgy for them. 

• In all, both designs are a hit or a miss. You either quite like how aggressive and bold they are, or you don’t. 

Features & Safety

• The KTM 390 Duke is tuned for speed and is a modern-day street fighter motorcycle and that’s exactly why KTM has given it every feature you could think of in this segment. The bike even gets cornering ABS and launch control, something that we’ve not really seen in bikes at this price point. 

• Adding to the sportiness is the lovely quickshifter, it is excellent to use and going through the gearbox without having to engage the clutch is a lot of fun. 

• The Guerrilla 450 is more neo-retro in that way and doesn’t have as many features as the 390 Duke. While the big TFT is nice to look at and will feel nice and premium, we wish Royal Enfield had given the bike a basic traction control system. 

• The Guerrilla’s engine likes being ridden hard and given how unpredictable our roads have become,  a basic traction control system would’ve definitely helped in making the rider feel that much safer. 

Engines

• Surprisingly, the engine is where both the 350cc KTM Duke 390 and the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 feel quite similar. Both liquid-cooled engines are tuned for performance and enjoy being revved out. 

• The KTM 390 Duke’s burst of torque comes in after about 5000rpm, while the Guerrilla 450’s strong mid-range hits after about 3000rpm. And both are extremely fun and satisfying to ride hard.Both engines are also similar in the way that they feel a bit unhappy at low speeds. Under 3000-4000rpm, they’re both a bit unhappy and the Guerrilla might even stall if you’re not careful enough with the clutch engagement. 

BikeDekho Says 

Both the 350cc KTM Duke 390 and the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 are fun bikes that will put a smile on your face each time you ride it. But there are differences. The 390 Duke is a lot more sporty, sharp and even the 350cc version is a bit less forgiving.  

As for the Guerrilla 450, it’s for those who want something fun and exciting, but not as serious as the 390 Duke. You want something fun to commute on and occasionally take it out on the highway. Given its tiny fuel tank, the Guerrilla 450 isn’t exactly best suited for touring. So if you’re on a budget and want something primarily for the city, the Guerrilla 450 could be the bike for you. 

Rivals 

The Speed 400 is a more easygoing neo-retro bike, while the Duke is a more modern, performance-oriented bike. 

If you like the Tracker’s flat-track style design and easygoing performance, get it. But if you want excitement, get the Duke. 

While the Pulsar isn’t as fun as the Duke, it’s still exciting and comes in at a more value for money price. So if you’re on a budget, it’s the bike to get. 

The RTR 310 is exciting but not as much as the Duke, while being priced quite close to the Duke, so the KTM will be our pick of the 2. 

The MT-03 twin-cylinder experience is quite satisfying, but the high price tag means we recommend the Duke a lot more easily than the Yamaha. 

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