Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 And Himalayan 450: We Explain Which One Is For Whom

Royal Enfield finally launched the Guerrilla 450 in India with prices starting at Rs 2,39,000 (ex-showroom). It gets the same 452cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder Sherpa engine as the Himalayan 450. Based on the same engine platform, here’s how both bikes differ from each other:

Design

The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is a neo-roadster bike and takes design inspiration from both the Hunter 350 and the Himalayan 450. The front looks similar to the Hunter 350 with the round LED headlight, a single-piece handlebar, round mirrors and a sculpted fuel tank. The tail section is inspired by the Himalayan 450 and features a slim LED tail light, sleek indicators, a chrome-finished upswept exhaust and an extended number plate mount.

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, on the other hand, has a typical ADV design with a rugged and practical look. It also has a beak-like front fender that complements its overall design. At the front, the bike comes with a round LED headlight, an easy-to-reach single-piece handlebar, a muscular fuel tank, a visor and round mirrors. At the rear, the bike has a slim and tidy tail section. It gets an LED taillight and slim indicators. Its stubby upswept exhaust looks good with the overall design.

Engine

Both Guerrilla 450 and Himalayan 450 are equipped with the same 452cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder Sherpa engine which produces a peak output of 40.02PS at 8000rpm and 40Nm at 5500rpm. However, the Guerrilla 450 features a slightly different tune and map and also has a 2-teeth shorter rear sprocket. Both bikes are mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch as standard.

Features

The base variant of the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 comes with a semi-digital instrument cluster, borrowed from the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 along with an optional tripper navigation pod. 

The Guerrilla 450 mid and top variants, on the other hand, along with the Himalayan 450, feature a 4-inch TFT console with smartphone connectivity and full-screen Google Maps navigation. The display has two display modes for day and night riding. Both bikes get the same switchgear, USB type-C charging port and have two riding modes as well: Eco and Power on Guerrilla – Eco and Performance on the Himalayan.

Underpinnings

The Guerrilla 450 is built on a steel tubular frame and gets a 43mm telescopic fork (140mm travel) and a link-type monoshock (150mm wheel travel). Whereas, the Himalayan sits on a twin-spar frame. It is equipped with a 43mm inverted fork (200mm front wheel travel) and a linked monoshock (200mm rear wheel travel). The Guerrilla rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, equipped with 120-section front and 160-section rear Ceat Gripp XL tubeless tyres. The ADV, on the other hand, gets 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels, wrapped with 90-section front and 140-section rear tube tyres. 

The Guerrilla has an 11-litre fuel tank, a 780mm seat height, 169mm of ground clearance, and a 185kg kerb weight. In comparison, the Himalayan 450 features a 17-litre fuel tank and a 230mm ground clearance. Its seat height is 825mm, 45mm taller than the Guerrilla, but it can be adjusted to 845mm or lowered to 805mm. 

Braking setup on the Guerrilla 450 includes a 310mm front disc and a 270mm rear disc, with dual-channel ABS as standard. Whereas, the Himalayan gets 320mm front disc, which is 10mm bigger.

Which Is One For Whom?

While both bikes are the same in terms of engines, the Guerrilla 450 sounds like a more affordable and practical option to ride in the city when compared to the big and slightly bulky Himalayan 450. The Guerrilla seems easier to ride daily without any compromises on performance. The smaller dimensions and wheelbase should ideally make it easier to ride in traffic as well. It might just be perfect for someone who wants a bike for city commutes and weekend rides. On the other hand, the Himalayan 450 is an adventure bike, it has bigger dimensions to accommodate luggage. This makes it a great option for those looking for a bike for long highway touring.