Royal Enfield launch new Himalayan-based Guerrilla 450 naked roadster starting at £4850

Royal Enfield have expanded their arsenal of affordable small capacity singles with a new Guerrilla 450 roadster starting at just £4850 when finished in silver.

The bike sits on the existing £5750-on Himalayan 450 platform, sharing the same 452cc DOHC single cylinder ‘Sherpa’ engine, producing a claimed 39.4bhp at 8000rpm. The A2 licence compliant motor remains mechanically unchanged, with the rear sprocket on the new bike dropping two teeth to 45.

It also uses the same overall tubular frame, housing the engine as a stressed member, however the head angle and subframe have been altered for both styling and handling purposes. Prices rise to £4995 for ‘Playa Black’ and ‘Gold Dip’ colours, and climb to £5050 for ‘Yellow Ribbon’ and ‘Brava Blue’ – making it one of the cheapest models in its class.

The rake angle has decreased by four degrees, taking it to 21.8 to achieve a faster rate of turn, with the subframe now slightly shorter and tweaked in the centre of the bike to achieve a flat edge to the base of the 11-litre fuel tank.

The swingarm is also new and slightly shorter, dropping wheel base by 70mm to 1440mm overall.

Away from the chassis it also now runs on a pair of road-focussed 17in wheels, with the front end sporting a 120/70 tyre and the rear using a 160/60.

As standard, it’s equipped with set of faux knobbly CEAT options, which have been developed in a partnership between the two Indian companies specifically for this motorcycle. If the style isn’t your thing, the dimensions should allow for a wide variety of aftermarket options from the main tyre brands – with rivals such as the £5195 Triumph Speed 400 rolling on sportier Metzeler Sportec M9RRs.

Despite their scrambler looks, it’s unlikely to be hitting the trails any time soon, with the front and rear suspension promising 140mm and 150mm of travel respectively. Those forks are 43mm conventional units produced in partnership with Showa and offering no adjustment. The rear shock meanwhile gets the option to alter the preload only, with the bench seat and chunky rear grab handles appearing to provide decent space for a passenger.

Tipping the scales at 184kg with 90% of its fuel onboard ready to ride, Enfield say the Guerrilla has been designed to attract young riders and remain accessible to all.

As such, there’s a gentle 780mm seat height as standard, with an optional extra perch raising the rider by an additional 20mm. Meanwhile, the flat bars should offer an easy reach to the bars, with the pegs positioned in a conventional naked roadster position.

Away from the performance, like the Himalayan the Guerrilla gets a four inch full colour circular TFT dash, which can be paired for your mobile phone for calls, satellite navigation, music, and more. The dash is also used to select between the two riding modes, with one offering a sportier map and the other geared towards economy.

MCN will bring you more as it becomes available, including a full ride review and video.