The new Guerrilla 450 is unlike anything Royal Enfield has made in that it combines a properly modern motor with a thoroughly sporty chassis. We stack it up against its rivals to see what’s what.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Engine & output
| Engine & performance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 | Triumph Speed 400 | Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 | Honda CB300R | |
| Engine | Liquid-cooled, 452cc, single-cylinder | Liquid-cooled, 398cc, single-cylinder | Liquid-cooled, 399cc, single-cylinder | Liquid-cooled, 286cc, single-cylinder |
| Power | 40hp at 8,000rpm | 40hp at 8,000rpm | 46hp at 9,000rpm | 31hp at 9,000rpm |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 216.2hp/tonne | 227.3hp/tonne | 268.7hp/tonne | 212.3hp/tonne |
| Torque | 40Nm at 5,500rpm | 37.5Nm at 6,500rpm | 39Nm at 7,000rpm | 27.5Nm at 7,500rpm |
| Gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed |
The Guerrilla has the largest engine here but its focus isn’t outright power (not like its lacking at 40hp), instead like a typical Royal Enfield, it has strong mid-range grunt. The Guerrilla makes the most torque, but the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and Triumph Speed 400 aren’t trailing far behind.
Predictably, the smaller Honda CB300R can’t match the sheer output figures of these 400cc roadsters, but its light kerb weight puts its power-to-weight ratio in the same ballpark as the new Royal Enfield.
In character, you can expect the Enfield and Triumph to feel similar, while the sportier Husqvarna (which is a KTM 390 Duke in a suave suit) and Honda feel more peaky in nature.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Weight & dimensions
| Weight & dimensions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 | Triumph Speed 400 | Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 | Honda CB300R | |
| Kerb Weight | 185kg | 176kg | 171.2kg | 146kg |
| Seat height | 780mm | 790mm | 820mm | 801mm |
| Ground clearance | 169mm | 158mm | 177m | 157mm |
| Fuel tank capacity | 11 litres | 13 litres | 13.5 litres | 9.7 litres |
| Wheelbase | 1440mm | 1377mm | 1368mm | 1352mm |
There’s no shaking off the fact that the Guerrilla 450 is the largest bike here with the longest wheelbase and heaviest kerb weight. Surprisingly, it has the lowest seat height, making it pretty accessible for most folks. Royal Enfield has sharpened the steering geometry of the Guerrilla, which should offset some of that heft. We will tell you what the Guerrilla feels like to ride when our review comes out on July 27, so keep an eye out for that.
While the Guerrilla 450 is the heaviest of the lot, it has the second-smallest fuel capacity. The Honda CB300R is the lightest and smallest-feeling bike here and weighs nearly 40kg less than the Guerrilla 450, so it should be the easiest to manage for smaller riders. If seat height is a big concern for you, then the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 will be the least desirable among these although it has the tallest ground clearance, too.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Suspension & brakes
| Suspension & brakes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 | Triumph Speed 400 | Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 | Honda CB300R | |
| Suspension (F/R) | Telescopic fork / Monoshock | USD fork / Monoshock | USD fork / Monoshock | USD fork / Monoshock |
| Brakes (F/R) | 310mm disc / 270mm disc | 300mm disc / 230mm disc | 320mm disc / 240mm disc | 296mm disc / 220mm disc |
| Tyres (F/R) | 120/70-R17 / 160/60-R17 | 110/70-R17 / 150/60-R17 | 110/70-R17 / 150/60-R17 | 110/70-R17 / 150/60-R17 |
Where all the other bikes here use an inverted fork, the Guerrilla uses a conventional telescopic fork. It is a simpler component, but if set up well, it can perform just as well as an upside-down unit. The Guerrilla is also the only bike here to use an axial front caliper, not a radial one like the others, although if the performance of the Himalayan’s braking setup is anything to go by, it shouldn’t be an issue.
If you simply want the best suspension and braking hardware here, the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is the way to go. It is the only bike here to give you some control over the suspension's damping settings and has the strongest brakes – benefits of being based on the sporty KTM 390 Duke. However, you need to keep in mind that the Husky is also the only one to run on spoked wheels with tubed tyres, which will make fixing a puncture a long, drawn-out process.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Features
The Guerrilla 450 is one of the most feature-rich bikes here, with a Bluetooth-compatible TFT display (on the Dash and Flash variants) and a slipper clutch. It’s also the only one to get riding modes - Performance and Eco. The lower Analogue variant comes with simpler (but cleaner-looking) colour options and a digi-analogue dash with the Tripper navigation pod.
The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is the only other bike to use a (390 Duke-derived) TFT display, and this is one of the best laid-out units in the business. While it misses out on riding modes, it gets a bidirectional quickshifter (the only bike here to get one) and traction control, which can be turned off. ABS can be switched off at the rear, too, on the Husky.
The Triumph Speed 400 comes standard with a handsome but simple digi-analogue dash sans Bluetooth connectivity, a slipper clutch and a basic traction control system. The Triumph is the only one here that can be optioned with heated grips as part of it's accessories catalogue.
The simple Honda CB300R is at the bottom rung of this ladder, but some people will be drawn to it for precisely the same reason. It features list includes a slipper clutch and dual-channel ABS supplemented by an IMU. Like the Triumph, its negative LCD dash is not compatible with Bluetooth.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Price
| Price | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 | Triumph Speed 400 | Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 | Honda CB300R | |
| Price | Rs 2.39 lakh - Rs 2.54 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom, Chennai) | Rs 2.34 lakh (ex-showroom, India) | Rs 2.92 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) | Rs 2.40 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) |
The Guerrilla’s introductory price is certainly competitive in this company, especially for the base Analogue variant. With Royal Enfield’s widespread dealer network and brand image, the Guerrilla 450 should find a good number of takers. Its biggest rival, the Triumph Speed 400, is currently offered at Rs 2.24 lakh to celebrate worldwide sales of 50,000 units of the new 400cc Bajaj-built Triumphs. For many people, this bike will be the benchmark to compare the Guerrilla to, and we will be sure to bring you a comparison review as soon as we can.
The Honda CB300R is now priced almost on par with the Guerrilla 450 and the Speed 400, and for some, the Honda’s reliability and manageability will prove to be the deciding factor. The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is the most expensive bike here, but its performance and up-spec chassis componentry more than justify this higher ask. While all of these might seem closely matched on paper, choosing a bike between this quartet will come down to your personal preference about the bike's design, brand image and cahracter.