
Trying out the latest motorcycles on the market is part and parcel to our job in the motoring beat.When Royal Enfield informed us we will have a preview and test ride activity of an upcoming model that their launching soon, I quickly volunteered my attendance to the activity. Add to that the activity is being held at a race track, it got me thinking. Race tracks and Royal Enfields are words that usually don’t go together. Or so I thought.

The venue of our test activity was a little spot up north in San Jose, Tarlac City, at the Tarlac Circuit Hill. A 15-turn, 1.5km race track that surprisingly showcased the new Royal Enfield model’s traits. The new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is a premium modern roadster in their refreshed line up of motorcycles.
The Guerillia 450 is powered by a 452cc liquid-cooled, 4-valve, DOHC, single-cylinder Sherpa engine. Royal Enfield’s first liquid-cooled powerplant. It makes 39.5 bhp @ 8,000 rpm and 40 Nm @ 5,500 rpm. Redline come in at 8,750 rpm. The very responsive EMS (Engine Managgement System) quickly switches between two riding modes depending on your mood. There is Performance mode which gives you access to all the power that the Sherpa could give and Eco mode which is designed to soften the throttle response and lower power in the first four gears. This is made possible by ride-by-wire technology that the Guerilla 450 has on board.

The Guerilla 450’s chassis is an all-new design with a twin downtube spine frame design that uses the engine as a streess member. The design is stronger and stiffer than their previous chassis designs. Dimensions are 2090mm long, 833mm wide and 1125mm tall without mirrors fitted. Wheelbase is 1440mm and a wet weight of 185kg. Tank capacity is 11L of fuel and the most important dimension for us Filipinos, the seat height is a rider friendly 780mm.

It features 43mm Telescopic front suspension and 140mm linkage type monoshock rear suspension by Showa. Tires are a meaty 120/70-17 up front & 160/60-17 in the rear rear. The stock wide-profile tubeless tyres with bespoke tread pattern to help keep you in control through all speeds and all situations. Wheels are cast six-spoke design Brakes are 310mm ventilated discs with double piston caliipers in front and 270mm ventilated discs with single piston calipers in the rear. There is dual channel ABS that compliments the discs.
Styling-wise, the Guerilla 450 is a handsome motorcycle. It’s rugged looks is unmistakablly Royal Enfied but with a modern twist. A design that is full of character. The instrumentation is analog in the base variant but a 4-inch TFT display called a Tripper TFT Cluster is featured on the mid and top variants. It allows access to your music, messages, maps, and more without taking your phone out with the support of Royal Enfield’s latest version of their app. Featuring full map navigation powered by Google Maps with audio guidance in over 120 languages, the Guerrilla 450 ensures seamless journeys, on familiar routes or new ones. Riders can choose between analog and digital displays, with a dark mode option for optimal legibility in all conditions.
Now what is it like riding the Guerilla 450?
The first thing that struck me was the weight of the Guerillla 450, compared to my previous experiences of Royal Enfield models, it is definitely lighter. Getting on and straddling the Guerilla 450 was surprisingly easy for my height and build. Throttle response was snappy with the power delivery being linear and easy to modulate. Switching directions was easy, it’s a very flickable motorcycle. The brakes are easy to modulate and correcting your line in the corner was easy as tapping the rear brake. I found myself taking the corners more and more aggressively as my confidence on the motorcycle and trust on the stock tire’s grip through the corners grew. It’s a forgiving motorcycle for those who are moving up the displacement ladder. But it can be a weapon on the asphalt if you want it to be.

The Royal Enfield Guerilla 450 is a tractable motorcycle for the daily commute and a fun weekend steed for long journeys. A true roadster in every sense of the word. Is it worth the ₱289,000 price? Well, with power, handling and looks to boot, hell yeah!
Royal Enfield Guerilla 350 is available in In the Philippines, the Guerrilla 450 will be launched in 3 variants – Analogue, Dash and Flash, with five options. Analogue will have Smoke Silver. This variant will not have a TFT cluster. Playa Black features in Dash along with Gold Dip; both with TFT display. At Flash variant level, Yellow Ribbon and Brava Blue feature with top specs. For other markets, Smoke Silver is the only available option at Analogue variant level. The prices of these variants are as follows:- Smoke Silver at ₱ 289,000, Gold Dip – ₱ 304,000, Playa Black at ₱ 304,000, Yellow Ribbon – ₱ 314,000 and Brava Blue – ₱ 314,000 . All prices include a 3 years and unlimited KMs warranty.
Royal Enfield is officially distributed by Motociclista Scatola. A joint venture between Bikerbox and the Borromeo Motoring Group. in the Philippines.
