Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450

The Guerrilla 450 debuted in 2024 to give riders a taste of what Royal Enfield could do with its modern 452cc platform, which also does duty on the Himalayan 450. It was quick, accessible, reasonably agile, and incorporated more tech than most other RE offerings. However, there were some rough edges which needed to be ironed out to make it a more polished product. And that is exactly what Royal Enfield has done with the motorcycle for 2026, more so with the new Apex variant, which we rode on the beautiful twisties and straights in the North Eastern side of India. Here’s what we think about it.

The 2026 Guerrilla 450 is available in three variants – Dash, Flash, and Apex. While the former two look identical, barring the different paint schemes, the Apex stands out with the introduction of a new, petite headlamp cowl and a removable pillion seat cowl, both of which come as standard. These elements make the bike look more focused and sporty. However, I personally feel the front cowl should’ve been slightly bigger to add more visual mass to the overall aesthetics of the bike.

The Apex also comes in three new colours with varying prices. The Dash, meanwhile, comes in four colours, with the Twilight Blue being a new shade. The most expensive Flash trim continues to be available in the Brava Blue paint scheme.

The Apex variant gets a lighter aluminium handlebar which is designed and positioned to put the rider in a more ‘leaned-forward’ riding position. The standard (Dash and Flash) models continue with the older, more pulled-back handlebar. To make it more focused at spirited riding, especially around corners, RE has also given the Apex new road-focused Vredestein Centauro ST tyres. While the Flash and Dash variants retain the same CEAT Gripp XL tyres, the compound has been tweaked to offer 8 per cent and 17 per cent better dry and wet grip, respectively. The tyre sizes remain the same at 120/70 for the front and 160/60 for the rear.

The update, which is common across variants, is the revised throttle maps for two new ride modes – Sport and Street. The latter addresses the previous concern of the throttle transition being snappy around 3,000-3,500rpm by making the acceleration more progressive. The Sport continues to deliver the same punchy low to mid-range transition as before.

Other changes have been brought to the Royal Enfield smartphone application, with the most important being the facility to use full-screen map navigation on the TFT screen even when the smartphone screen is locked. This update has been rolled out only for Android devices as of now. RE has also worked on optimising the Bluetooth connection to prevent overheating and quick battery drainage of the smartphone. Other tweaks revolve around fine-tuning the overall mobile app experience.

What’s unchanged is the 452cc Sherpa engine, and this liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor continues to produce 39.47bhp and 40Nm. The six-speed gearbox is accompanied by a slipper clutch. Similarly, the telescopic forks and preload-adjustable monoshock have been left untouched and so have been the single disc brake at both ends. Moreover, the 780mm seat height, 185kg kerb weight, 11-litre fuel tank, and the 169mm ground clearance also remain the same as its predecessor.

The media ride of 2026 Guerrilla saw us take on the pristine roads of Assam, and the 140km ride was a good mix of corners and straights. What truly stood out for me were the new Vredestein tyres, which delivered brilliant grip and feedback, not only at slow speeds around tighter bends but also through long sweepers at high speeds. Never did they feel squirmy or lacking feel, even on slightly dusty patches, which were a rare occurrence. However, owing to the wide tyres front and back, and the weight, it still doesn’t feel like the most agile or alert bike on applying steering inputs.

The switch to the new handlebar also makes a difference to how engaging the bike feels to ride. With the slightly more leaned-forward stance, you sit in a more attacking position, loading the front slightly more, which makes the riding position feel more natural for cornering. We are glad that this doesn’t come at the cost of comfort. You still sit upright enough to not have any issues, even during two to three hours of continuous saddle time.

The well-sorted handling dynamics synchronise impressively with the strong engine performance. For most part of the ride, I stuck to Sport mode due to the smooth tarmac and less traffic. And boy does the bike pull hard! From the mid-range to top-end, the bike doesn’t seem to lose steam at all. Be it exiting out of corners at 60-70kmph in third gear or overtaking at 100kmph on the highway in sixth cog, the motorcycle feels eager to charge ahead. The refinement levels are also decent and I could only feel some buzz on the handlebar beyond 6,000rpm.

I always complained about the jerky acceleration of the Guerrilla when getting past 3,500rpm and that has largely been fixed with the introduction of Street mode. The acceleration feels much more linear now and the snappy nature of the throttle has been mitigated to a great extent. While the bike feels slightly dull in this mode compared to the Sport mode, it is a fair trade-off for the added convenience. Further, the clutch continues to be slightly on the heavier side but the gearbox is a slick-shifting unit.

The brakes of the 2026 Guerrilla, as always, feel confidence-inspiring. The front disc brake, in particular, offers commendable bite, and the feedback from the lever is well-judged. And even after close to an hour of aggressive riding, there’s barely any fading in the stopping power. As for the suspension setup, it continues to feel a bit unforgiving at times, especially the rear monoshock, which gives a kick in the back while going over sharper bumps. It is not outright obnoxious, but a bit more plushness would’ve made it more suitable for Indian road conditions. That said, the suspension is mainly tuned to facilitate sporty riding and does a good job of keeping the bike composed while dropping it into corners or switching lanes.

The 2026 Guerrilla 450 is certainly an improved motorcycle than before and the changes do work in its favour to make it more appealing. On the Apex variant, the grippier Vredestein tyres and new handlebar add a sporty touch, while the more linear throttle map of the Street mode makes it easier to ride. Combine that with the already strong traits such as the potent engine, strong brakes, balanced chassis, and modern technology and you have a motorcycle which is quite likeable. And we are glad that Royal Enfield introduced all the updates without bumping up the prices.

That said, I feel Royal Enfield should’ve gone back to the drawing board and made more significant changes to the design to lend it a fresh appeal. While the new colours, along with the front and rear cowl on the Apex trim, do make it look more handsome, they don’t evoke enough sense of novelty. Also, the suspension could be tuned a bit differently to add more flexibility to the suspension to handle the largely poor roads of India in a better way.

Photography by Kapil Angane