The marketers at Royal Enfield probably chose the “Guerrilla” moniker for the streetbike version of the successful Himalayan adventure tourer to highlight its suitability for crosstown travel. As in “urban guerrilla”, geddit?
But the personality of this bike is as unlike that of any murderous member of the infamous Baader-Meinhof gang as it could be. It’s a chilled, charming feel-good riding machine that’s easy to own and enjoy.
Actually, it’s better than that. The thing that irks me most about the name is that it unfairly pigeonholes the Guerrilla as a city bike. Sure, it’s a full-size 452cc motorcycle that costs the same to buy as a Vespa 125 at $8790 and is just as easy to ride in urban areas, but I most enjoyed the Royal Enfield on country roads less travelled, the more serpentine the better.
This is arguably the model with the sportiest handling of any Royal Enfield. It carries the engine mass lower than the Himalayan and has 17-inch wheels shod with fatter tyres that grip the road with extra security.
The simple telescopic front fork is raked more steeply than the ADV’s, and the 780mm seat height places the rider's weight lower. The result is highly responsive and biddable steering. You can enter corners deeper and exit them harder than when riding the more multi-purpose Himalayan. The Guerrilla is 14kg lighter, has an ECU programmed for snappier throttle response, and is geared slightly lower. It’s a noticeably friskier ride than its ADV cousin.
The treads of the CEAT tyres are semi-knobbly, and the Guerrilla isn’t just a pavement pony. It laps up formed gravel roads with arguably more enthusiasm than the Himalayan, the lower centre of mass making it feel less pitchy when crossed up in a slide.
The only drawback when riding on looser surfaces is that there’s no “ABS-off” to disable the anti-locking of the rear tyre. Which is a pity as the rear Bybre(mbo) disc performs as well as the one up front, with decent bite allied to good control feedback.
The tyres of the Guerrilla and the serrated rider footpegs with removable rubber inserts hint at a suitability for mild dirty deeds; it’s therefore a missed opportunity that the rear ABS is locked into its on-road setting.
The engine braking of the liquid-cooled single does compensate somewhat; a steep descent on a loose surface can be kept under control with engine compression and appropriate gear selection.
The powertrain is quite refined in all riding scenarios. The clutch lever is light to operate, the gears snick nicely between the ratios, and the ride-by-wire throttle delivers smooth engine response. The lack of driveline snatch on/off/on throttle use is one of the bike’s most endearing qualities in a LAMS segment full of rivals that feel like their rear hub’s cush rubbers have been removed.
The 452cc Sherpa engine is a willing performer as well as a smooth operator. There’s good trickle-along torque down low, and a noticeable kick forward at 5000rpm. From there, there’s a concerted rush towards the 9000rpm redline that’s easy to target with the six-speed gearbox. Fuel consumption averages 3.3 litres per 100km, frugal enough to allow the 11-litre tank capacity to last 250km+ between fill-ups.
Aside from the different engine mapping and slightly lower final drive gearing, the powertrain is identical to the Himalayan’s. Other things shared include the round TFT screen, the miniature thumb toggle to change its display, and the opportunity to have it display turn-by-turn navigation dictated by your paired phone.
With the base Himalayan listing for $9190, just $400 more than Guerrilla, buyers attracted to the well-executed Sherpa engine have a tough decision to make. Do they favour all-surface touring and select the Himmy, or opt for the better on-road performance of the Guerrilla?
That’s providing they can look past the name. This bike doesn’t come close to living up to the dodgy moniker it’s been saddled with. For proof, check out the paint scheme on the test bike. With purple highlights on top of glossy bumblebee yellow and black, it’s brighter than Luke’s lightsaber. If it were a genuine guerrilla, it’d fail the camouflage test big-time.
