Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 | Photo Credit: Yash Gawde

When the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 first arrived in 2024, it proved to be a competent motorcycle for the most part. However, it was trying to be two things at once — be a roadster and a scrambler. The latter part was visually implied because it sported tyres with a dual-purpose design, though the rest of the bike made it amply clear that it belonged firmly on the road. Added to that were the largely ‘pop art graffiti’ range of colours that made one squint with confusion. Now, the addition of this new variant, called the Apex, corrects that and takes the Guerrilla further in the direction it should’ve aimed at from the beginning.

The Apex comes in this rather fetching shade of red, with the addition of small fairing and a removable seat cowl, which makes it look a lot more desirable. The visual add-ons make the motorcycle immediately look more cohesive than the regular Guerrilla, finishing with the fat and sporty Vredestein Centauro ST+ tyres. The new lower and flatter aluminium handlebar gives it more of a forward-set stance, and the ’bar-end mirrors do their part in putting the ‘retro’ in ‘neo-retro’. The cycle parts are all black-out, which lets the red attract all the attention, leaving only the all-metal exhaust to guide the lower visual line. Fit and finish is of above-average quality, too.

The Apex carries the same 452cc Sherpa single-cylinder oversquare engine that makes 39.45 bhp and 4 kg-m in a package that has a kerb weight of 185 kg. That makes it heavier than other machines of its kind, for sure, but it doesn’t really get in the way of the riding experience. It comes with two ride modes, Street and Sport, and has the same intake roar under hard acceleration as before; Royal Enfield claims that the engine offers 90 per cent of its torque from 3000 rpm, and there’s no reason to suspect otherwise. The Apex displayed a marked surge in grunt at said rpm every time I twisted the throttle, which quickly got addictive. Off the throttle, too, there were pleasing sounds issuing from the end can, which is always a plus.

smooth operator

Overall gearing is a bit on the taller side, so the gear lever does get a moderate workout at lower revs. However, mid-range is the place to be on this motorcycle, where its torque-rich nature comes across the best. Sustained high-rpm riding, however, will result in tingling hands and feet thanks to the motor’s buzzy nature. At real-world speeds, though, everything remains relatively smooth and composed. The biggest change in terms of dynamics is the switch to grippy road tyres, and it completely changes the motorcycle. The Apex can be ridden hard into its engine’s potential at all sorts of lean angles, and it’s all thanks to the tyres. Turn-in is quick and the bike is light enough on its feet to make the rider forget the weight mentioned in its spec sheet. Ride quality is decent for this type of motorcycle, too; it’s firm enough to be stable without breaking your back.

Under hard braking, the rear does move around a bit, but that only adds to the entertainment factor rather than being a serious instability issue. Speaking of the brakes, the Apex’s twin-disc setup performs satisfactorily despite having to rein in all that mass. As for the niggles, there’s the poor LED headlight which is up to no mark whatsoever. There’s also the small-ish 11-litre fuel tank which may annoy on longer rides. And it was impossible for me to get the switchgear toggle to select the correct option on the screen.

Nonetheless, while I was riding it, the Guerrilla 450 Apex came across as an involving motorcycle that was also easy to trust. At ₹2.49 lakh (ex-showroom introductory price), the bike is a more focused and complete offering. Now, if the rumours of a scrambler based on the Sherpa platform are true, then we’ll get the perfect duo that was promised with the first Guerrilla. In the meanwhile, if you’re not chasing headline numbers but want a reassuring yet fast motorcycle, the Guerrilla 450 Apex has a lot going right for it.

@TheMotorGram

Published on May 29, 2026