The 450cc roadster segment in India is an interesting one. Most of the motorcycles in this segment not only feature a premium badge but also don retro clothes. The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is the latest entrant in this segment and fulfils both criteria. It has a badge that comes with a storied history and the styling suggests it is playing the retro card.
The Guerrilla 450 goes up against two formidable rivals that play the premium card well. Both offer downsized but capable versions of their larger-capacity motorcycles. One is the Harley-Davidson X440 and the other is the Triumph Speed 400. The Guerrilla 450 sure has its work cut out for it. However, it comes well-prepared and it starts with the styling.
Retro is a design trend that isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything it is growing. And all three motorcycles here dress up well. The Guerrilla 450 though prefers colourful clothes. It gets vibrant paint schemes which, love it or loathe it, you can’t ignore it. Besides the paint job, it stands apart from its rivals thanks to its large dimensions and chunky 120 and 160-section tyres. The Guerrilla 450 shares its platform with the Himalayan 450 but manages to differentiate itself from the adventure motorcycle and comes across as a fun roadster.
While the Guerrilla 450 opts for distinctiveness, the Speed 400 opts for familiarity. It looks like a downsized Speed and that’s a good thing — the Speed 900 is one of the coolest-looking retro motorcycles on the planet. The clean design with a minimalistic paint job is in stark contrast with the Guerrilla 450 but stands out with its attention to detail down to the fins on the liquid-cooled engine cylinder head.
Like the Guerrilla 450, the Harley-Davidson X440 has an aggressive design language. Its chunky fuel tank and a smaller headlamp make it look more sportster than roadster. However, compared to the two, the X440 does look underwhelming owing to the neutral paint jobs and simpler design. The recent influx of new colour options though should make it stand out more. Also in terms of quality, it does not impress as much as both its rivals or even its larger siblings do. In fact, the X440 feels built to a cost.
Overall, while the motorcycles here impress with their styling, it is the Guerrilla 450 that offers the most road presence while the Speed 400 impresses with its attention to detail and when it comes to fit and finish levels, feels the most premium here.
However, design goes hand in hand with features and each motorcycle here has a different approach. Retro motorcycles are all about nostalgia and minimalism and therefore less is more here though these motorcycles are modern underneath that old-school skin.
The Guerrilla scores highly here. It gets a 4-inch colour TFT console with navigation via Google Maps and Bluetooth connectivity besides all LED lighting and ride modes. Interestingly, while it gets two ride modes (Power and Eco) like the Himalayan 450, it misses out on traction control.
The tripper dash is similar to that on the Himalayan and impresses with its use of large fonts and legible layout where, in navigation mode, it shows the map on the entire screen.
The Speed 400 plays it retro with a semi-digital instrument console with a large analogue speedometer and a tiny digital tachometer. I’d rather have it the other way around. Also, there is no Bluetooth connectivity or turn-by-turn navigation here. However, it is the only motorcycle here to feature an engine immobiliser, switchable traction control and heated grips. Our test motorcycle came fitted with a few accessories like a windscreen and aluminium sump guard both of which impressed with their quality levels.
The X440 gets a small square TFT console inside a large single-pod console. Despite its size, the display is quite comprehensive and features Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. It is also the only motorcycle here to feature an automatic headlamp. Like the Triumph, this one too came fitted with accessories like fog lamps, a phone holder and a pillion backrest. These though do not match the quality levels of accessories we are used to from Harley-Davidson.
In terms of features, it is the Guerrilla that impresses the most while the Triumph Speed 400 sticks to the basics. Besides all-LED lighting accessible charging posts, all motorcycles here also get accessories that allow you to customise your ride to your taste.
In the retro segment, engine character is as important as performance and all three motorcycles impress with their unique characters. Take the Guerrilla for example.
The Guerrilla 450 shares its powertrain with the Himalayan but is tuned for better low to mid-range performance thanks to an updated fuel map. Also, the rear sprocket gets two less teeth compared to the one on the Himalayan so you spend more time riding in the power band. This is a rev-happy motor and is the happiest post 3,000rpm post where you get a nice shove making for an engaging ride. Of course, the 11kg weight deficit means it’s quicker than the Himalayan but in terms of acceleration, feels as quick as the Speed 400 despite weighing nine kilos more. This of course could be attributed to the Guerrilla having a larger 452cc liquid-cooled motor and offering more peak torque at lower engine revs. Rather than being a polished mill, the motor is a fun characterful one that eggs you to wring the throttle every chance you get and reminds us of the first-generation KTM 390 Duke.
While the Speed 400’s 398cc liquid-cooled motor has a smaller engine capacity and at 38Nm (Both deliver an identical 40PS), is 2PS down on the Guerrilla 450, out in the real world, it is the Speed 400 that impresses the most as it offers a larger powerband to play with. Its TR series engine offers plenty of low to mid-range performance and in terms of character, feels like a downsized Bonneville. It’s immensely tractable and you can easily potter around in a gear or two higher than the others. Also, the Triumph has a lighter clutch actuation that helps make the Triumph easy and effortless to ride in the city. Out on the highway, you can tour with it in a relaxed manner with minor vibes creeping in past 100kmph.
Compared to the other two motorcycles here, the X440 gets a 440cc two-valve, air-cooled long-stroke motor that makes up for its lack of performance with its school vibe. That said, despite delivering just 27PS and being the heaviest motorcycle here, the X440 feels as quick to accelerate as the other two, at least up to 60kmph. This is thanks to the motor delivering a similar 38Nm much lower down in the rev range and having a short gearing. While this makes the X440 quick in city traffic, it runs out of steam on the highway pretty easily. While the addition of a sixth gear does allow it to sustain triple-digit speeds, it is interesting to note that the X440 redlines at 6,000rpm, around the point where the other two motorcycles make their peak torque. Where the X440 impresses is the laid-back nature of the motor and the throaty exhaust note which makes it sound like a typical Harley-Davidson.
All three motorcycles are evenly matched when it comes to fuel efficiency – delivering around 30kmpl. While the Harley-Davidson impresses with its characterful exhaust note, the Royal Enfield impresses with its punchy mid-range and the Triumph with its tractability and versatility. Overall, it is the Speed 400’s motor which impressed us the most.
Like the power delivery, all three motorcycles here offer different styles of riding making for a distinctive ride experience.
The Guerrilla might be the largest motorcycle here but it’s quite manageable. It might sit on the Himalayan platform but feels quite different to ride. The rake is 4 degrees sharper resulting in a shorter trail as well. It does have the longest wheelbase here as well as the chunkiest 17-inch tyres (120-section front and 160-section rear). Now this does help in offering immense stability and confidence but what’s surprising is the Guerrilla’s affinity to change directions quickly. Of course, owing to the Ceat block-tread patterned tyres hold it from offering outright grip on the limit like the Speed 400 but for most scenarios, offers plenty of grip.
It gets a low 780mm seat which helps manage the motorycyle easily. The handlebar too is raised making for a more upright stance. What is more impressive is how easily the Guerrilla soaks up bad roads without losing composure, allowing you to keep up speeds even in undulating corners.
The Triumph impresses with its sophisticated suspension that offers a good balance between ride and handling. Show it a corner and the motorcycle sticks to its line like a larger sportsbike. However, the front end is heavier than the Guerrilla and it does not feel as effortless to ride in city traffic like the Royal Enfield. Also while the suspension does a good job of tackling road imperfections, it’s not as absorptive as the Guerrilla. While the Speed 400 has a slightly higher seat than the Guerrilla, it is manageable for average-height riders like me. The riding position is on the sportier side which makes for a more engaging ride experience.
Despite being designed as a sportster, the X440 has the tallest seat height here and is also the heaviest besides being the only one to sport a larger 18-inch front wheel. That though does not impede much into the ride experience. While not as agile as the other two, it does handle well and trips into corners with ease. On the move, the X440 does feel a lot lighter than the spec sheet suggests, the seat too is quite approachable. The suspension though feels quite firm and while it has a reasonably absorptive ride, you get caught out by nasty bumps with ease.
While the X440 offers a laid-back riding experience, both the Guerrilla 450 and Speed 400 are sportier and feel more engaging to ride. The Guerrilla 450 though is the surprise package here. It feels more light and agile than the Speed 400 and as a result, is a more fun-to-ride motorcycle. Let me put it this way, on twisty roads, while the Triumph will be quicker you’ll have more fun on the Royal Enfield.
Let’s get one thing straight. There is no clear winner here as all three motorcycles here are similarly priced and offer a different ride experience which will appeal to a different set of buyers.
For its Rs 2.40 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag, the Harley-Davidson X440 features a comparatively simpler powertrain. However, it has tons of character and feels the most true to its retro roots thanks to the thump from the long-stroke engine and the relaxed riding position. The badge value is a big draw too as the X440 is the most affordable ticket to enter the exclusive Harley-Davidson club.
The Triumph Speed 400 impresses with its styling and offers a premium experience you’d expect from the Triumph badge. At Rs 2.24 lakh (ex-showroom) it is also the most affordable motorcycle here. It looks like a Triumph, feels like a Triumph and rides like a Triumph and that’s the Speed 400’s biggest USP. The Guerrilla though triumphs over it with one special attribute.
At Rs 2.39 lakh (ex-showroom), the Royal Enfield Guerrilla is priced on par with the X440. The Guerrilla 450 might be the new kid on the block but can teach the competition a thing or two about feeling special. It looks distinctive, is quite comfortable to ride and has a rorty characterful engine and a lively chassis making it the most fun bike out here.
While we prefer the Triumph Speed 400 for its sophistication, we like the fun quotient offered by the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 and when it comes to character, the Harley-Davidson X440 is hard to beat. At the end of the day, these motorcycles are more than just a tool to commute from point A to point B. And here’s where the Guerrilla 450 edges over the competition. It’s not perfect but it’s so much fun to ride! It scores highly on the engine, styling and features front. Its engine delivers loads of usable mid-range grunt and it’s got the chassis to match that fun motor. And it is this playful character that makes Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 more special than the rest and our pick of the lot.
