Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, Triumph Speed 400, price, engine, features compared

There’s no shaking off the fact that the Guerrilla 450 is the largest bike here with the longest wheelbase and heaviest kerb weight. Surprisingly, it has the lowest seat height here which should make it pretty accessible for most folks. Royal Enfield has sharpened the steering geometry of the Guerrilla which should offset some of that heft. We will tell you what the Guerrilla feels like to ride when our review comes out on July 27, so keep an eye out for that. 

While the Guerrilla 450 is the heaviest bike here, it has the second-smallest fuel capacity here. The Honda CB300R is the lightest and smallest-feeling bike here and it weighs nearly 40kg less than the Guerrilla 450, so it should be the easiest to manage for smaller riders. If seat height is a big concern for you, then the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 will be the least desirable bike here, although it does have the tallest ground clearance. 

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Suspension & brakes

Where all the other bikes here use an inverted fork, the Guerrilla uses a conventional telescopic fork. While it is a simpler component, if set up well it shouldn’t make too much of a difference in the way the bike behaves. The Guerrilla is also the only bike here to use an axial front caliper, not a radial one like the others here, although if the performance of the Himalayan’s braking setup is anything to go by, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. 

If you simply want the best suspension and braking hardware here, the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is the way to go. This is the only bike to give you some control over the damping settings of the suspension units. It also has the strongest brakes here, both benefits of being based on the sporty KTM 390 Duke. However, you need to bear in mind that the Husky is also the only one to run on spoked wheels shod with tubed tyres, which will make fixing a puncture a long, drawn-out process. 

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Features

The Guerrilla 450 is one of the most feature-rich bikes here with a Bluetooth-compatible TFT display (on the Dash and Flash variants), slipper clutch and it’s also the only one to get riding modes – Performance and Eco. The lower Analogue variant comes with simpler (but cleaner-looking) colour options and a digi-analogue dash with the Tripper navigation pod. 

The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is the only other bike to use a (390 Duke-derived) TFT display and this is one of the best laid-out units in the business. While it misses out on riding modes, it does get a bidirectional quickshifter (only bike here to get one) and traction control, which can be turned off. ABS can be switched off at the rear too on the Husky. 

The Triumph Speed 400 comes standard with a handsome but simple digi-analogue dash sans Bluetooth connectivity, a slipper clutch and a basic traction control system. The Triumph is the only one here that can be optioned with heated grips as part of the accessories catalogue. 

In terms of features, the simple Honda CB300R is the bottom rung of this ladder but some people will be drawn to it for precisely the same reason. It gets a slipper clutch and dual-channel ABS supplemented by an IMU. 

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 vs rivals: Price

The Guerrilla’s price is certainly competitive in this company, especially for the base Analogue variant. Coupled with the widespread dealer network that Royal Enfield has coupled with its brand image, the Guerrilla 450 should find a healthy amount of takers. Its biggest rival, the Triumph Speed 400, is currently being offered at Rs 2.24 lakh to celebrate worldwide sales of 50,000 units of the new 400cc Bajaj-built Triumphs. For many people this is the bike that will be the benchmark for the Guerrilla and we will be sure to bring you a comparison review as soon as we can. 

The Honda CB300R is now priced almost on par with the Guerrilla 450 and the Speed 400 and for some the Honda’s reliability and overall manageability will prove to be the deciding factor. The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is the most expensive bike here but its performance and up-spec chassis componentry more than justify this higher ask. While all of these might seem closely matched on paper, choosing a bike between this quartet will come down to your personal design preference and riding style.