Spec Comparison: Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 v Rivals

How does Royal Enfield’s latest sub-500 cc contender stack up against its rivals? 

Royal Enfield’s long-awaited motorcycle, the Guerrilla 450 was recently launched at prices starting from Rs 2.39 lakh (ex-showroom). There’s a lot to talk about the bike and our review will be out on 27 July. So how does it fare against the competition? Here’s a detailed head-to-head breakdown on paper.

Motorcycle	Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450	Husqvarna Svartpilen 401	Triumph Speed 400
Price (ex-showroom)	₹ 2.39 lakh to ₹ 2.54 lakh	₹ 2.92 lakh	₹ 2.34 lakh
Engine	Four-valve, DOHC single-cylinder	Four-valve, DOHC single-cylinder	Four-valve, DOHC single-cylinder
Displacement	452 cc	399 cc	398 cc
Cooling	Liquid-cooled	Liquid-cooled	Liquid-cooled
Power (hp)	40 hp @ 8,000 rpm	46 hp @ 9,000 rpm	40 hp @ 8,000 rpm
Torque (Nm)	40 Nm @ 5,500 rpm	39 Nm @ 7,000 rpm	37.5 Nm @ 6,500 rpm
Gearbox	Six-speed	Six-speed	Six-speed

Looking at the above figures, it’s clear that the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 boasts the largest displacement over its rivals but that doesn’t translate to being the most powerful. At 40 hp, it matches the Triumph Speed 400. That being said, the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 makes up for it in the torque department even though its rivals aren’t exactly far behind. The one that comes out on top is the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 as far as horsepower is concerned. 

Motorcycle	Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450	Husqvarna Svartpilen 401	Triumph Speed 400
Frame	Tubular steel	Steel trellis	Tubular steel
Weight (kg)	185	171.2	176
Front suspension	43-mm telescopic forks	43-mm adjustable WP APEX  USD forks	43-mm USD forks
Rear suspension	Linkage type mono-shock	Preload and rebound adjustable WP APEX monoshock	Preload-adjustable monoshock
Front brake	310-mm disc	320-mm disc	300-mm disc
Rear brake	270-mm disc	240-mm disc	230-mm disc
Front tyre	120/70 R17	110/70 R17	110/70 R17
Rear tyre	160/60 R17	150/60 R17	150/60 R17
Tank capacity (litres)	11	13.5	13

Being the largest capacity motorcycle, it comes as no surprise that the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is also the heaviest of the lot at 185 kg. It also has the smallest fuel tank capacity. The differences don’t end there as it utilises a conventional telescopic fork setup compared to the USD forks equipped on its rivals. As far as suspension setup is concerned, the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is theoretically the one that comes out on top mainly due to the adjustability on offer. It is also the lightest of the three and just about edges ahead of the Triumph Speed 400 in terms of tank capacity. 

Features

Here is where each bike has plenty of common bits while having their own unique elements. Starting with the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, it is fairly loaded, being the only one of the three to get riding modes (Performance and Eco) and comes with bits like a Bluetooth-compatible TFT display, and a slipper clutch. The lower Analog variant gets a digi-analogue dash with a Tripper navigation pod.  

Moving on to the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, it stands out with a bi-directional quick-shifter, switchable traction control and switchable ABS at the rear while also featuring a TFT display. 

The Triumph Speed 400 is the only bike here that can be specced with heated grips as an optional accessory. Standard features include a digi-analogue dash, a slipper clutch and traction control.

Verdict

Taking all these factors into consideration, the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 has entered this space in a fairly competitive manner not only on paper but also in terms of pricing against the Triumph Speed 400. Yes, the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 is the most expensive of the three, but with the kind of performance it offers, it does seem justifiable to spend that extra dough. At the end of the day, choosing from either of these three motorcycles comes down to factors such as the buyer’s preference in terms of design, brand value and the accessibility of the dealer network.