BEFORE ITS DEBUT, HERE'S A SNEAK PEEK AT ROYAL ENFIELD'S NEW MOTORCYCLE
There's quite a lot to see if you look closely.
A little over a month ago, I pondered the question of whether Royal Enfield was getting close to launching its upcoming Guerrilla 450. To trace why I asked that question when I did is quite simple, because I've been following the model since the trademark was first filed back in 2023.
To be very specific, though, the reason I asked that question is because that's when Enfield filed a trademark application for an actual Guerrilla 450 logo design.
Naming something is one thing, but lots of OEMs file trademark applications for names that they may not necessarily go on to use.
Logos, though, generally seem to be a lot more concrete. Why? Because filing an application for a model name makes sense both if you a) want to use it, and also if you b) don't want anyone else to use it.
However, filing an application for a logo falls firmly into the first camp: That you're planning to use that name yourself, and most likely sooner rather than later.
And now, none other than Royal Enfield CEO Govindarajan Balakrishnan and Royal Enfield Managing Director Siddhartha Lal have given us our very first glimpses at the Guerrilla 450 ahead of its global launch.
Very crucially, they both posted two different views of the bike. Here's the front view:
And here's the profile view:
Here's Everything We've Learned About The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 So Far
The international launch date is July 17 and it will take place in Barcelona, Spain. Enfield's international launches are typically live-streamed on its social media channels. So, if you're interested in following the Guerrilla 450's launch activities, you should probably follow it on its YouTube and Instagram channels.
It's the first time we're seeing the newly trademarked logo in public, outside of its application filing. Of course, someone in the Enfield offices used the logo to neatly obscure a full view of either angle of the Guerrilla 450, but there are still plenty of details to take in if you look closely.
The Guerrilla 450 will use the same liquid-cooled 452cc engine that first appeared in the Himalayan 450. Unsurprisingly, there are other common features we can see in the two new images provided here as well.
There's a round LED headlight, as well as smart, modern LED turn signals that are attached to the headlight bracket. Although we don't get to see the bike from the rear in either image, it's a safe bet that the taillight cluster is also an all-LED affair, as is the case on the new Himalayan.
A pair of round, black mirrors stick up from the handlebars on the Guerrilla 450. The seating appears to be quite neutral and upright and is likely comfortable for a wide variety of riders. Alloy wheels (probably 17-inch), in black, are shown in both images and are clearest to observe in the one posted by CEO Balakrishnan.
The shape of the tank and how it flows into the saddle is sculpted and modern. Where the Himalayan 450 has a rear carrier placed just behind the pillion perch, there's nothing similar to be seen on the Guerrilla 450. That's not to say that a rear carrier might not be available as an option, just that it isn't shown in these pictures.
A pair of black fork gaiters are plainly on display, lending an air of scrambler to the Guerrilla 450. The front fender hugs the front tire, though, and is not in a raised position like it is on the Himalayan 450.
The exhaust appears in the profile view of the Guerrilla 450 to be the same as the one found on the new Himalayan. There's also what appears to be a small bash plate protecting the front of the engine, but it doesn't wrap around the exhaust headers on the Guerrilla 450 like it does on the Himalayan.
The Guerrilla 450 also has a center stand, as seen in the photo with CEO Balakrishnan. In the photo with MD Lal, though, you can see one other thing that isn't surprising, but is important: The back of the display on the Guerrilla 450.
If you've ridden any Royal Enfields in the past few years, you're probably familiar with the Tripper Navigation pod the company introduced a couple of years ago. On most recent Enfields, there's a round speedometer gauge up front. On bikes equipped with Tripper Navigation, that means they get a smaller round pod that sits off to the side of the main gauge, and can be connected to your phone via Bluetooth for navigation that will display on that gauge.
The new Himalayan was also the introduction of a new, single round gauge display that incorporates all the instrumentation previously divided into two separate gauges. As we saw just prior to the Himalayan's global launch, it's quite a nice visual upgrade, both in terms of visibility and in terms of styling and appearance.
In the front view image seen on MD Lal's Instagram, we can clearly see the back of that single round gauge. It's no surprise that Enfield would use it on this bike, but it's nonetheless nice to see.
Is The Guerrilla 450 Essentially A Larger-Displacement Scram 411?
Some styling elements are undeniably the same between the Scram 411 (which was essentially a street-scrambler variant of the Himalayan 411) and what we can see of the Guerrilla 450.
The ergonomics, round mirrors, fork gaiters, and tire-hugging front fender are all reminiscent of the Scram 411. Three major differences we immediately spot are the fact that the Guerrilla 450 has alloy wheels in these photos. The Scram 411 has spoked wheels. The engine guard on the Scram 411 wraps around the headers just like the Himalayan's does; the Guerrilla 450's does not. Also, the Scram 411 has a side stand; the Guerrilla 450, at least as it's equipped in these photos, has a center stand.
Clearly, Enfield could choose to offer any or all of these things as available options. Maybe the Guerrilla will be available with your choice of alloy or spoked wheels, depending on what geographic region you're located in. That's something Enfield has done before, and so I wouldn't be surprised to see it again.
The photos also don't tell us whether the Guerrilla 450 application of this engine utilizes different tuning from what's found in the Himalayan 450. So, that and all the other details are things we'll have to find out next month when it's officially unveiled to the world.
Stay tuned.
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2024-06-29T15:53:28Z dg43tfdfdgfd