Let’s get one thing straight about Royal Enfield’s latest machine; it’s the Guerrilla, not the Gorilla. Clearly, the makers are trying to evoke a slightly rugged, subversive, even rebellious tone - not the hairy beast famous for its large head, short neck and gentle, human-like behaviour. But what a great little beast it is: sharp-looking, agile, lightweight, nicely put together and, above all, fun and very easy to ride, just as you’d expect of a new machine that has been in development for around five years.
The big surprise, however, is what you get for the money. Costing from just £4,850 in ‘Smoke Silver’ (rising to £5,050 for fancier colours) it undercuts its competitor, the Triumph Speed 400 for instance, which costs £5,195, by £345; enough for a decent crash helmet, new riding suit or pair of boots. Despite the cost, the Guerrilla is loaded with equipment, including two riding modes, an attractive, useful, colour TFT dash, a centre stand in addition to the side stand, nice 43mm forks from Showa, ABS front and rear and good looking faux knobbly tyres.
That TFT can even be used to link to your smartphone, so that you can display satellite navigation, a huge advantage for anyone who hates getting lost. Using the same but slightly remapped 452 cc single cylinder as in the bigger, adventure-styled Himalayan, the Guerrilla has more of a roadster, street vibe, with very stylish, eye-catching ‘naked’ looks, enhanced by a range of five great colour schemes in.
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