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Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Review - Dialing Up The Fun
Two years ago, Royal Enfield took the covers off the Guerrilla 450, a roadster that shared its platform and powertrain with the then-new Himalayan 450. Unlike the more adventure/off-roading-focused Himalayan 450, the Guerrilla 450 took RE's 450 platform back onto the tarmac.
Now two years after it first arrived on our roads, the Guerrilla 450 has received its first major refresh, spawning a new, more road-focused Apex variant, while also bringing a few updates that hopefully address some of the issues with the "regular" version of the roadster. We rode the new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex near Guwahati, and these are our thoughts after a few hours in the saddle...
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Review - What's New?
The biggest change to the 2026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 comes in the form of the new, sportier Apex variant. The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex features a more committed rider's triangle thanks to a new aluminium handlebar that is positioned further forward and lower, compared to the Dash and Flash variants. The Apex also rides on road-biased Vredestein Centauro ST tyres, which Royal Enfield claims are the widest and stickiest tyres on offer in the segment.
The Apex also brings a few styling tweaks that differentiate it from the other variants of the Guerrilla 450. These include a new cowl that sits just above the LED headlight, similar to the setup you see on the Scram 440. The Guerrilla 450 Apex also features a removable rear seat cowl, which, when taken off, reveals the rear seat for the pillion.
The 2026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex also features two ride modes - Street and Sport - along with a memory function that ensures you start back on the riding mode you were on when you switched off the motorcycle.
These riding modes and memory function are shared with the Dash and Flash variants of the 2026 Guerrilla 450, along with the updated tripper dash, which no longer requires your smartphone to remain unlocked to enable Google Maps navigation. However, this feature is currently limited to Android devices.
Speaking of the Dash and Flash variants of the 2026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, they continue to be offered with the dual-purpose Ceat Gripp XL RE tyres. However, Royal Enfield claims these tyres now offer much more grip than before in both dry and wet conditions, thanks to a new tyre compound and revised tread pattern. These variants are also offered with
There are also four new colour options on offer. The first three - Apex Black(black and grey tank and side panels, with red 'Royal Enfield' graphics), Apex Red (red finish on the tank with dark grey 'Royal Enfield' graphics), and Apex Green (dark green finish on the front half of the tank, followed by a fluorescent yellow stripe and a blue finish at the end along with fluorescent yellow and blue graphics) - are, as expected, only offered with the new Guerrilla 450 Apex.
The fourth and final new colour, Twilight Blue (Blue with gold accents), is offered with the Guerrilla 450's Dash variant. This version also gets complimentary handguards and a headlight grille as standard.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Review - What's Remained The Same?
Other than the new tyres and the revised handlebar setup, the 2026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla Apex and its Dash and Flash variant siblings retain the same mechanical setup as before. The 452cc, single-cylinder Sherpa engine. The liquid-cooled powerplant continues to push out 39bhp and 40Nm of peak torque and is paired with a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper and assist clutch.
The 2026 Guerrilla 450 continues to use a twin-spar steel frame which uses the engine as a stressed member. The Guerrilla 450 continues with the 43mm telescopic front fork and a linkage-type monoshock setup at the rear. The roadster also continues to ride on 17-inch wheels.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Review - How Does It Ride?
We got to ride the 2026 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex on the ghat roads and highways near Guwahati and on a go-kart track as well and the changes are rather noticeable.
The new aluminium handlebar is positioned a bit further forward and lower than the regular one on the Dash and Flash variants and puts you in a slightly more committed position, which facilitates a more aggressive riding style, especially when combined with the road-biased Vredestein Centauro ST rubber.
This combination meant that the new Guerrilla 450 Apex was quite a bit of fun to ride around the rolling mountain roads and on the go-kart track. The grip levels and the slightly more loaded front end allow you to flick the bike and change direction with ease. The extra grip from the road-biased tyre also allows you to hold the line through longer sweeping bends.
The Sherpa engine continues to be as responsive as ever. It starts surging forward once past the 3,000rpm mark. The engine also loves to go up the revs towards the red line, which makes overtaking a lot of fun, but will also allow you to cruise happily at triple-digit highway speeds. However, we couldn't really find much of a difference between the Street and Sport riding modes during our time in the saddle.
The slightly more focused riding position, however, does not make the Guerrilla 450 Apex hard to live with over long journeys. The suspension setup (especially at the rear) feels slightly more plush than before, and the seat is one of the more comfortable saddles around. (We were unable to test out the pillion seats thanks to the locked rear cowl on our test bikes.)
The brakes, which are discs at both ends, aided by dual-channel ABS (which cannot be switched off), bring you to a stop quite easily, with the grippier road-biased rubber also helping out a bit here.
There are a few gripes still, though. We do wish Royal Enfield had made the fuel tank slightly bigger, and well, USD forks up front would have made quite a bit of sense as well.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex Review - Verdict & Final Thoughts
For 2026, Royal Enfield's introduction of a new Apex variant of the Guerrilla is one of the best moves the marque has made. The new Guerrilla Apex, with its road-biased grippy tyres and slightly more committed riding position thanks to the lower and more forward-set aluminium handlebars, just allows you to extract the most out of the bike.
The changes the Apex variant brings to the Royal Enfield Guerrilla make the bike an easy recommendation to those looking for a new entry-level middleweight roadster. And for those who liked the Guerrilla 450 as it first came out but wanted a bit more grip, the Dash and Flash variants bring just those changes.
(Reporting by Mufeed Qasim; Words by Dennis James; Photos By Mufeed Qasim & Royal Enfield)
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