[Ripcord09]

Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450

What you'll like:

• All-new, well-rounded and well-differentiated roadster from the Himalayan platform
• Sporty and youthful motorcycle, targeted at a younger audience. More exciting colourways than with any Royal Enfield motorcycle ever
• Looks substantial compared to some rivals, with a long wheelbase and some elements like the tyres being the largest in class
• Very approachable motorcycle with a seat height of 780 mm and a kerb weight 11 kg lighter than the Himalayan. Feels well balanced as well, not top-heavy!
• 39.5 BHP Sherpa engine has been retuned for a very peppy midrange. Refinement levels are slightly better than the Himalayan too
• Slick 6-speed gearbox with a decently light slip and assist clutch helps to stay in the torque band all day long. Best experienced between 3,000 to 6,000 rpm
• Competent city ride and handling package from Showa - compliments the urban nature of the motorcycle well
• Excellent instrument cluster carried over from the Himalayan - now with updated features. Navigation, though not a perfect implementation, is still useful

What you won't:

• Not for everyone! With its scrambler-inspired looks and loud colourways, the Guerrilla is set to polarize opinion
• The Sherpa motor has a slightly erratic idle, followed by a slightly jerky low-end below 2000 rpm - best kept within the torquey mid-range even when in the city. Not newbie-friendly
• Single-cylinder vibrations, though made smoother now compared to the Himalayan, are present throughout the revv range. No deal-breaking resonance experienced at any rpm range, but certainly not dismissible either
• Runs hot - The radiator fan was unexpectedly busy even on rainy and cold Bangalore days. Summer performance needs to be monitored
• Suspension is good for the city but feels significantly less sophisticated than in the Himalayan when ridden hard. 11L fuel tank could also affect touring abilities!
• Poor lamps all around. The headlamp is woefully inadequate and the quirky new indicator stalk + tail lamp vibrate on bad roads, making it blurry for traffic behind
• Fit and finish could be improved. Good overall build is marred by poor execution of touchpoint items like the joystick switch, indicator switch, etc. Also, the stock mirror is useless at highway speeds
• Missing features for rider control like traction control, IMU / cornering ABS, quick shifter, adjustable clutch and brake levers, backlit switchgear, etc.

Review Link

Triumph Scrambler 400X

What you'll like:

• Quintessential Triumph design that looks distinctly like its bigger Scrambler siblings for the most part
• Build quality, fit and finish are among the best in the segment
• Thanks to its taller and more substantial stance, it does better visual justice to the 400cc ‘big bike’ feeling than the much more compact Speed 400
• Larger riders will also appreciate its relatively roomier ergonomics compared to the Speed
• Nice bespoke touches that lend aesthetic value as well as utility where needed - sturdier metal bash plate, headlight grille, twin barrel exhaust with the black cladding, round indicators, tank grips, step-up seat to highlight some
• 19” wheel, superior ground clearance, longer wheelbase and better suspension travel, all make for a much more stability-biased ride, in keeping with its Scrambler DNA
• 39.5 BHP engine is reasonably tractable with a strong pull. Smooth & refined power delivery at a kerb weight of ~185 kg results in fairly peppy performance aided further by a slick 6-speed gearbox
• Still a hoot to ride despite its taller stance and longer wheelbase
• Generous 16,000 km / 1-year service interval. Parts and service costs are also expected to be kept competitive

What you won't:

• Missing features like connected tech, riding modes, adjustable clutch and brake levers, etc.
• Inexperienced riders (especially shorter ones) may find the 835 mm seat height a tad challenging
• Analogue + digital instrument cluster doesn't suit the bike's character
• Some ergonomic issues such as mirrors fouling with hand and footpegs flexing downwards while stand-up riding
• Vibrations at higher rpms
• Split rear seat is compact. Riders should carefully evaluate how comfortable the bike will be for two-up touring with luggage if that is a key use case
• Only single-sided saddle bag luggage is being offered by Triumph as of now. You will have to look at aftermarket solutions for double-sided saddle bags or wider luggage options
• Entire service experience remains uncharted territory with Triumph leaving a negative perception on this front in some parts of the country. Whether one can have a positive dealership experience under Bajaj’s watch is something that remains to be seen

Review Link

Harley Davidson X440

What you'll like:

• Single-cylinder, 440cc engine has good low-end torque to make city riding as well as highway cruising comfortable
• NVH and refinement are really good. Combined with good ergonomics, you can cruise at 80-100 km/h all day long
• Well priced. It is on par with its peers, albeit with an extra ~40-90 cc
• Built by Hero, who knows the Indian two-wheeler consumer extremely well
• Decent level of kit - standard dual-channel ABS, Bluetooth connectivity, connected features, etc.

What you won't:

• Design and styling can be polarising. Not your typical Harley
• In a segment that has heated up with lots of new offerings, the X440 doesn't ace any specific aspect
• No riding modes or traction control. Essentially not a lot of ways to customize your ride
• This is the first product of the Harley Davidson - Hero partnership. Sales, after-sales and service support and experience are unknown

Review Link

Hero Mavrick 440

What you'll like:

• Single-cylinder, 440cc engine has good low-end torque to make city riding comfortable. Fairly responsive mid and top-end keep highway cruising engaging
• Superb ride comfort; gobbles up bad roads without letting the rider, or even pillion feel them
• NVH and refinement are really good. Combined with good ergonomics, you can cruise at 80-100 km/h all day long
• Features such as standard dual-channel ABS, Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation etc. are standard on all variants. Top variant gets e-sim connectivity
• Hero's sales and service network is unparalleled, even in tier 2 and 3 towns
• Well priced for what it offers. Undercuts most competitors

What you won't:

• Very basic instrumentation cluster in terms of look, feel and functionality
• Missing features such as riding modes, traction control, upside-down suspension fork, etc.
• Built to a cost. Cost-cutting is evident in a couple of areas
• Ride gets unsettled at higher speeds
• To many people, the Hero brand doesn't have the badge cachet of Royal Enfield, Honda or Harley-Davidson
• Long-term reliability of the new engine is unknown

Review Link

Husqvarna Svartpilen 401

Ownership Review

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Geo_Ipe]

Guerilla 450 for me. Smart looks, can tackle city & touring conditions with ease. Engine has enough grunt, service availability is adequate.

Triumph Scrambler 400X oozes the big bike feel, which will reflect in service costs and reliability as well. I've never heard a happy Triumph service station story ever!

The X440 & Mavrick don't have enough character to demand a second look. Husqvarnas are too niche.

[sapien]

• Just based on looks, for me it has to be the RE Guerilla, although polarizing, it immediately feels special and thats why the vote. Dynamics on that other hand needs further polishing w.r.t erratic throttle @ lower rpms, unsophisticated suspensions etc.
• Harley seems most rounded product but looks weird in an ungainly way. Maybe the next Harley product on same platform- like nightster 440 will be a product to wait for.
• Triumph scrambler is a super safe choice but looking at it doesn’t excite me.
• One may want to try newer Jawas and Yezdis- at-least they look great.

PS: I have only driven Speed400, Classic350, Hunter and CB350 and my views are extrapolated from that.

[tasty911]

Nice. Thank you for compiling this.
If possible, please add "usable tank capacity" to the comparison.

[pedrolourenco]

A tough call between the Triumph Scrambler and the RE Guerrilla. Picked the Guerrilla as it's easier to ride.

[TheTourer23]

The one bike that moved my soul was the X440. Once you are on the saddle, you'll forget the design, fit and finish issues all thanks that lovely engine complemented by the exhaust note.

But at the end of the day when you park the bike it is doesn't make you look back :(

For most of them the scrambler 400x would be the ideal choice

[100Kmphormore]

I think the criteria is the 400 segment scrambler/city use bikes - I feel the Hero or Harley cant be amidst the others as they arent in the same class of power. The Speed 400 might be a good addition.

For me its the Guerilla 450. The first time I revved it to the 7000 rpm mark, the Ford vs Ferrari dialogue was ringing in my field besides the giggling monkey that I became - truly a special motorcycle. Fast, smooth, small, weightless - excellent city attributes. Bridges the gap between the Duke 390 and the Scrambler 400X in my opinion - the best of both worlds.

[asininite]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Guerilla 450 for me. Smart looks, can tackle city & touring conditions with ease. Engine has enough grunt, service availability is adequate.

Triumph Scrambler 400X oozes the big bike feel, which will reflect in service costs and reliability as well. I've never heard a happy Triumph service station story ever!

The X440 & Mavrick don't have enough character to demand a second look. Husqvarnas are too niche.

Triumph service for their 400 twins is cheaper than RE per year. Triumph has an annual service interval and first service is 2100 and second service about 3300 at 16000kms (or 1 year). REs is about 1800 iirc but their service interval is every 6 months.

Plus they've been out for a year now and no major reliability gripes have popped up. And ever since Bajaj took over the service duties, servicing has been a good experience.

Spares are also cheap. The bar-ends on the Speed are 957rs apiece.

[surjaonwheelz]

What's the use case? Who's the buyer?

For me being an Interceptor owner switching with my friend's 400X seems easy to ride and a much lighter riding experience! I tried both spirited and laid back riding and it didn't disappoint me.

Happy riding,
surjaonwheelz

[that_sedate_guy]

I actually voted other since I just could not bring myself to vote for my otherwise top contender, the Guerrilla, not after following one on the way back from office for a good kilometre or so.
I have a Bullet 350 so a 400+ cc segment would be quite a nice upgrade indeed if I decided to move towards it.
The Hero/Harley duo is phenomenal to look at, sounds seriously good and pulls great. Not gonna lie, they had us in the first half. Then comes that rear that looks like it was simply bolted on as an afterthought. Serious lack of enthusiastic design in the rear half. Added to it, the fit and finish isn't really anything to write home about. I saw a very new one recently with both rear indicators pointing in weird different directions and no there were no signs of a crash or anything, just blatant alignment issues.
The Husqvarna just doesn't seem like something I personally would have as a daily companion. More of a lifestyle motorcycle in my opinion. It gives me the same vibes like for instance, one could theoretically use a military spec Humvee for grocery shopping but it wouldn't really be a go-to choice.
The Triumph would be a no-brainer for most people. It is the most no-nonsense choice here. However, that same winning point can also be perceived as lack of excitement by some. To me personally, I still can't get over the thought that it looks smaller than it is. From the side, it looks absolutely phenomenal but from the front and rear, that commuter look while much better sorted than the tiny-looking Speed 400, is still present.
The Guerrilla in the end was always that one motorcycle that kept me turning back and looking wherever I saw one. Quirky in looks and ballistic in performance. However, the KTM-ish noise although present isn't really enticing, so to speak. There are rough tones to the overall engine noise and not to nitpick physics but vibrations are quite pronounced. Vibrations would be completely overlooked on a long-stroke bullet but not on a short-stroke street rebel.
The complete deal breaker for the Guerrilla however was the God-awful tail light design. I saw one overtake me on the way back home from work and kept as much pace as I could with my lumbering Bullet. The flimsy indicators were vibrating all over the place and looked almost like someone bolted them on just because they had to. Added to it, the tail lamp integration is the worst design principle lately. I initially thought the integration was at worst, slightly difficult to comprehend. I was wrong. It is IMPOSSIBLE to see the indicators when the brakes are applied and the brake lights come on. Stupid design not just by RE but by many car makers too who follow this trend mindlessly. IMO it doesn't even look cool either.
In Will Smith's voice, "Keep your indicators out of the tail lamps!".
All things considered, I might just upgrade to the next segment altogether and go for a dual cylinder Inty or something else using that mill.

[drive.helios]

I have just got back to riding after a hiatus of 6 years and my partner just picked up riding and is showing interest to continue. We own a 2014 Classic 350, and new bike is soon becoming a necessity as the vibrations on this is making our life difficult. Writing this comment in the middle of a 800+ km ride helping my partner gain road experience.

We test drove the guerrilla and she came back liking it. Hence, voted for guerrilla though I may learn towards the triumph scrambler 400x. The guerrilla rides nothing like a royal Enfield, and that infact is a good reason. Also like the comfortable ride height. However the rear design seems just an after thought. Integrated tail lamp and indicators, when a lot of people don't even realise the existence of them or look at them and then have them vibrate? shiver? What even is RE thinking.

This makes me lean towards the scrambler 400x. The 835mm ride height is the only immediately worry given I am still not confident to handle such heights after my accident and recovery and how soon my partner will pickup long distance riding.

It might be worth to skip this range and look at the 650s, liked the shotgun but poor GC, liked the Bear650 but the weight and the 820mm seat height. The struggle of being short riders