Motoring Pulse

I see the arrival of the Honda Rebel 300 as the arrival of someone important - yes, I said someone, not something. Someone whose significance we don’t yet fully realise. It’s like the coming of a new teacher whose knowledge and teaching methods change the fortunes of a class for good. Like a new friend who goes on to be cherished forever. Like the joining of a new team member whose skills were not yet known to be missed but they were!

This comparison between the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex and the Triumph Speed 400 (350cc) is more important than many people might realise. Although the Guerrilla is RE’s second motorcycle with the 452cc liquid-cooled engine, it still is the company’s first ever liquid-cooled engine so far. And it’s going up against a company that has decades of experience in building one, even though the Speed 400 is part of a completely new platform.

For a company so proud to embrace its legacy, the Guerrilla 450 comes across as something even more invigorating and distinctive than the Himalayan 450 - the motorcycle it’s based on. This whole platform is an entirely new direction from what Royal Enfield has traditionally built its reputation on. It’s a direction towards an exciting future. This one you see in the pictures is the Guerrilla 450 Apex, the new version of the Guerrilla 450.

Revered as the motorcycle brand that is in continuous production for the longest time, the Bullet is the most original representation of Royal Enfield as a motorcycle manufacturer. It is the company’s purest expression of a motorcycle. And Royal Enfield has finally understood how to make it genuinely better in the way it deserves. The Bullet is twining again on a whole new level. And it's doing it in a manner it has never done before.

The Super Meteor 650 is what began Royal Enfield’s second chassis platform which soon expanded with the Shotgun 650 and then the Classic 650. The Super Meteor 650 continues to use the same 650cc parallel-twin air-oil-cooled engine with an SOHC architecture and 4-valve for each cylinder. It produces 47 PS of power at 7,250 RPM and 52,3 NM of torque at 5,650 RPM.

Classic 650 is the most powerful Classic that Royal Enfield has ever made. The motorcycle uses the same 650cc parallel-twin air-oil-cooled engine present in the rest of the 650cc motorcycles and uses a modified version of Shotgun 650’s chassis.

Bullet is the personification of Royal Enfield. It’s something proven by the fact that it is the longest running motorcycle and in continuous production since its debut in 1932. In its lifetime so far, the Bullet has had several versions with the original Cast Iron engine, the UCE (Unit Construction Engine), and presently, the J-series engine.

The current generation Classic 350 is the second generation, which was originally launched in 2009. As of 2026, the Classic 350 has turned into a refined product delivering a sorted riding experience. It is powered by RE’s latest J-series 350cc air-oil-cooled, single-cylinder, SOHC, 2-valve engine producing 20.2 BHP of power @ 6,100 RPM and 27 NM of torque @ 4,000 RPM.

The Guerrilla 450 is a modern-retro roadster based on the Himalayan 450 platform. It’s powered by the same 452cc liquid-cooled, short-stroke engine with DOHC and a 4-valve head, churning out 40 PS of power at 8,000 RPM and 40 NM of torque at 5,500 RPM. The chassis is carried-over as well but modified for a more dynamic and sportier handling characteristics.

The Himalayan 450 is Royal Enfield’s second-generation Himalayan launched in 2024 on an entirely new platform. The bike is powered by a brand new 452cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-valve, short-stroke engine (84mm bore x 81.5mm stroke), producing 40 PS of power at 8,000 RPM and 40 NM of torque at 5,500 RPM.

Royal Enfield is presently making 14 different motorcycles between 350cc and 650cc - this is the widest segmentation in RE’s lineup ever. And those 14 motorcycles are based on four varieties of engines - a 350cc air-cooled single, a 443cc air/oil-cooled single, a 452cc liquid-cooled single, and a 650cc air/oil-cooled parallel twin.

Royal Enfield has today launched the Classic 650 in India at a starting price of INR 3,37,000 ex-showroom (which goes up to INR 3,50,000).

Is the 2024 Himalayan the best motorcycle that Royal Enfield has made so far? It very well might be the one...

Why does the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 outsells the Honda CB350 RS and the Harley Davidson X440 even when it’s not the best? Find out here…

Harley Davidson and Hero Motocorp have launched their first motorcycle, X440, in India. Should Royal Enfield and Honda CB350 worry?

Triumph and Bajaj have launched their first motorcycles; Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X in India at an incredible price. Read more...

Royal Enfield's 2023 Continental GT and Interceptor are here with significant updates, that make them more modern and premium. Read more...

Royal Enfield unveils its first cruiser, Super Meteor, powered by the 650cc parallel twin engine from the Interceptor & the Continental GT.

Royal Enfield Himalayan has shed some bulk, gets smaller front wheel, new console, colors, and becomes a Scrambler!

Royal Enfield has launched the all-new 2022 Classic 350 powered by the J-series 350cc single cylinder engine. Read more.