If you are considering either of these motorcycles, chances are you are also considering the other, especially since they both cost about the same. After the Triumph 400cc bikes were downsized, the Tracker 400 now uses a 349cc engine, while the Guerrilla 450 Apex is a sportier variant with more aggressive ergonomics and grippy, road-focused tyres, which I think suit the bike much better than those on the earlier variant.
On paper, the Tracker makes 40hp and 32Nm, while the Guerrilla produces 40.02hp and 40Nm. The Triumph is a lighter, more compact motorcycle, while the Royal Enfield has a larger engine with more torque and offers a stable, planted feel. So, which one makes more sense for someone looking for a sporty, entertaining roadster?
Design and Features
Both motorcycles have very different visual identities, and that is probably the first thing you’ll notice. The Tracker 400 is inspired by flat-track racers, with a flat seat, side number boards and a wide handlebar. But this isn’t really a dirt-track-focussed motorcycle underneath, as its ergonomics, chassis and suspension are properly road-oriented.
The Guerrilla 450 Apex, meanwhile, looks like a sporty and muscular roadster. Compared to the standard variant, it gets a small cowl over the headlight, a new aluminium handlebar, a removable rear-seat cowl and Vredestein Centauro ST+ tyres. The Apex also has a leaned-forward, more committed riding position compared with the standard Guerrilla.
The Tracker is a relatively compact motorcycle, while the Guerrilla’s longer 1,440mm wheelbase and broad 160-section rear tyre give it a more substantial stance. The Triumph gets a larger 13-litre fuel tank compared with the Guerrilla’s 11-litre unit, which can be tedious when long-distance touring.
Both motorcycles are equally impressive when it comes to build quality and fit and finish. The Tracker features the same digi-analogue console we have seen on all the other Triumph 400 models, while the Guerrilla features the same TFT unit from the Himalayan. The Guerrilla gets two riding modes (Sport and Street), both of which feel quite similar. On the other hand, the Tracker gets a switchable traction control system that the Guerrilla misses out on. Neither has a quickshifter. In terms of convenience, the Guerrilla has a more accessible 780mm seat height and also gets a main stand, which aids in easier chain maintenance.
There is also a difference in ergonomics. The Tracker’s seat is flat and the riding position is relatively sporty, with rear-set footpegs that suit the character of the bike. The Guerrilla Apex has a lower and more accessible 780mm seat and roadster-like, neutral-set footpegs, along with a committed upper-body position. Between the two, you sit on top of the Tracker with its flat seat, while on the Guerrilla, you sit inside the curved seat, and it is also the more comfortable of the two.
Performance and Fuel Economy
This is where things get interesting because the Tracker 400’s 349cc engine is 103cc smaller than the Guerrilla’s 452cc unit, yet peak power is almost identical. The Triumph produces 40hp at 8,750rpm and 32Nm at 7,500rpm, while the Royal Enfield makes 40.02hp at 8,000rpm. Of course, the difference comes in torque, where the RE makes a much healthier 40Nm at 5,500rpm.
The difference in torque delivery is immediately noticeable. The Tracker’s engine likes to be revved out, but you still have to work it quite a bit. The Guerrilla’s Sherpa engine has a different personality. It doesn’t need to be worked as hard, and the additional 8Nm gives it much stronger roll-on performance. It feels more raw and powerful as soon as you open the throttle, and the surge in power after 6,000rpm makes it feel really exciting. After 7,000rpm, there are some vibrations, but nothing that really ruins the riding experience.
The Tracker’s shorter-stroke engine is very refined at moderate engine speeds, but once you start revving it harder, some buzz makes its way into the tank and footpegs at the top end of the rev range. It remains an entertaining engine, but considering I have ridden the older 398cc Thruxton 400, I feel like it misses out on that initial torque kick.
In our performance tests, the Guerrilla completed the 0-100kph sprint in 6.34 seconds, while the Tracker took 7.55 seconds for the same, marking a difference of 1.21 seconds. The real difference in performance was more visible in the roll-on acceleration tests where the Guerrilla 450 Apex was notably quicker.
Fuel efficiency was almost on par in our tests, where the Tracker delivered 24.1kpl in the city and 31.71kpl on the highway, while the Guerrilla gave us 25.23kpl in the city and 32.82kpl on the highway. The Triumph’s 13-litre tank will give it a better range despite the marginally lower highway efficiency.
Ride and Handling
The biggest difference between these two motorcycles becomes apparent once the road starts to twist. The Guerrilla feels longer and heavier and needs a bit of muscling around, but once in a corner, it is extremely stable and planted. The grip offered by the Vredestein tyres is superb and inspires a lot of confidence. The Tracker, on the other hand, feels light, nimble and very easy to flick into corners, thanks to its shorter wheelbase and the leverage offered by the wide handlebars. Its blocky MRF tyres work well, but given how it rides more like a sporty roadster rather than a tracker, stickier tyres would have been a better choice.
While many might be disappointed about the Guerrilla 450 Apex not getting a USD fork, the suspension does work much better than the Tracker’s over bad roads and undulations. The setup feels plusher than the Tracker, which has a quicker rebound that can toss you up if you hit potholes at higher speeds.
Despite the Triumph being the more compact motorcycle, I felt like it was easier to filter through traffic on the Guerrilla, and that is because the Triumph has slightly wider handlebars and mirrors that jut out slightly more. I do remember my time spent with the Guerrilla on a go-kart track, and it was genuinely a lot of fun. The tyres kept up with the performance that the engine offers, and it was a blast to exploit the full capabilities of the bike. The only limitation was the footpegs, which kept scraping when the bike was leaned over. That said, this was never a problem out on the road.
Braking hardware is strong on both. The Tracker gets a 300mm front disc with a four-piston radial ByBre caliper, while the Guerrilla uses a 310mm front disc and 270mm rear disc. The Guerrilla stopped marginally quicker in our braking test from 60-0kph, but I did notice that the ABS intervention can be strong when emergency braking from higher speeds.
Price and Verdict
These two motorcycles are closer than their engine capacities suggest. The Tracker proves that you don’t need a large engine to make for a fun roadster. Its 349cc motor makes almost as much peak power as the Guerrilla, and its compact dimensions, wide handlebar and sporty chassis make it an engaging motorcycle on a twisty road.
The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Apex, however, takes a more muscular approach. Its 452cc engine has substantially more torque, the Vredestein tyres give it a level of grip that suits its performance, and the longer wheelbase also gives it a reassuring planted character, particularly when you’re riding quickly.
They offer two distinct interpretations of the sporty modern roadster. The Tracker’s biggest strength is its agility. It feels smaller, lighter and more eager to change direction quickly. The Guerrilla’s strength is the breadth of its performance. There’s more torque, more road presence and a greater sense of stability when you’re pushing it. And that is ultimately what separates them. The Triumph is the more playful motorcycle, thanks to its nimble nature, while the Guerrilla Apex feels like a more serious attempt at turning the standard roadster into a proper performance-oriented, corner-carving machine.
While it is difficult to pick between these two motorcycles, considering that they do things in different ways, you can’t look past the value that the Guerrilla offers. Despite falling into the 40 percent GST bracket, its starting price is just Rs 10,000 more than that of the Tracker.
To put things into perspective, the KTM 390 Duke R, which used to be the benchmark for affordable and accessible performance when its Gen 1 model was launched in India, is now priced at Rs 3.45 lakh (ex-showroom), taking its on-road price upwards of Rs 4 lakh. So the way I see it, the Guerrilla 450 Apex is now the new benchmark when it comes to affordable performance in India. Who’d have ever thought that the crown would one day be worn by a Royal Enfield.
Dinshaw Magol
Rishaad Mody
