This Gorgeous New Motorcycle Could Change How You Feel About Off-Roading

Complete with Royal Enfield’s most excellent small-displacement engine, the FT450 is a slide school sensation.

Published June 26, 2025

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Updated 5 hours ago

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Ever since I test-rode a bloody good Continental GT 650 several years ago, I’ve been rather enamored with Royal Enfield, the little British/Indian moto brand that could.

The love affair has since extended to several other bikes, including the Himalayan Scram 411, Super Meteor 650 and Guerrilla 450, which you’ll hear more about upon its US release later this summer.

royal enfield ft450 beauty — The FT450 is essentially a Guerrilla 450 optimized for flat track riding — and racing.

The latter is particularly interesting as a showcase for the brand’s best small-displacement engine to date: the liquid-cooled, high-revving Sherpa 450, which debuted in the Himalayan 450 and has recently surfaced in a captivating new bike.

Dubbed the FT450, it’s currently exclusive to the brand’s Slide School, where everyday motorcyclists can learn to drift on dirt like professional flat track racers.

(Yes, FT stands for Flat Track.)

Slide or die

Having attended a Slide School session myself in upstate New York a few years ago, I can’t recommend it enough.

First and foremost, you get professional instruction in the technique required to make high-speed sliding turns on dirt.

royal enfield ft450 full — Slide School will not only make you a better dirt rider but also a better road rider.

But what may be even more beneficial is, the lessons you learn will serve you well during any kind of off-road riding — and make you a smarter, safe road motorcyclist as well.

At the time I attended, classes were conducted using the brand’s beloved adventure motorcycle, the Himalayan. Now, for the first time ever, you get to ride a flat track-focused bike.

Dirt devil

To build the FT450, Royal Enfield basically took its scrappy little roadster, the Guerrilla 450, and optimized it for flat track.

Step one was mounting 19-inch wheels, custom-made hubs strung to black rims with stainless steel spokes.

royal enfield ft450 engine — Perhaps the only thing prettier than the Sherpa 450 engine’s looks is how it sounds when you fire it up.

As the bike is not at all intended to be street-legal, the headlight gets swapped out for a number plate.

The handlebars get widened and you may notice they’re a bit cleaner too. That’s because while you do have a clutch lever on the left, the front brake lever you’d normally find on the right has been removed.

royal enfield ft450 lineup — The right side of the handlebar is as clean as can be. (Front brakes are overrated anyway, right??)

(Trust me, going to slide school will make you very familiar with the capabilities of your rear brake, if you are not already.)

Additionally, the bike gets a flat track body kit designed to boost its maneuverability on dirt, as well as a racing-themed livery that extends to the fuel tank.

royal enfield ft450 action — The FT450’s stainless steel exhaust is sure to give the engine a distinctive howl.

At the heart of it all is that bitchin’ little Sherpa engine, a 452cc power plant making 40 horsepower at 8,000 RPM and nearly 30 ft-lbs of torque at 5,500 RPM.

A new stainless steel racing exhaust, FuelX ignition and fuel controllers give it a raw, visceral attitude to match the dirt-centric vibe.

Availability and pricing

Right now the only way to experience the Royal Enfield FT450 is to sign up for Slide School, which starts at $300.

Click here for more info, including dates and locations — and cross your fingers Royal Enfield starts planning a street-legal version.

Royal Enfield FT450

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About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.