BORED-OUT BRATS

The Ice Queen and Donali are the most un-Royal Enfields that we have experienced

- Manaal Mahatme

When was the last time you experienced a Royal Enfield that was eager to get its front wheel off the ground? Never, right? Well, Pune-based Ricochet Motorcycles' Donali will change that perception. And while we are at it, Donali's sibling the Ice Queen will have you laughing maniacally in the helmet.

Donali in Hindi stands for a double-barrelled gun, and this supermoto/scrambler contraption shoots from a standstill like a bullet. That's because Devashish, the man who runs the show at Ricochet, has used S&S Cycle's 865cc big-bore kit and high-lift cams, backed by a Powertronics piggyback ECU with a custom map. And for it to breathe better, there's a BMC air filter, and a 2-into-1-into-2 exhaust developed in-house. Just so that you don't shy away from using all of that extra performance, Devashish has equipped the bike with a quick throttle.

Every time I got off a signal, I could feel the front end lighten up, and yet I don't recall going easy on the throttle, ever. It was as if Devashish was the devil, who tempted me and that Royal Enfield to embrace our inner demons. But there was a method to Devashish's madness.

For better control over the motorcycle, the ergonomics have been altered. Donali flaunts a custom mount for the handlebar borrowed from the Himalayan. Then there's the custom, Scrambler-style bench seat which is designed in a way that I could still get my feet down despite the increased seat height. And finally, there's custom ADV-style pegs machined from billet aluminium.