Have you ever wondered what Dr. Victor Frankenstein would’ve felt like in a world that didn’t fully understand his passion and obsession with his work? Ricochet Motorcycles’ Devashish Sharma always reminds me of him. Every time we’ve met or spoken on a call, he has always been working on something that’s great to love as a concept but almost always terrifying to ride, and this time, he introduced me to Two Face — a turbocharged, bored-out Royal Enfield Continental GT.
It was dark when I showed up at his place. The ‘mad’ scientist had this spark in his eyes as he walked me to his creation…his Prometheus. While my mind was still comprehending what this young guy had been working on for the last 10 months out of a small workshop in Pune, he casually mentioned that the Two Face makes 95 bhp — that’s the over twice the power of the stock Conti. But he wasn’t done with it yet… this bike was still a ‘work in progress’ for him with his target set at 100 horses. And while saying that, he rolled out the monster and my heart skipped a beat.
Anyone who sees Two Face will gasp, take a step back, and wonder if it was even the right thing to do. After all, it’s not every day that you see a big Garrett turbo staring at you. And it’s just not the turbo itself but how exhaust pipes wrap around the engine. While I was completely zoned out looking at the turbo, Devashish initiated start up procedure — key on the left side under the tank, followed by engaging the toggle switch to prime the fuel pump and then the starter button, both on the right side under the tank.
As the beast came to life, my senses snapped back. I had expected an ungodly sound from that bike; instead, my ears were treated to a refined soundtrack from the bespoke twin exhausts. Off we went, chasing the first light, with Devashish astride Two Face and me on his custom Interceptor 865. With every burst of acceleration, I could see him disappear, making it almost impossible to catch up with him unless he slowed down.
We escaped the city, reached a secluded spot where Ricochet’s creation wouldn’t scare anyone; a place where it could be away from people who wouldn’t understand what it represented. Even the sun chose to hide behind the clouds rather than facing Two Face. But the gloomy sky couldn’t hide this beast anymore.
It crouched low and taut, like a predator waiting to pounce. And just like Dr. Frankenstein, Devashish scoured the world to find the right parts for this build. The headlight, for starters, is off a 2022 Ducati Monster, and the USD forks are borrowed from a Benelli TNT 600i but with custom internal progressive springs and rest in a custom triple tree. Even the calipers are from a TNT 600i, but are now paired to discs and alloy wheels of a Harley-Davidson Street Rod 750. Devashish then meticulously crafted some of the bodywork, including the machined clip-ons and footpegs. But this alone wouldn’t satiate the obsession of this fever-driven innovator.
With a turbo and a big-bore kit, Devashish was making a beast stitched together from the finest organs he could source. The 865 cc S&S pistons and high lift cams became its oversized heart valves, the Kevlar clutch plates its reinforced sinews, while the hydraulic clutch and master cylinder from Malaysia-based Racing Boy pulsed like new arteries. But bringing this creation to life wasn’t going to be easy, so Devashish roped in Race Concepts and Race Dynamics to set up the turbo and build a custom ECU that would not blow up the engine into smithereens but blow the soul out of anyone daring to face the Creature… and now it was my time.
With a deep breath, I started the bike, only for Devashish to inform me that fourth gear at 4000 rpm is when the turbo will kick in. I looked at the small gauge on the handle — it was only for boost. Realising my dilemma, the creator smiled and said, ‘You’ll know when the turbo kicks in’.
Thankfully, I was no stranger to his creations, so I knew what to expect… almost. Having ridden his other 865s, I braced myself for the acceleration, hugging the tank as tightly as my legs could. Despite all the changes on the bike, it didn’t feel like some shabby engineering project. There was no rattling, the suspension actually worked, and if given the chance, I wouldn’t mind riding it to work… a perspective that changed just a few minutes later.
In the first three gears, it felt like one of his ‘regular’ builds — it was quick and smooth, but not scary. Soon, I was in the fourth cog and seeing no traffic ahead, I dared to take it beyond 4000 rpm. How did I know that? Because everything around became a blur, I clung onto the clip-ons like my life depended on it, and the Motoring crew in the car behind me just disappeared.
Did I hear the turbo spool? Maybe. Or was it my ears numbing after a sudden burst of air into the helmet? I was panting. But I didn’t really have the time to process what had just happened. Because slowing down was equally important after a sprint like that, and though the brakes did the best they could, they definitely won’t be enough if one chooses to go all gung-ho. As I slowed down, and once the traffic caught up at the signal, I could feel everyone peering into my and Two Face’s soul. Of course, it didn’t belong on the road.
Where did it belong, then? On a racetrack? Maybe not. As much as the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIs tried and held onto the tarmac, I wouldn’t dare be in a situation where the turbo engages mid-corner. A drag strip, perhaps? Sure. There won’t be anything in its category that’d come even close to achieving the 250-kph top speed it can currently do. That number frightened you as much as it excited you, didn’t it?
It should. It surely scared me, but unlike Victor, Devashish wasn’t petrified of what he had done. In fact, he jokingly calls himself a collector of oxymorons — the first being the lightest-ever Harley and now, the fastest Royal Enfield.
We pulled over near his workshop. As I got off the smoldering-hot bike, I reminded myself that I was a first-hand witness to something as extraordinary as this turbocharged Continental GT 865. But this was no cheap thrill either — Devashish poured roughly ` 12 lakh into the build, with the turbo setup alone costing ` 2.5 lakh. As I took one last look at the bike, I realised I’d stared down someone’s obsession forged into metal. Victor Frankenstein feared his Creature. Devashish Sharma only smiles at his. And in that grin lies the terrifying, beautiful truth — the Prometheus on two wheels is alive, and it will never go back to sleep.
