This Custom-Built ATV Is A Royal Enfield Himalayan Underneath

Two wheels good, for wheels... better?

Dustin Wheelen

By: Dustin Wheelen

Mar 10, 2021 at 1:56pm ET

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India’s Kunwar Customs builds bespoke Benellis, Triumphs, and Jawas, but the custom shop specializes in Royal Enfields. From bobbers to scramblers, from Thunderbirds to Bullets, Kunwar Customs knows its way around an Enfield. The shop proved as much when it transplanted a Himalayan engine into a custom-built ATV.

The Himalayan’s air-cooled, 411cc engine musters 24.5 horsepower and 23.6 lb-ft of torque in stock form. For an ATV application, Kunwar cranked up the torque with a larger rear sprocket, so we doubt the horsepower figure holds true either. Aside from the powerplant, the Himalayan also donated the lower section of its frame, transmission, and chainset.

The shop keeps things in the family by migrating a set of handlebars and the instrument cluster over from a Royal Enfield Thunderbird. The builders also fashioned the gas tank out of metal instead of plastic and slapped on a few Royal Enfield decals to amplify the synergy.

Machine-cut alloy wheels and Zhongya ATV tires take on anything the trail can throw at them. Dual gas-charged shocks forward and a monoshock aft also eat up the turbulent terrain. Disc brakes at the front and rear bring the ATV to a halt and LEDs light the way.

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While the Himalayan ATV was built for fun, Kunwar Customs also adds a touch of pragmatism with the luggage rack and passenger seats. The pillions accommodate up to three passengers or can be removed for additional carrying capacity. The safety of piling four people onto an off-road vehicle with no seat belts may be debatable, but it can be very practical if done responsibly.

Kunwar Customs reports that the build took nearly three months to complete and cost ₹350,000 ($4,804 USD). That’s a considerable amount of dough for a closed-course vehicle, as India doesn’t allow ATV on public roadways. However, we can’t deny that we’d love to ride the Himalayan-powered ATV regardless.