2017 Honda One Make Media Race - Life In Fast Lane

If you like motorcycles, then it is inevitable to have a soft spot for racetracks. For me, the tarmac is a blank canvas on which a biker gets to develop and showcase his craft. A racetrack is where you can push your limits without having to worry about running into other motorists or traffic. For a biker, it’s also the place for never-ending learning.

My first ever media race was at a TVS event last year (Also Read - TVS Apache RTR200 Media Race - Living the dream). It was an enthralling experience though I can’t quite say the same about my race result. But ever since, I have been itching to get back to the hallowed racetrack. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t long, with an invitation for the Honda One Make Media Race in Chennai coming my way this July . What I was most excited  about was a training programme that was to be conducted before the actual race! I packed my kit and headed to Chennai for the three days of fun and learning that awaited me.

Warming Up:

A delayed midnight flight meant I reached my hotel in Chennai at 4am. With hardly any sleep, at 10am I was at MMRT (Madras Motor Race Track) in Irungattukottai on the outskirts of Chennai. Was I sleepy and tired? Yes. Was I complaining? Hell no, I was as excited as a teenager out on his first date! Our chief trainer was Ramji Govindarajan, the man who has shaped the careers of many budding Indian riders racing in the international stage with his Ten10 Racing Team in association with Honda. 

The first session was all theory, comprising the basics of riding a bike, including braking, cornering and steering. Getting the braking spot on is crucial for a fast lap and we were asked to mark out our braking points and only use the front brakes to load up the bike properly before entering a corner. The next step was understanding cornering, what should be the turn-in and exit point out of the corner, and how counter steering helps a rider. Ramji also ran us through the circuit layout and gave us tips on how to tackle the different corners.

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Post the theory session, it was time to gear up and head to the pits. Our ride for the media race was the Honda CBR150R race bike. The engine on the bike was close to the stock bike but the fairing and rear section were completely redesigned, with the headlight, tail lamp and turn indicators being removed. The exhaust was replaced with a lighter free-flow unit while the footpegs were positioned back and crafted from aluminium for further weight savings and more aggressive riding posture. A thin strip of foam has replaced the large comfortable saddle of the street-spec bike and it has been equipped with soft compound MRF Revz S tyres. The race bike is almost 13kg lighter than the stock bike, which meant it had better acceleration and top speed. Also Read - Honda To Update CBR Twins With BS-IV Compliance

As I thumbed the starter button, the CBR150R roared to life and I grinned under my visor. We were asked to follow the Ten10 Racing racers in fourth gear and get a feel of the track rather than riding fast. After familiarising myself with the bike and the track layout, I started following Rajiv Sethu and following his lines made a world of difference as I was riding smoother. The track session lasted only 30 minutes; ‘this should be easy peasy,’ I thought to myself. What I hadn’t factored in was the melting Chennai heat that left me exhausted as I walked towards the briefing room post the session. Riding on the racetrack is fun but also physically demanding. You have got to be physically fit to squeeze out the maximum from the bike.

Getting Into The Groove

The second session threw up even more reality checks as Ramji shared his feedback with each of the riders. He also gave us tips about throttle control and making swift gear changes. I learnt that on the track redlining the motor is a waste as you end up losing precious time. Post this session, champion racer Sarath Kumar showed us the correct riding posture on a race bike and it was a startling revelation for me. I realised that all this while my riding posture was completely wrong -- the correct style involves pushing as far back as possible while locking the tank with just your knees for better weight distribution on the bike.

Tucking under the windscreen plays a vital role in reducing drag, thereby increasing straight line speed, while the elbow should be in line with the tank and not bent. We were given 15 minutes more on the track and asked to apply the learnings of the day and I must admit, I was feeling more comfortable on the bike by applying the tips. Being comfortable on a motorcycle is essential for a fast lap time as going fast feels more natural. We were asked to mark out our braking and turn-in points and this helped me significantly as I could brake in much later while exiting corners faster.

As the day came to an end, there was one last but vital learning session left and that was crash management. Crashing is natural and you only improve when you push yourself out of the comfort zone, and falling from the bike makes you understand your limit. What would you do in case you are ever caught in a crash scenario? Try to limit damage by forcibly stopping a slide, right? Wrong! Ramji’s advice is to never forcibly break the momentum. If you fall, continue sliding or else you could risk breaking a bone. We were also asked to cross our hands on our chest while sliding so as to save our shoulders and offer less resistance while sliding. Last but not the least, never close your eyes in the event of a crash as you have to be alert of your surroundings. If you fall on the tarmac, try your best to get off it. Also, if you think you have hurt yourself badly, don’t move until the paramedics arrive, to prevent potential injuries from worsening.

Upping The Ante

The second day began with a practice session of close to 20 minutes. This was our opportunity to go banzai before qualifying. I wasn’t in the best of shape as my legs were aching thanks to the previous day’s training session. But this wasn’t a time to get caught up with the excuses my body was making; this was more about listening to my heart and it just wanted to ride more. I went about improving my timing with each passing lap. In this hot pursuit, I entered the final corner too fast and hit a small bump which resulted in me going off the track. Luckily for me, I was able to regain control and after some grass cutting was able to rejoin the track safely. My best time was 2:29:789, which meant I was the fifth fastest rider among the 12 participants. Was I happy with my performance? Absolutely not, as only 1.5 seconds differentiated me from Manav, who qualified third, and I knew I had to fight hard in qualifying.

We were welcomed with cloudy skies as we reached MMRT in the morning for our qualifying session. Some riders were hoping it didn’t rain as riding in the wet tarmac can be a handful. I, on the other hand, was hoping for some rains as my extra weight, which normally works against me, could work for me in wet conditions since the rear tyre will have more load on it and offer better grip. Sadly, the rain gods weren’t on my side and the qualifying session started on dry tarmac. I exited the pits last, so as to maintain a gap between other riders and myself and not affect my qualifying lap. I was able to post two clean laps and qualified fourth with a fastest lap of 2:27:255. I was pleased to have shaved off around 2.5 seconds but then even my rivals had improved.  This wasn’t going to be an easy race.

Show Time

I was nervous as I placed the Honda CBR150R on the second row of the starting grid. My only focus was to get a good start and try my best to finish on podium. The tachometer was buzzing at 9,000rpm as I dumped the clutch and shot off the line with a small wheelie as the lights went off. Yay! I had made a good start but my glee was short lived as I saw Manav, who had qualified fifth, power ahead of  me. He had an unfair advantage and that was my damn weight! I safely made through the first set of corners, and ahead of me Gavin (who qualified 3rd) and Manav were locked in a fierce battle for third.

In my pursuit to catch up with the battle for third place, I committed some stupid mistakes under pressure and this gave them a sizeable lead over me. My worries weren’t over as Jehan was hot on my tail and I could hear his bike buzzing on many occasions. I was riding a tight line to fend him off and it worked as he tried to pass me under braking but ran wide and I was able to magnify my lead over him.

Despite my best efforts, I knew it was futile to fight with Gavin and Manav as they were seriously ahead of me and I slowed down my pace marginally to finish the race safely. I crossed the finish line in fifth position, disappointed with myself. I lost the media race but went home with a ton of learnings and, of course, the motivation to improve my fitness. I am hoping to return next year and better my previous best lap time of 2:26:627 lap time... at least by a few seconds.

As for all of you bikers out there, I urge you to attend a riding school at least once. It will make you a better and safer rider while making you faster, too. A fair warning though- riding on the race track is seriously addictive!

Photography Credit - Srinivasa Krishnan / Parakram Hazarika