We took part in a masterclass in motorcycle drifting at the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 Drift Clinic held in Chennai. Here is a brief guide to the first step into the world of motorcycle drifting
Story: Anvay Mahajan
Photography: Gaurav Davare
Some moments stay with you forever—like that wobbly first attempt at cycling. For me, after a long time, it was my first time drifting a motorcycle and not just any bike, a Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450.
Royal Enfield hosted the Guerrilla 450 Drift Clinic at the Red Bull Moto Jam, a one-hour workshop offering training and hands-on drifting experience. Drifting takes years to perfect, but Royal Enfield gave us a solid introduction to the skill. Let me give you a brief introduction to this.
Lesson One: Safety First
Before drifting, always wear protective gear: helmet, gloves, riding jacket, pants with knee-guards, and boots are MANDATORY. The capitals stress their importance. I fell a few times during training, but I stayed safe thanks to the gear.
Lesson Two: Get Comfortable with the Motorcycle
I was nervous before my first drift—could I do it? What if I slipped the clutch and hit the barriers? These thoughts swirled in my head. I had never ridden the Guerrilla 450 before, so the instructor gave me five to six minutes to get familiar with the motorcycle. They made me practise feeling the clutch release, which really boosted my confidence.
Lesson Three: Practise in a Safe and Controlled Environment
Drifting is a risky sport—never attempt it on public roads. Always practise in a controlled, closed environment with professionals nearby to ensure safety if something goes wrong.
With these lessons learnt, I was ready for my first attempt. We found the centre spot in the stunt arena for our trial. The first step towards drifting is burnout. The trainer held the handlebar of the Guerrilla 450 firmly with one hand on the key to switch the bike off. He then asked me to twist the throttle till about 4,000 rpm with the front brake applied as tightly as possible. I was asked to put my whole weight on the front tyre and the right foot on the foot-peg, ready to apply the brake should something go wrong.
During my initial attempts, I released the clutch gradually and did not hold the brake tightly enough, which caused the bike to roll forwards instead of burnout. Eventually, I got the hang of it and found the sweet spot—finally managing to get the tyre to burnout. Just as I was getting comfortable, the trainer upped the game by asking me to loosen the front brake and push the bike, initiating the bike’s first real drift.
Once again, I had a few tumbles before finding that sweet spot. By the time I pulled off my first proper drift, I was drenched in sweat. Drifting a motorcycle is no easy feat—it’s physically demanding, especially in Chennai’s sweltering heat. After managing a few solid drifts lasting seven to eight seconds, the trainers advised me to take a break, seeing how exhausted I had become.
I couldn’t have been happier—one more task ticked off my bucket list. And if someone from Royal Enfield happens to read this, consider this my official request: please call me back. I’m hooked and I’m eager to learn more!
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