We got a chance to hone our track riding skills by attending a California Superbike School session at the MMRT in Chennai.
Story: Azaman Chothia
Photography: Aditya Bedre
Back in 2019, I attended a California Superbike School (CSS) session and it was the first time I got to ride on a racetrack. It was an extremely insightful experience where I got to learn a lot about the art of riding on the track and came back as a more mature and composed rider. Although, last time around, I only completed Level 1 and Level 2 of the course. When the opportunity for Level 1 to 3 presented itself this time around, I was eager to go back and further hone my skills. Since 2019, I have been able to attend many track day events and also take part in a couple of media races with all of the learnings. So, coming back to CSS as an experienced rider was a whole different experience.
For my track sessions, I was going to use an RC 390 that KTM India was kind enough to lend me. I have always wanted to spend more time with the RC 390 on track so this was the perfect opportunity to do so as we would be spending three full days riding at the MMRT in Chennai. The RC 390 was also the perfect upgrade considering that I had used a TVS Apache RTR 200 for the session in 2019. Siddharth Trivellore, son of the man who brought CSS to India, TT Varadarajan, was the coach who would be assisting me with the on-track drills.
Each Level of training has five drills, each of which includes a classroom session, followed by a track session, and finally a feedback session from the on-track instructor. Riders were divided into three groups so there was a smooth flow that kept all the students busy throughout the day. The first drill that we covered was ‘Throttle Control’. It is extremely important to be smooth and consistent with the throttle of the motorcycle to avoid irreversible mistakes. This is emphasized by the instructors and considering that this was the very first drill of Level 1, all riders were instructed to use only one gear and no brakes to navigate their way around the track. As the day progressed, we were allowed to use more controls with each drill making us more confident. The other drills in Level 1 included Turn Points, Quick Turning, Rider Input, and Two-Step Turning. All these basic but vital drills familiarize a rider with the layout of the track and prepare us for the vision drills that are in store for us the next day. The classroom sessions were very insightful as we were given detailed explanations including the physics of a motorcycle and how different rider inputs affect the behaviour of the motorcycle.
On the second day of training, we started our day with a very important drill called ‘Reference Points’. This is where we are made to analyze different markers around the circuit that ultimately give us a better idea of each corner on the track. The three other vision drills that followed were The Three Step, Wide View, and Wide View Transitions. All of these vision drills help a rider focus more on their surroundings and I feel like this is one of the most important drills that helps a rider get faster out on track. Considering that I have visited MMRT quite a few times now, I used this time to search for more markers to improve on the lines that I was using and also work on my speed while exiting corners. Siddharth would follow me out on track and quickly pass by to instruct me when necessary. In these sessions, I felt really confident hitting my markers lap after lap and feeling more in sync with the motorcycle. The day ended with a braking drill which prepared us for Level 3 which is said to be the most strenuous day of training.
I was looking forward to this part of training the most as I had not got to cover it in my previous stint at the school. Body position on the motorcycle is something that I have just watched and tried to figure out on my own. Drills like Pick-Up, Hip Flick, Hook-Turns, and Knee-to-Knee were a tremendous help as they were properly explained to a level where you can apply it in a simple manner, and feel the magic happen under you. The drill that I took back the most from has to be Hook-Turns and I can’t wait to go back and practice this during my next outing on track.
While I thoroughly enjoyed all three days of training at CSS, what made it even better was my coach, Siddharth helping me with more advanced techniques which I had questions about, and also making sure he encouraged me with every passing session. It is never too late to learn the basics of riding a motorcycle and one should make sure they are doing it the right way. During my session in 2019, I was just focusing on understanding the basics of riding on a track, but coming back with experience was even better as I could work on my weaknesses and unlock more pace in the process. I would surely recommend this school to anyone beginning their journey with motorcycles. I can’t wait to come back for the more personalized Level 4 of training in the near future and learn even more about where I can improve.
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