New Bike Specifications

Monsoon clouds are giving way to clear skies but leaving behind lush green landscapes with seasonal waterfalls here and there. It’s the right time to appreciate Mother Nature before the scene changes. Just the perfect time we reckon to get together with friends and ride by those beautiful mountains, spectacular riversides and breathtakingly picturesque views. Sawan S Hembram gives you some tips on how to ride in and as a group
photography: sanjay raikar

When a few people come forward for a group ride, the motive must be clear – whether it is a leisure ride or the emphasis is on reaching a particular destination. This plays a major role for all other issues associated with group riding. Accordingly, planning the ride becomes easier.

Group riding may involve individuals with different levels of riding skills, experiences as well as mentalities. It’s quite possible that only a few are familiar with the route to be followed. In such case, routes should be discussed beforehand. All riders need to know about checkpoints such as refuelling stops or food joints, etc. If the group is fairly large, it is recommended to split in smaller groups, each with at least one experienced rider and with a sense of responsibility. Sub-grouping may be done according to riding skills so that slower bikers remain in each others’ company. Exchanging cell phone numbers with fellow riders is a good idea to deal with any eventuality. It is also important to discuss beforehand how to deal with any possible crisis.

Once a biker group takes to the road, the state of affairs could become quite complex and chaotic. However, sticking to a previously discussed formation is the best idea. It is always recommended to maintain safe distance from fellow riders. If a rider in front finds a challenging situation and slams the brakes, others behind him should have enough room to react safely. Similarly, formation must be such that all riders get the maximum view of the road ahead. This is easier said than done. Remember, a rider on a bike would cover much less view (due to the helmet) in comparison to a four wheeler and further more, a bunch of riders in front of you could block the entire view of road ahead. A diagonal formation with sufficient gaps in between solves this problem to a large extent.

Another usual occurrence during group riding is that skilled riders with powerful bikes zip ahead fast. Invariably other followers push themselves hard just to keep up. Many a times this results in accidents. Less skilled riders in order to keep up enter corners at high speeds, fail to exit properly and end up biting dust, literally! You can avoid this by looking at the road ahead instead of the taillight of the bike in front of you. If there are sub-groups of faster and slower riders, such occurrences can be completely evaded.

Overtaking becomes another major issue while riding in a group. Adrenaline seekers love to overtake each other often forgetting the whole idea of a joyride. This could translate into a crisis if it involves a large group. It is better to lay out rules regarding overtaking (whether it is allowed or not) for all the riders within a group. Similarly, overtaking other bigger vehicles in a row must be avoided. While the bike in front may instantly react to any critical situation, those closely following it have little chance to do that. Also refrain from showing off while in a group.

Remember to slowdown while passing through populated areas such as towns and villages especially when there is a road sign implicating a school ahead. Even at a reasonable speed, a large group of bikers can be seen as rowdy fellows by others. If passing through populated areas at night, you must use the low beam in order to not blind other oncoming vehicles and locals on the road.

A proper interaction among all the riders results in riding as a group rather than just riding with a group. This will further increase team spirit and the joy of riding. Remember to care for yourself as well as your fellow riders. If have a pillion rider, be considerate to him/her and be extra careful. Don’t forget to wear adequate riding gear and carry a first aid kit. Enjoy your ride.

 

This is the best touring season when a rider may not be able to resist the temptation of going on a long ride. BIKE India tells you how to brace yourself against the chill while riding in cold weather

 

LAYERED CLOTHING If you are going on a long ride, arm yourself with multiple layers of warm clothes. This way you can deal well with varied temperatures across various places and at different times of the day. Most textile riding jackets come with a detachable inner layer. Use it during winters for added warmth. Inner thermals are a cheaper option to keep you warm inside the jacket.	PAPER IS A GOOD INSULATOR In case you fall short of warm clothing, grab some sheets of a newspaper and tuck it into your jacket. It acts as an excellent heat insulator and keeps the cold away. Similarly, if you are carrying a back sack along, you may carry it in front of you as a shield. Do make sure the sack doesn’t hinder your control on the bike.

NECK INSULATION Most riders leave their neck portion uncovered and exposed to the elements hoping that the jacket collar and helmet will provide sufficient protection from the wind. Only after riding in cold weather do they realize that they were wrong. Remember that the main arteries supplying blood to the brain pass through your neck. With constant exposure to cold wind, you might start feeling dizzy pretty soon. Besides, it might stiffen your neck. It’s best to invest in a good quality balaclava. Top end products like the featured Alpinestars balaclava come with a waterproofing layer as well. You can also wrap a muffler to protect your neck.

 

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GO FOR LONG WRIST GLOVES The main idea is not to have any parts of your skin exposed. If you have a pair of long wrist gloves, you can tuck your jacket sleeves into it. On the other hand if you wear gloves with short wrist, cold air will enter right into your arms while riding. If the weather is extremely cold, it is also advisable to wear a pair of surgical gloves under the riding gloves.

DRINK HOT BEVERAGES A cup of hot tea or coffee can certainly help you warm up. They can be a good source of heat for your palms as well. However, they are not the best liquids to rehydrate your body as the diuretrics actually make you urinate more frequently and you end up losing water fast. On the other hand, you can count on hot soups as excellent energy sources as well as rehydration agents. Stay away from drinking any amount of alcohol.

MAINTAIN CLEAR VISION Besides atmospheric fog, cold weather also results in fogging inside your helmet. This could be disastrous at night and equally disturbing during day rides. Usually you are left with no choice but to open up the visor a bit and let the chilly wind hit your face. An anti-fogging visor is the best solution here. If you cannot lay your hands on such a product, clean both the inside and outside of your existing visor with a mild soap solution such as Colin. Then spray some more of it on the inside of the visor and let it dry without wiping it off. The dried layer will help prevent fogging to an extent.

DEALING WITH FOG Fog is the worst nightmare of a rider in the winter. If you encounter mild fog, switch on your headlight with low beam. Use high beam and turn on the left indicator if the fog is thick. However, never use high beam during foggy nights as it will further reduce your visibility. Use low beam along with the indicator. Whether day or night, if the visibility level falls significantly, slow down to a speed that is comfortable for you to react in case of an eventuality. If you need to park your bike by the roadside, leave the indicator on so that other approaching vehicles can notice you.

TRACTION ON MOIST ROAD Mist and fog can often moisten roads and consequently tyres.The probability of loss of traction increases during the wee hours of the morning. This becomes even more dangerous in snowy areas where skidding is common. Preferably go for a set of specialized tyres. Reduce your speed and avoid leaning at extreme angles. For riding on snow covered roads, find sections such as tracks of bigger vehicles on the road that offer better traction and go gentle on the throttle and brakes.

OTHER PRECAUTIONS If the weather is really extreme, take frequent breaks to regain body heat. Temperatures slightly below normal can play havoc if you ride fast. A very important factor called the wind chill factor should never be ignored. As speeds ride, the apparent temperature or the wind chill factor felt on exposed skin due to the wind can surprisingly be very low. Even when the outside air temperatue is around 15 degrees, at 50km/h, the wind hitting your body feels very chilly. Learn to recognize symptoms of hypothermia. Feeling dizzy, seemingly funny mistakes in vehicle manoeuvre, etc. are primitive symptoms. If your shivering stops even when it’s cold outside you must take immediate action to warm yourself up. If you can find a warm place, take off your jacket so that your body can soak in some heat. If riding through a snowy area, make sure that your external clothing is waterproof. You must get rid of any wet cloth inside while riding in cold weather. While we suggest you wear enough warm clothes, you must enusure that the clothing doesn’t hinder your vehicle manoeuvring ability. Don’t forget to carry along high energy snacks including chocolates and rehydrating liquids such as Gatorade.

This month we bring you guidelines on how to be responsible in city environs

You may be the type of rider who would want to keep the speed and lean angles for the racetrack or a weekend ride and would rather be slow while on city streets. Or you could simply be the kind who is not attracted to speed and looks at a motorcycle as a convenient way to travel from point A to point B. Either way, you prefer maintaining slow speeds in city environs. But going slow is not the only way to being safe or responsible. In fact, going slow can be hazardous if not implemented in a proper manner. So this time around we are compiling a few tips on how to be a socially responsible commuter.

Do not use your mobile phones while riding Use of mobile phones while riding is dangerous as it leads to a lack of concentration on the road and traffic. Some people who do away with the use of a hands free device tend to adopt different techniques of placing the mobile in the helmet or hold it between the ear and shoulder further increasing the chances of an accident. Hence it is recommended that you pull over to the side of the road while not disturbing the traffic flow and completing your conversation.

Restrict use of high beam In most cities, street lighting is enough for clear visibility at night. Where it isn’t adequate, the headlights of your vehicle as well as the ones around you make up for it. There are very rare situations when you really need to have the bike’s high beam activated in city environs for visibility. These beams can blind the oncoming traffic and can make the oncoming vehicles steer straight towards you, resulting in a fatal accident.	Carry necessary documents As per the RTO rules, it is mandatory to carry valid documents like your driving license, bike registration and tax papers/smartcard, insurance and P.U.C certificate at all times. In most cities, photocopies are allowed too, however, failure to carry any of these necessary documents may lead to monetary fines.
Be patient in traffic jams Traffic jams usually happen due to an accident, broken down vehicle or the lack of proper traffic signals at an intersection. It gets worse when vehicles try to slot themselves into each and every inch of space available, thus making the jam even more difficult to declog. The easiest solution is to stick to your lane and maintain enough distance for the vehicles in front to move around and negotiate the jam easily.	Do not ride with objects hanging from the bike As mentioned earlier, it is not recommended to hang bags or other luggage from the handlebar or your shoulder when riding. Such hanging objects can swing around while riding, can unsettle your balance and can obstruct the view for the riders or drivers following your vehicle. Such objects can even get entangled with the handlebars or rear view mirrors of bikes around you, thus causing an accident. Other such examples are helmets hung around the elbow, open zippers of riding jackets, holy cloth/threads on the handlebars, etc.
Give proper indications While it is one of the most basic rules, most people tend to ignore it in day-to-day traffic. Showing hand signals and indicators while turning is not mandatory only at the license test but also while commuting on the street. Make sure you give proper signals to the traffic with regard to turning, overtaking and any other riding maneuver you are about to attempt. This will not only help the traffic behind you to understand your manoeuvre, but will also avoid chances of an accident.	Stop that noise Do not unnecessarily honk. Be it a signal turning green or a traffic jam, continuous honking won’t do any good. The traffic will still move at its own pace and hence it’s better to move along than cause nuisance and sound pollution.

Don’t let the rains dampen your biking spirit. There’s fun to be had and stuff to be learnt about staying upright in slippery conditions with BIKE India’s wet weather riding guide

BE VISIBLE
Rain hampers visibility on the road while riding a bike to a great extent and makes the task a very risky one. It is not just about you having an idea of what’s where on the road while riding, but you also need to be visible to other riders and drivers to prevent yourself from turning into a hit and run victim. Visibility in low light and hazy conditions can be ensured by checking if your bike’s headlights are working properly. Headlamps, especially the non-halogen type, have a tendency of conking out in wet conditions. To be on the safer side, always carry an extra unit on long distance trips. To ensure that you are visible to other road users, the blinkers and the tail lamp of your bike should function properly. Use helmets and jackets with a lining of radium for easy detection in dark conditions. There is also a probability of mud flying from the tyres of other vehicles, sticking to your bike’s headlamp and deteriorating its illuminating capabilities is very high in the monsoons. Make sure you wipe the headlamp glass frequently to keep the road ahead bright and visible. The same holds true for your helmet visor.

PROGRESSIVE BRAKING Although the front brake is effective in the dry, sufficient traction is not available at the front tyre on slippery streets. Slamming on the front brakes is a sure-fire way to end up with a seriously nasty skid in a downpour. If you use only the bike’s front brakes, you can lock up the front tyre resulting in a slide. The trick is to use both, the front and rear brakes, at the same time while relying more on the rear brakes. Use your index and middle finger to squeeze the brake lever gradually while simultaneously applying gentle pressure on the rear brake. If you need to brake harder, do it progressively in short incremental steps. Keep in mind that stopping distance increases in the wet compared to dry conditions. Hence, plan further ahead and leave a larger gap between your bike and the vehicle up front.

VISOR AS A HOOD / FORMATION OF MIST The biggest problem with riding in a heavy downpour is visibility due to rain on the visor. With the visor completely open, raindrops hit your face like bullets making it impossible to keep your eyes open. On the other hand, if the visor is shut completely, your vision is hampered due to the formation of an uneven and translucent layer of water that forms on it due to the deluge. If your visor mounts are tight enough, keep it half open and use it as a hood against the incessant rain splatter. The humidity in the air increases significantly in the monsoons. While breathing inside a closed helmet, the rider’s warm breath comes in contact with the cold atmospheric temperature and condenses into tiny water droplets that form a layer of mist on the visor. Use an anti mist spray to help reduce the formation of fog on the visor. If there are ventilator slots on your helmet, keep them open. Fresh air will keep the visor mist free. In case your helmet does not have ventilators, keep the visor slightly open to allow air to pass through.

GET A GRIP Understanding exactly how much grip is available on a slick surface is a primary concern for most riders as the monsoons begin. Keep in mind that the bike’s tyres lose traction in the wet. Since rain water reduces the grip of the bike on the road, ensure that your bike is fitted with a good set of rubbers with grooves that are deep enough to disperse the water. If you ride a high capacity bike and have enough dough, you can opt for grippier, minimum 2mm tread depth tyres but for most commuter motorcycles, tyres with a straight central spinal tread work just fine. It goes without saying that balding tyres are a complete no-no.

 

DON’T SPLASH Stagnant water bodies on the road are one of the most dangerous areas to ride over. By no means can anyone determine what lies beneath those puddles of muddy water. If you are lucky enough, it can be just a normal patch of grainy, grippy tarmac or there could be a thick layer of algae which would deny any traction to your bike’s tyres. In the worst case scenario, it could even turn out to be a three feet wide and eight feet deep manhole with its mouth wide open to trap you and your motorcycle in it. At times, there is no other option but to go over such stagnant bodies of water. In such conditions, care should be taken that you don’t splash water all over the place as it has its own hazards. Entering a puddle too fast creates a lot of water resistance. In case you are unable to tackle this opposite force, you might end up losing your balance and falling off the bike. Entering such puddles at excessively higher speeds can result in aquaplaning, depriving you of any and all control and making you fly over the road in no time. Lateral thinking allows us to think of other hazards like a group of rogues bashing you up for anointing them with slush and mud. After going over stagnant water, it is advisable to ride the bike for a few meters with the brakes pressed so that the water dries off from the front disc and the rear drum/disc.

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE TIPS 1. Regular Service Make sure your bike is well maintained before the downpour starts by getting it serviced. This in turn will prevent any issues from cropping up once it rains. Oil change, carburetor cleaning, chain lubrication and air filter cleaning should be done from time to time for avoiding any kind of basic problems with the bike. Keep a check on all the electricals and brake pads. 2. Check the electricals The bike’s electricals play a very important part in tricky wet conditions as well as while riding in low light. You should always ensure that the headlamp, the tail lamp and the blinkers are working perfectly. In case of old bikes, reflective surfaces inside the headlamp and tail lamp should be changed since they fail to project a bright beam of light. 3. Corrosion of tank In case of minor accidents and scratches, the paint from the tank of the bikes tends to chip off. The exposed area from this chipped off paint attracts corrosion and destroys the metal. It is always better to get paint touch-ups done before rains to avoid this kind of damage to the bike. 4. Prevention from rust The various nuts and bolts that are exposed to air and water tend to rust due to moisture. The use of WD40 spray is highly recommended to protect rusting of bolts. Care should be taken that the metal parts underneath the bike are also sprayed with the WD40 spray. 5. Seat maintenance The bike’s seat should be checked for even minor cuts. In case there are any, get them fixed as soon as possible. It is recommended that you use a seat cover over the regular seat to avoid direct cuts to the seat. The slightest rip can let the rain water seep in and damage the sponge inside the seat. Once wet, it is quite difficult to dry the sponge thoroughly. 6. Keep it above the water Be very cautious while riding through deep water. Most importantly, the opening of the exhaust pipe should always be above the water level. 7. Tyre Check Tyres provide your bike with all the traction and grip required. It is very important to keep a check on the condition of the tyres during the rains. The grip available in wet conditions is less and if the tyre is worn out, then the situation becomes even worse. Make sure that the grooves on the tyre are in perfect shape. Also, keep a check on the tyre tread which should ideally be between 2.0-2.5 mm. We advice you to buy a set of good quality tyres for your bike instead of settling for the cheaper ones.

This month we focus on the most common problem associated with judging corners right – turning in early

 

 

 

Every rider goes through this situation at some time or the other – turning in early, carrying too much speed and running wide. Now if it’s a left hander you are taking, you run a risk of crashing into the truck coming from the opposite direction and if it’s a right hander, you’ll either go off the road into the rough or crash into the barricades.

The cause
It’s difficult to know if you’re turning a bit too early unless you’re a seasoned rider. It’s a mistake most novice riders commit. Carrying too much speed, turning early thinking they’ll have more space and ending up running wide. The first thing one needs to understand is that the faster the speed of the bike, the longer the bike will take to turn. One should know the speeds he’s comfortable at and pick the pace up slowly with experience. By carrying too much speed, you’ll tend to brake mid-corner or roll the throttle off making the bike stand up and run wide.

The methodology
Don’t dip the bike in as soon as you see the road turning. Fix your eyes on the last visible part of the road, take position on the bike, try to go to the extreme left of the road (for a right hander) to increase the range of your vision, assess the corner properly, adjust the speed to your comfort and skill level and turn in only when you are absolutely sure of being able to carry a certain speed through the bend. Some corners are very tricky, they look as if they’ll end after a certain point, but enter them and you realize that they tighten on you even more. A cautious entry with some margin for surprises helps. Remember, for such a corner, if you’ve made a correct entry by being wide while entering it for better vision, the chances of running wide as the corner tightens are much less. For someone who entered too early, running wide is almost an eventuality. The theory of turning in too late may not be entirely correct on a racetrack where you don’t have any hazardous traffic approaching from the opposite direction. But while riding on public roads, the chances of someone going a little too wide on his side of road are quite high. Being on your side of the road, and slightly wide, gives you a good vision plus ensures that you are quick through the corner and power out of it without running wide.

Stay wide, but be on your side While taking a left hander, use the width of the road as much as possible to ensure better visibility. Do not, however, enter the opposite lane – you may just be in for a surpise. No one expects someone barrelling down from the opposite direction in the wrong lane. While being wide before entering a bend enhances visibility, overdoing it may turn out to be hazardous, especially while taking left handers

Remember
You don’t begin taking a corner when you have dipped the bike in. In fact, it is pretty much the last stage of cornering because you have decided the speed at which you are going to go through the bend and the line which you are going to take. You make any changes to these factors and you’ll unsettle the bike. The process of going around a corner actually begins when you’re about to approach it. You go a little wide, get into position, look into the corner, decide the speed at which you’re going to go round it, decide a line, dip the bike in and go. Practise makes perfect. No wonder, those who ride extensively and are used to taking corners on hilly roads are in a much better position to approach and take these corners at the correct speeds, choosing the correct line. We also suggest that those who aren’t very used to the idea of carrying high speeds through corners, don’t push the bike beyond the limits of their skills. Going 5km/h slower on a given bend is perfectly cool rather than going 5km/h faster and ending up being shaken and stirred. The speed will come naturally as you keep practising but for starters, you should concentrate more on your approach, position and line. If you get it right, you’ll blitz through the corners and never run wide.

Late and wide turn in is the key to safety Apart from being a hazard to the traffic coming from the opposite direction, and of course yourself, turning in too early and too narrow will make you run wide at the exit of a corner. Make sure you’re close to the edge of the road before taking right handers and turn in when you’ve seen and decided everything

Adhish Alawani goes back to the classroom in order to learn how to ride around the track faster
Photography: Navaroze Contractor

The first time I ever rode on a racetrack was back in October 2008. Since then, I must have put in around a 100 laps on the Madras Motor Sports Track (MMST). Anyone would think that such a person should at least know the track and how to ride there thoroughly. Well, though not thoroughly, I still thought that I was quite good with the R15 at the Chennai track, until of course I was introduced to the California Superbike School (CSS).

The riding school is an initiative by Keith Code in order to impart racetrack riding lessons. CSS spread across the USA and later to other innumerable countries around the world. After years of painstaking effort in analyzing the various riding techniques, CSS has developed a curriculum which helps students learn the art of cornering. It has reached the pinnacle and is considered as one of the world’s best schools imparting track riding knowledge across five continents. When the Red Rooster Racing team offered me a seat at CSS, I grabbed it with both hands. Since I had to arrange for my own bike, I approached Yamaha and they were more than willing to give me a YZF-R15 which happens to be the best track tool available in the country and a bike on which I thought I had mastery around the Chennai racetrack.

The four coach team from UK’s CSS arrived in India to train 24 students over a period of four school days revolving around a curriculum comprising of 15 techniques taught in 15 classroom sessions. Each classroom session was then followed by an on track practical to apply whatever was taught in the class. After trying out the newly learnt techniques on the track, each rider had to debrief the session he/she had on the track. These three steps allowed students to learn the theory and practicals and at the same time also helped them zero in on their personal shortcomings through the debriefing sessions. With four levels spaced out in four days, the aim of the coaches was to make the students familiar with the art of cornering and to master it with the help of the techniques developed by CSS.

Day One:

1. Throttle Control and No Brakes Drill
Level I lessons began with throttle control and no brakes drill. The main motive behind the entire training was to make the rider ride the bike smoothly which can be achieved by keeping the bike stable through the corners. With good throttle control, the rider can get a better grip, better lean angles, of course speed, better lines and tackle bad surfaces. In short, good throttle control is necessary for almost all the vital elements of riding. The coaches asked us to ride the full circuit without using the brakes and controlling the bike with just the throttle. To add to that, everyone had to stick to one gear only, which made things worse since downshifts were strictly prohibited. Gary, the CSS safety attendant, instructed all corner marshals to look out for any brake inputs from any rider. The moment any marshal saw a bike’s front forks compressing under even the slightest of braking, the rider was black flagged, pulled in the pits and given a warning.

Sachin Chavan from Royal Enfield rides his track prepped Bullet 50	Adam, my personal coach, gives me off-track lessons on body postur	After having a hard time, I finally gave up my habit of hanging out my butt

2. Turn Points
The second lesson of the day gave us the second blow when Andy, our chief coach, told us that we were turning into corners too early – as early as a couple of bikes’ length! Turning in a corner as late as possible straightens the riding line through the corner thus giving excellent exit speeds. We all knew that theoretically, but not exactly where we had to turn off. The coaches made it easy for us by marking a cross at the entry of each turn. However, it was not as easy as we thought once we got onto our bikes and were told to run over the cross markers and then turn into the corner, as the markers were deep in the turns.

3. Quick Turns
After struggling a lot with the turn points, we finally managed to get into the turns as late as possible. However, things eased out with regard to using the turn points when Andy taught us the trick of quick turns. Basically everyone uses this trick subconsciously. Every race enthusiast talks of counter steers, but very few know that each rider going into a corner counter steers the bike to turn in. Now we were told to do it consciously. And trust me, it made things far easier and far less complicated. Slightly pushing the right bar towards the left in right-handers made the bike lean to the right and vice versa in the left-handers. This helped us go deep in the corner and then turn quickly after crossing the turn point. Counter steering, when applied appropriately with proper weight shifting, can result in the best cornering acts.

Andy gives us lessons in the classroom; never thought classrooms could be so much fun	Gary inspects the riders’ safety gear and bikes before getting onto the track	Navaroze Contractor gets a feel of the R6

4. Rider Input
After getting a hang of throttle control and counter steering, it was time to learn motorcycle-rider communication. It is of utmost importance for the rider to keep his body loose and free on the bike while riding. The simple theory is ‘be gentle on the bike and the bike will be gentle with you’. The handlebars’ duty is to steer the bike and not take the weight of the rider. So the first thing we had to do was to refrain from putting any load on the bars through our arms. Holding the bars freely also helps in letting the suspension work freely on bumpy surfaces and helps steer the bike comfortably. Also, the forearms suffer less fatigue since they aren’t clinging onto the bars tightly.

 

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5. Two Step
As we approached the end of Level I, we were introduced to the first lesson of taming our vision. Two step, as the name suggests, is a technique that involves two steps – fixing your riding line such that you are heading towards the marked turn point and then turning your head and vision towards the apex of the corner while still keeping the turn point in your peripheral vision. This helps in getting more time for determining the apex of the corner and makes it easier to hit the apex since the rider looks at it even before starting to turn into the corner.

 

The students follow Glen during a sighting lap	Preetham Dev Moses and Andy strike a pose while inspecting the bike	JET records Rohit’s debriefs for later reference

Day Two:

1. Reference Points
The vision drill that began on day one continued through Level II on the second day. In the first lesson, we were sent out on the track to find reference points around the circuit. We were told to hunt for references, on the track or off it, that we could use as indicators for various actions like rolling off the throttle or marking an apex or even defining more accurate lines on the track. This improved the students’ observation about the minutes across the complete length of the circuit. With the help of reference points such as tar patches or certain bushes just outside the curbs in a particular corner helped me in ascertaining my lines and apexes. Not just that, following the same reference points for every lap around the circuit helped everyone in maintaining consistent lines.

2. Change Lines
The second lesson of the day gave goose bumps to every rider on the track when coach Andy asked us to investigate the lines of the track which no one had ever visited. This basically included exploring the complete width of the track. We were asked to do three laps; the first one sticking to the extreme right of the track, the second from the extreme left and the third using the exact centre. This introduced us to the dangers around the track in the form of bumpy sections that we had to be careful of. At the same time, we also learnt about some smoother sections that we never thought of using earlier. The main intention behind exploring the new lines was to prove that there is not one particular race line for a circuit. One can use various different lines depending on how comfortable he feels on which line.

Hand signals were an efficient way of communication with the students. Andy is seen in this picture guiding Vikram to the late apex with his hand signal	Glen teaches the technique of the hook turn

3. Vanishing Points
After getting used to the better lines, we had to progress one more step with reference to the two step drill that we had done the previous day. This one was the vanishing point search or the three step drill. In two step, we used to ascertain our line so as to hit the turn point and then look into the corner to fix our apex. The three step was an extension to the two step; we had to target our exit even before we hit the apex. This made it even easier to go through the corner since we had even more time and space to hit the correct line around the bend. In case the exit point is not visible, as is the case in tight hairpins, we had to fix a vanishing point which would eventually lead us to our exit point. The three step or vanishing point drill was a lot tougher as the eyes had to work really hard to fix the turn point in peripheral vision, then hunt for the apex and then go even further to ascertain the exit/vanishing point.

4. Wide View
It is of utmost necessity that we see more while riding on the track. It helps us know what is happening around us, who is approaching us from behind and how much space we have at our disposal to ride around the circuit. Including our peripheral vision, our eyes can almost see through a 178 degree range. Training our eyes to use this complete range was not easy, but the results definitely rewarded us with more space and confidence since we had a wider vision now.

Alisha gets her share of personal training from Glen	Dedication was seen from both sides – Andy’s teaching as well as the students’ learning	Students line up in the pit lane before getting out for practicals

5. Pick Up Drill
The final lesson on the second day was a shift from vision to riding posture. When a bike is leaned over in a corner, there is lesser tyre contact which leads to decreased traction. To gain more traction, it is necessary for the rider to use the centre of the tyre as much as possible, which means that the bike needs to be as upright as possible. However, to maintain stability through the corner and while exiting it, the rider has to keep the centre of gravity low. For achieving this, coach Glen taught us the pick up drill in which the rider has to straighten the bike as soon as he crosses the apex of the corner and has to hang off the bike to maintain a lower centre of gravity. This feat can be pulled off by doing the opposite of counter steering, i.e., giving a slight push to the left bar while leaned over to the right in a right-hander and opposite to that in a left-hander. However, the rider is expected to hang off and duck down so that the low centre of gravity is maintained even if the bike is straightened. The pick up drill helps the rider make stable exits through fast and sweeping corners.

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Day Three:
1. Hook Turns
The third day’s lessons were concentrated on improving the posture of the rider. We started off with the hook turn, a technique used to tighten the line by executing a special maneuver midway through the corner. This is managed by pushing the rider’s weight forward and towards the inner handlebar while leaned over. The act brings the bike on a tighter line suddenly giving the rider more exit speed since the tighter line implies a straighter line. The rider can use the hook turn as a corrective measure in case he needs to get back on the correct line after running wide in any corner. The coaches, in fact, suggested we use the hook turn in as many corners as possible for much better exit speeds.

2. Pivot Steering
Pivot steering was an extension to the counter steering that we learnt on day one. The human body works in opposites and this theory is used in pivot steering. Consider for example, a right hand corner. We push the right bar slightly towards the left in order to lean to the right. Now at this point of time, if we push the left knee against the tank (obviously towards the right), then it creates a better effect of leaning. The coaches made us understand this in a simple way. We were asked to stand opposite a wall with our palms resting on the wall. Now, if we had to lean towards right, we tried to push the wall with our right hand. At the same time, if we created tension in the left leg (which resembles the act of pushing it against the tank), the lean became easier. All we had to do was apply this simple trick on the bike while cornering. This incidentally, leads us to use the lower back as a pivot. The upper part of the pivot is exercising the push in one direction while the lower part is doing the same in the opposite direction, hence the name pivot steering.

The coaches made sure they supervised each student’s riding by standing off the track and observing them through the corners	Adam and myself in a debriefing session	The students gather around Andy during one of the off-track training sessions

3. Knee to Knee
After learning the basics of body posture while cornering, it was time to study the movement of the body through consecutive opposite turns. Going from right hand to left hand corner or vice versa, the rider is expected to move his upper body from one side to the other. Since the upper body and the arms are to be kept as loose as possible, the bike can loose stability while shifting from one side to the other. To avoid this, the rider has to maintain a good grip on the bike by hugging the tank firmly with the thighs. While flicking from, say the right-hander to the left-hander, the rider has to first bring the right knee in (which is sticking out towards the inner side of the corner), clamp it against the tank and only then let the left knee leave the tank and stick out.

4. Hip Flick
The hip flick acts as an extension to the knee to knee exercise. In hip flick, we were told that when both the knees are clamping onto the tank, the weight has to be shifted from one side to the other by flicking the hip first and then the upper body. Once the weight is transferred to the other side, only then should the rider stick out his inner knee. The combination of knee to knee and hip flick maneuvers helps in stable quick flicks through a series of opposite corners.

The R15’s low footpegs restricted my lean angles to a great extent	Rohit Giri, the Red Rooster Racing team rider, bagged the Star Student award after showing immense dedication throughout the four days of training	TT Varadarajan, the sponsor, gets tips from Andy

5. Attack Angles
The final lesson of the training came in the form of improving our attack angles. Attack angle is the angle as shown in the illustration above. The larger the attack angle, the smoother and faster the corner speed. Sticking to the wide line as much as possible before entering a corner and then executing quick turns properly will lead the rider into better attack angle for the next corner. Thus, the better attack angles work best in a series of corners where a perfect line is crucial for the final exit.

Day Four:
The first three days were spent in learning 15 techniques through three levels. It was now time for the final day and the final level of training. Level IV concentrates on personal shortcomings. Whatever the rider wasn’t been able to apply properly through the first three levels was taught and practiced again until he/she got the hang of it. Thus, the personalized Level IV also proved to be a great revision for everyone for everything that was learnt during the previous three days.

The California Superbike School made me realize quite a lot of things. The first was that I had hardly learnt anything considerable in the 100 laps on the track that I had done before attending the school. Secondly, after putting in around 200 laps over these four days with CSS, I understood that there is a lot more to track riding than we can even imagine. Thirdly, we can get vague ideas of how to ride a bike on the track by reading or listening to experts, but it can’t be mastered unless you have coaches like the ones from CSS guiding you every time you make a mistake. The way the instructors made sure that they paid attention to every rider while he practiced and applied the theory on the track was phenomenal. It gives you an assurance that every mistake you commit will be rectified so that you do not pick up any wrong habits even unknowingly. The experience at CSS was undoubtedly one of the best I have ever had in my biking career and I am definitely looking forward to at least a couple of more schools with CSS whenever and wherever possible.

A crashed R6 makes its way back to the pits	Maximum student-coach interaction was the key to the training’s success

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Sponsors and Organizers

TT Varadarajan (MD – Preethi Mixers and Grinders), a bike enthusiast, has attended several sessions of the California Superbike School abroad in the past few years. These sessions had such an impact on TT that he decided to bring the school to India. His aim was to make sure that upcoming young talent from the country gets the best guidance available that would in turn help them succeed not only on the national racing scene, but also on the international level.

TT also organized the event in an extremely efficient way. From the corner marshals, the pick-up trucks (for crashed motorcycles), the ambulances and medical backup to food and drinks’ supply all day long was amazingly managed.

Giving TT a helping hand were the Red Roosters Racing team from Bangalore who provided the motorcycles and their tyres for the coaches and complete technical backup. Dinesh Reddy, the owner of the RRR team and a hardcore enthusiast, supported Mr. Varadarajan’s cause in every possible manner. Mr. Amit Sandill, RRR Team Director, was present throughout the four days of training along with his team of mechanics headed by the Joe Rajasingh, the chief technician of the RRR Team. A special applause for Joe who made sure that the bikes ran in perfect tune. Navaroze Contractor, Editor at Large of BIKE India was also present throughout the four days of training.

Champion Trainer
Adhish Alawani gets one-on-one with Andy Ibbott, chief coach of the California Superbike School, UK to reveal the master’s experience of coaching in India for the first time.

Tell us something about yourself. How did you get into the schooling business?

I started riding bikes at age 14. I didn’t start racing till quite late in life actually. I was about 32 or 34 years old. I did a season with Yamaha 250LC, then a season on 600 and later started doing nationals 600s. During a race in the New Era 600 Championship, I crashed while leading a race and the guy running at the back broke my back (laughs). That time it was pretty much decided that I didn’t want to race. Racing is fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I didn’t want to take the risk any more. I got away that time walking and I like walking (laughs). Earlier, I had done the California Superbike School in November ‘95 in the US. At that time, I was working as a test rider with Fast Bikes magazine. After doing the school, I went from midfield to top three straight. That is when I decided to bring the school to the UK. The first year was a complete disaster. Nobody knew about the school or about Keith Code and the work he had done. But I was convinced that it would work. So we continued dedicating our efforts in 1997 and here we are in 2010 in India.

So how has it been in India so far?

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. We had some wrong preconceptions about how it would work out here. But everything including the bikes that Red Roosters have supplied are of good quality and the racetrack is phenomenal. We were expecting the worst, to be honest, but the track is absolutely brilliant.

What are your tips for kids who want to start racing early in life?

Oh, I was speaking to a young lad today who came along with his father. He is 12 years old and wanted to start racing. The thing is that we have to make sure he is having fun with it. There are so many risks involved. It is tough physically and financially too, it is hard. So you’ve got to enjoy it. I mean, look at Rossi. When do you see him serious while racing a Grand Prix? He is smiling at the cameras and always happy. I am sure there are times when he is not, but he never shows it.

How many schools do you (CSS, UK) do in a year?

We run 273 events.

And that is around how many countries?

23 currently – essentially from the top of Norway to the bottom of Africa and from the west coast of Ireland to the east coast of India.

The final and most important question, will you come back to India again?

100 percent. We are already talking with TT about how we are going to arrange the event next year and what we are going to do. Do we come in the same format? We are already looking at which month to do it in, which is most likely to be January. We might want to do it again this year in December, but I would prefer doing it next year in January.