THRILL OF LEARNING

Rookie rider Suvrat heads to the racetrack to hone his riding skills ahead of two race weekends

- Suvrat Kothari

IT’S ALWAYS AN enthusiast’s dream to ride on a racetrack, to absolutely thrash the motorcycle around corners, test the limits of the engine and later spend time in the pits revelling in the experience with like-minded comrades.

Since childhood, I have spent so much time watching our MotoGP heroes go bonkers around racing circuits that riding on a racetrack has been at the top of my bucket list. About two and a half years into the job, this dream finally actualised for me when I was nominated for the TVS Young Media Racer Programme. TVS started the YMRP in 2017 as a permanent fixture in its annual racing calendar so that auto journalists can get a taste of the racing environment. Okay, riders don’t learn how to ride like Valentino Rossi, but are first taught the basics of riding on a racetrack before two weekends of full-blown racing.

Our steed was the race-spec TVS Apache RTR 200 4V. With mild mechanical and cosmetic tweaks over the stock motorcycle, it’s an ideal tool to learn the fundamentals of riding on the track.