My motorcycle track day experience with CRA Motorsports

My first time riding a motorcycle with an open exhaust was an eye-opener for me. The engine braking was really aggressive and the throttle was like an on/off switch.

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My experience at the RE GTCUP Selection round was an eye-opener. It revealed how off the pace I was. While I harbor no false hopes of competitive riding I decided to get serious about training to ride faster. The event was outsourced to JKTyres who in turn had roped in CRA Motorsports to marshal the event.

Over the next few days, I noticed most of the national riders on the grid were alumni of CRA or still associated with them so I decided to reach out. Their website didn't have any details with regards to their training schedule however they were pretty active on Instagram. I was directed to a WhatsApp message where I had a good conversation with Prateek. Since I had already completed my certification elsewhere I was told the next batch was on the 5th and 6th of November and I could sign up for their open sessions at Meco Kartopia Bangalore. This place is literally located in my backyard.

For the sum of Rs 15,000/- I got 5+5 sessions with each session ~15 minutes, a bike and riding gear if I needed it. I only had to bring my helmet.

The School - CRA Motorsports

Founded and run by Tharunkumar S, they are pretty active in the motorsports scene in various capacities including track, offroad and go-karts. Speaking with Tharun revealed how passionate they are about bringing up and nurturing talent. For eg, they have taken a house on rent in Bangalore to provide accommodation for riders coming from far of places and need a cheap place to stay. Also, they are focusing on smaller cities to give everyone an opportunity at some track experience. They even have a tie-up with a track in Malaysia and conduct events there (turns out cheaper than BIC).

The Venue - Meco Kartopia Bangalore

I'll be honest, I did have some reservations about riding on a go-kart track but one look at the place laid them to rest. 1.2kms long with enough corners to get some serious practice.

Reassuring sight but didn't realize I would be using this facility

Some interesting vehicles lying around

The Bikes

Completely stripped down Yamaha R15 V2s with road tyres and open exhausts.

There was also a simulator to help with getting a feel of the right body position.

My Experience

To keep costs down they did not block the entire facility and we had to share it with karting teams getting ready for the Rotax championship and the general public. Since it's open to the public from 11 am the plan was to start at 6:30 am so we could complete before the crowds started gathering. Unfortunately, we were hit by the worst weather possible and these were the conditions (treacherous).

A damp and slippery track

The sun fighting a losing battle with the clouds

My first time riding a motorcycle with an open exhaust was an eye-opener for me. The engine braking was really aggressive and the throttle was like an on/off switch.

Day 1

So all in all the perfect learning conditions. Within the first few laps, I could feel the rear moving around under braking and downshifting and when accelerating out I could feel the rear sliding. I was here to learn so I was paying keen attention to what was going on but for some reason, I could not get the throttle response right. No matter how gentle I was when coming out of a corner if the bike was not bolted upright a light twist was making the bike lurch forward. The fact I was struggling was very evident because on two occasions I had to save a high side and the trainers kept asking me how I managed not to go over the bars.

Courtesy of the bad weather we had to start late and by now it was a full-blown mela with karting teams and the general public vying for track space. In my third session of the day having gotten used to the track, I decided to up the pace when I had a horrible high side for the third time and this time I felt/heard a loud pop in my left arm and a flash of lightning went off in my head. My entire left arm went numb and I knew something was wrong, I still don't know how I managed not to crash, rolled the bike to a stop and walked to the ambulance. There was swelling at the elbow and I almost passed out in pain. Got an ice pack and I knew the day was over for me, called the Mrs and asked her to take me home as I couldn't drive back.

The evening

Day 2

After spending all night icing my elbow the swelling seemed to subside and I did not see any signs of internal bruising so I decided to go ahead with day 2. I made a conscious decision not to take any painkillers so at least I would know the limits of my arm. It was stiff and only hurt when bending and for some reason, I wasn't able to pull my helmet strap down.

The advantage was I had no other choice than to start using my lower body more and I started to feel like I was getting smoother and faster. On my first sighting lap, I used the same bike that I was using the previous day and the throttle response was still horrible so I tried another bike. Wish I had done that earlier as now I felt in complete control, so much so, that I completed 7 sessions on day 2 and was raring for more.

Benefits of better body position and a smoother throttle

In Summary

What I Liked:

• Tharun and his team got more of a family vibe than a track school.
• They are very flexible and accommodating based on your needs (within reason).
• I had signed up for open sessions but Tharun did not begrudge me any training session and even asked me to join in for some drills where he felt I would benefit.
• They were already planning how to cover my remaining sessions on another day since I had almost lost a day but I was not having any of that.
• The track is a good place to hone one's skills.
• Lots of parents had brought their kids to learn and in fact, we had a father/son duo learning together.

I would highly recommend checking them out.

What I didn't like:

• Vying for track time with karting teams and the general public.
• It got too crowded and was finding it a bit difficult to concentrate (I get easily distracted).
• The weather.

What about that elbow

On day 3 I saw signs of internal bruising and knew it was time to go to the hospital. I had torn my tricep clean off the elbow, had to undergo surgery and now I have my arm in a cast. Recovery is going to be slow (up to 6 months) but hey, when life gives you a break - take it. Can't wait to get back on the saddle and chase those lap times.

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