Chennai xBhp Track Day - 22 Feb '09 - The Discussion and Pics thread

[gurumurthy88]

@Kathick: Nice writeup.. I could really feel what you went through when you crashed, were in the pits and rode back.

And, i saw you crash, i was entering the straight when i watched you go off C8. Didn't stop though cos' there were already 2-3 people. And getting the first aid took some time cos' all of us thought it was a simple no injuries slide off. Only when Ananth came back asking for a first aid kit, we knew you were hurt. And then finding a kit took some time after that, but still a half hour delay is too pathetic. We really should consider having a medic at the track next time onwards.

[karthik_R]

And after all the searchin, I could find only one pic of me on track. Thanks for the guy who shot this and found time to post. Nandri.

[karthik_R]

Thanks for the appreciation guys..
Here comes rest of my feb 22's experience..

With three R15 championship stints behind (essentially a "been there done that attitude") I head for what would be my last devastating run for the day.

I again check my tire pressure and head toward the track. I remember reading out a 123kmph mark from the speedo on the 5th gear before entering C4 and I dropped my anchors dangerously late . I was loving each and every second (like always). Exiting C6, I could see three bikes ahead of me and these were doing pretty slow. So I decided to back off, to eventually take one of the guys at C7's exit (guess a pulsar 200).

And in the straight patch, before C8's entry I again checked my speedo, it read 120kmph. As usual, I dropped down a gear (to 4th) and braked slow, but was too late this time, I could almost sniff the guys ahead of me,to avoid a head on, I diverted to the outer of C8, I knew I was leaning more than what was required to cope with the excess speed (mistake #2) and that my friends is all I remember.

With in a second I was doing a barrel roll off the track.And i cannot explain those 2-3 seconds, things that went across my mind,
I was like what the f_ck??!!! Is this happening to me?? I cursed my self a billion times for what I had just done.

The bike slid for more than 20-25 feet and I was releaved that I didnt bang into me for I was only 5 feet away from it.

Like ppl say "shit happens". End of track day for me. I was literally banging my head, thinkin how in this world am I going to get this mangled bike back to bangalore?? On the crash site itself I spent around half an hour waiting for first aid, I accessed all the damages and even made a quick math so as to how much this is going to cost me. But the one question that kept haunting me was, being a sunday possibly all local mechs and welding stations being shut down how am I going to make it back to bangy!

And for the day IRONY was not the word, the guy who helped me out was the same guy (black p200) whom I helped an hour ago. (for all the guys who helped me out, a billion thanks)

Luckly, it was only the cosmetics that had taken a hit. The essential dynamics like the frame,forks,FI,the rims were intact. I tried convincing some guys (but in vain) to get me to the local bus moffusil so that I could book a return ticket on a volvo in half mind, as the probability of getting a seat was very low, owing to the fact that it was a sunday. And getting a train ticket was remotely possible (as I remember one of my collegue booking a ticket 2 months in advance).

So here was a software engineer who supports UK business who debugs a lines of written code, unable to figure a way out in a real life scenario.Shame on me. The bike was dragged to the pit and everyone around started to point fingers at the bike and asked me if I was ok. Hell I was. I was a sitting duck for the rest of the track day. Finally at 1pm, the track session came to a close and everyone started towards their nests. And I was still sitting there thinking how I could make the bike road worthy so that somehow I could reach home.

The damages are something like this: the front brake lever broke away from he master cylinder assembly (means there is no front brakes), the right clip on handle bar broken, the right headlight was still off the track(which I later picked up), needless to say the right side fairing is in pieces(talk about crash guard),a dent in the tank, donno how but the back wheel was flat, the switchgear assemble along with the throttle was busted, the right foot peg is no more there.

Joel helped me bolt the switchgear and throttle assembly in the place of master cylinder. I had to somehow manage to keep my right busted knee on the left over foot peg. Also since the handle bar was broken, my left hand had to take the entire body weight. Frequent air pressure checks for the flat tire and risk my life with only the back brakes.

And this was exactly what I did for every second of the 310km ride back home. The damn switchgear assembly would keep sliping away from the broken handle bar, imagine this, you are doing 70kmph on a high way and the throttle assembly comes off the handebar and into your hand. A perfect bad day I could ask for. Sorry for the choice of words.
As though this shit wasnt enought, my knee started bleeding and the pain was getting bad. I realised not one but both my knees are sprained on both the sides! Damn it.

Joel, kush, pradeep and his frnd were riding along with me, kush's bike was facing some trouble, so we were doing very very slow speeds.I found a nylon thread on the road, used it to tie the ever slipping switchgear assembly to the clip on and man..it did help to an extent. Thanks for that soul who had left that nylon thread there on the road. Ride till hosur was somewhat managable, but after hosur, the trademark karnataka truck drivers were having a race of thier own on the highway, sucha pain in the @$$. Reached home at 10:00-10:15pm.. Anyone can expect what were the next chain of events I would have faced.

Concluding, my next/any track day is something thats close to impossible and the bike is at the service center, with the lazy corrupted insurance surveyor inspecting the bike after 5 days of me submitting the claim (estimate 15k). Seems from monday onwards the mechs will start wrk on it.

Looking back, I thank my guardian angel for keeping me in one piece through-out the 720kms round trip. This is my "on any sunday" moment.

Lights out.

[wonderboy_tm]

ahem ahem... wasn't i one of them.... ... it takes a lot of heart to recover from a crash like that bro.... and it take more heart to come and actually post this statement....
its alright brother... i would love to ride with you sometime....

[karthik_R]

I apologize beforehand to those people whose pics I couldn't take

[pradeep reddy]

+1.. the track is the worst place for one to take out their aggression. One needs to be calm. Aggression is only going to make you ride "aggressivley" and endanger your self and others. Just like a over zelous orange RTR Fi rider who almost took me off the track when I over took him down the straight. A calm rider woulda let me go and take me out at a safer corner. Defo NOT THE PLACE FOR AGGRESSION

whenever i used to take a corner i would just make sure if any exp riders coming at fast pace and i would give way for them and then continue my riding...because its most irritating to follow anyone at a very sedate pace..so its a point everyone should understand to give way for the faster riders.

[wonderboy_tm]

Hi. Im sorry to say that this is the biggest load of crap i've ever read.

1. What is so embarassing about crashing? It happens all the time. Even the best crash. Its all part of it.
2. And what aggression? I find it therapeutic. I go on the track to enjoy myself. NOT to take out my anger. And, how the hell do you take your aggression out on the track?
3. Your point is not clearly conveyed. I've not understood squat of what you've said.

Very well.... Honestly speaking, i did go off point there buddy.... I did not mean take out my anger, i meant the place to learn how to control your aggression is at the track.... that you defly do....
your point of view is different.... crashing isn't emabarassing, just that the bike you crash with can never be the same even after fixing it.... i felt like an as$ho13 after crashing so many times.... MY PERSONNEL opinion bro...... i would care about my bike too bro..
if you would like to understand more, lets take it to e-mails.... my e-mail id is

"[email protected]" or you could add me on gtalk at "[email protected]",
if you felt the whole write up was a load of crap, then apologies to have wasted bandwidth of xbhp and your time....

+1.. the track is the worst place for one to take out their aggression. One needs to be calm. Aggression is only going to make you ride "aggressivley" and endanger your self and others. Just like a over zelous orange RTR Fi rider who almost took me off the track when I over took him down the straight. A calm rider woulda let me go and take me out at a safer corner. Defo NOT THE PLACE FOR AGGRESSION

Bro... you weren't there for the briefing session where the safety factors were explained very clearly ....
I couldn't help noticing that you were crawling (NO OFFENSE) around the track.... the xbhpians were given clear instructions to give way to faster riders to avoid any collisions.... so you weren't an exception.... next time though you could as well ride with us, and learn racing ethics from the experienced (NOT ME).....I was really happy to see, none of the xbhpians were sitting ducks, and were actually riding decently..... i cannot accept your point brother.... its a race track and you keep your eyes wide open..... the rider whom you encountered was 'JOEL' who knows a lot of racing ethics.... and i was sitting with a 70-200 after the corner you were talking about...
i do not have to explain myself anymore.... NONE of the riders who came with me were "offensive" or "greedy" or "zealous"... i just see lack of sportsman ship....
i would see everyone agreeing to it ....
if you like to clear your points, i request you to shift it to e-mails....
"[email protected]"... and you could also add me at "[email protected]"...

I'm not sure about the 28th of March. It'll come down to when I'm going to be having my semesters, but if I can make it, I surely will.

@wonderboy: I read your earlier posts. Bro, I never said NO to a mechanic. Please don't think I minded shelling out Rs.50 extra for the mechanic, especially seeing as I had a spill myself. I had juxtaposed the opinion as to whether it would REALLY be THAT necessary, but the conclusion that we came to was that it wouldn't be. I'm sorry, no offence meant there bro.

LoL, bro.. no offense was taken bro.... mistakes are bound to happen as we were 'first timers' at the the track... I did not INTEND TO OFFEND you... but i was just trying to point out..... next time we will know... don't we???
so just relax, and stop worrying... start fixing your bike for the next track day.... better tyres, a good foot peg..... slowly start fixing your bike bro..... i would also like to see "EL LOCO" posting his opinion here...

@ Atul :Great pics bro... thanks a lot for posting.......

@MODS :You could delete this post if you find it unnecessary

[voodoo_god13]

Hi. Im sorry to say that this is the biggest load of crap i've ever read.

1. What is so embarassing about crashing? It happens all the time. Even the best crash. Its all part of it.
2. And what aggression? I find it therapeutic. I go on the track to enjoy myself. NOT to take out my anger. And, how the hell do you take your aggression out on the track?
3. Your point is not clearly conveyed. I've not understood squat of what you've said.

+1.. the track is the worst place for one to take out their aggression. One needs to be calm. Aggression is only going to make you ride "aggressivley" and endanger your self and others. Just like a over zelous orange RTR Fi rider who almost took me off the track when I over took him down the straight. A calm rider woulda let me go and take me out at a safer corner. Defo NOT THE PLACE FOR AGGRESSION

[majorpayne]

i cannot say that riding super slow is the first-timers attitude. Some take it slowly and and go up step by step. And a few learn only after they crash. My first time at the track, i ran off the track at c2 alone, four times. And crashed twice. Then slowly i've been visiting tracks and frequently crashing at the track too. I am not proud of it, but people who learn it my way would feel 'what an a$sho1e i was in the past'.

However, once a person rides on the track and tries to slow down on the public roads it would be difficult. So his outlet becomes the track. I bet on one thing, almost all the riders who attended the track session would want to come back and ride again on the track. Just because the track is a constructive vent for the aggression. And once people start racing, they learn to control that aggression.

On the whole, once the person gets to ride around the track at a decent pace, he or she wouldn't be foolish on public roads. The level of ego would come down drastically instantly iterating himself/herself to a better human being. Long live Bikism. I am forever in debt to biking !!!!
NO wonder Biking is considered a religion !!!!

I guess my point is clearly conveyed.

@all :I don't know about others. I will be at the track whenever i see fit. 3-4 months gap is too much. People who feel who want to ride at the track can call me anytime. Atleast 2-3 times i am at the track every month. So gimme a call and i will accompany anyone anytime.

Hi. Im sorry to say that this is the biggest load of crap i've ever read.

1. What is so embarassing about crashing? It happens all the time. Even the best crash. Its all part of it.
2. And what aggression? I find it therapeutic. I go on the track to enjoy myself. NOT to take out my anger. And, how the hell do you take your aggression out on the track?
3. Your point is not clearly conveyed. I've not understood squat of what you've said.

[Samyaza]

Alright i've got pics! I apologize beforehand to those people whose pics I couldn't take. I was out only for 30 mins and much more eager to ride. Some have a slight blur coz it wasn't my cam and I didn't know my way around it well. Next time I'll get better shots for sure



Link to album: Picasa Web Albums - Atul - MMSC Trackday...

[Insidious]

I'm not sure about the 28th of March. It'll come down to when I'm going to be having my semesters, but if I can make it, I surely will.

@wonderboy: I read your earlier posts. Bro, I never said NO to a mechanic. Please don't think I minded shelling out Rs.50 extra for the mechanic, especially seeing as I had a spill myself. I had juxtaposed the opinion as to whether it would REALLY be THAT necessary, but the conclusion that we came to was that it wouldn't be. I'm sorry, no offence meant there bro.

[MR ACE]

It would be a collective opinion, on who can ride and who cannot on the track from the following track days. Your discover and sure ride if it has proper tyres and in general track ready condition. So nothing is fixed as of now my friend.


PS: If I know I cannot swim. i would keep my as$ off the pool. Just a friendly reminder.

No Props Dude Jus An Idea That All, No Offence

Ps: Jus Replaced The Leaking LHS Fork Today

[wonderboy_tm]

@ATUL :Your answer is Internet dude....... or tell me the model number i will try to hunt a driver for it....... or gimme your address i will send you my all in one card reader..... post the pics dude....... please

[Aparajith]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but how was the weather at the track?

Its the end of Feb at Chennai. What do u expect, snow or rain?
35-degrees C with 70% humidity as usual...

[rossiter]

Awesome pics.. saw some nice logs which are unfinished.

I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but how was the weather at the track?