It is funny how we ride 200 bhp motorcycles on the roads like it is nothing. Humans have built these incredible machines, and for the most part, we do not get to see the ferocity that they were aimed at delivering. But every once in a while, you get an opportunity where you get to experience these machines delivering what they were always meant to, pure unadulterated fury. I recently got this opportunity at the 15th Edition of The Valley Run. 

A racetrack or a drag strip is the only place where you can safely unleash motorcycles like my Castrol Powered Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. I am fortunate that not too long after two days of blistering speed at the Buddh International Circuit during the R.A.C.R. open-track, I got another chance to let the ZX-10R do its thing at The Valley Run. You can read about my experience at the BIC in another piece carried in this issue. 

I had been to a drag strip on just two occasions before this. The first one was when I ran a bone-stock Ducati Diavel in 2015. The second one happened this year in Sydney, and on this occasion, I was riding perhaps the big daddy of the whole drag racing thing- the Kawasaki Ninja H2. 

While I am a big fan of riding on the racetrack, drag racing is also something I deeply revere. It is about timing, focus, control, and synergy between man and machine that makes drag racing so on-hand and involving. Many people think that it is just an all-out run in a straight line, but people who have experienced it will tell you that it is so much more. 

The Valley Run has long been the premier drag racing venue in India. Held at Amby Valley, this edition was no different. Powered by Castrol POWER1, this year’s The Valley Run promised to be bigger than all the previous editions and being held in the winter, it garnered record participation and a record crowd. 

We knew that just like us, a lot of you out there also enjoy this sort of action, so before the event, we also held a giveaway of 10 tickets to this year’s The Valley Run. Congratulations to the winners, and I hope you had as much fun as I did. Or maybe a little less since I actually got to wring my Ninja ZX-10R to the maximum. 

Before talking about my runs, let me tell you about the event itself. As mentioned earlier, it was pandemonium of the best possible kind. From Busas to Huracans, the smoke from the tyres and the roar of all sorts of engines were the only things that prevailed over the cheers from the hordes of automotive enthusiasts who were in attendance. 

I got two runs in with my ZX-10R, and on both occasions, I was reminded of the power these machines possess. Imagine being able to get to 100 kays an hour from a standstill before your mind can even form a thought! My ZX-10R was not drag-prepped per se, but even then, the acceleration was mind-boggling. 

That said, I would also like to tell you that repeated launches and drag runs put an immense stress on the engine. But my ZX-10R was backed up by the best in the business, Castrol POWER1 ULTIMATE 10W40. Its Full-Synthetic 5-in-1 Formula has been taking care of my ZX-10R on the road, on the racetrack, and now, on the drag strip as well. And throughout my experience across all three, my ZX-10R has lived up to its ‘superbike’ tag without a hitch. 

Events like The Valley Run and such are also an indication of how far along automotive culture has come in India. But then again, it would not have been possible without massive support. Support that Castrol POWER1 has provided for not only The Valley Run, but also many such endeavours. So we’d like to offer a huge thank you to Castrol for not only being xBhp’s supporters for a very long time but also for propagating the growth of motorcycling and everything around it. 

With that, we’d like to sign off, waiting eagerly for the next edition of the spectacle of pure mechanical joy that The Valley Run brings with it.