CEAT Enduro Tracks: An action-packed experience

Knowing the basics

The day started with us being introduced to the group of trainers, which was headed by Shardul Sharma, the only Indian Enduro rider to represent our country on international platforms. The training started with things as basic as how this format of racing is different from other off-roading competitions like Motocross and Supercross. As the name suggests, the rider’s endurance is thoroughly tested here as they hustle their way through a long course of unpredictable challenges thrown in by nature. In a nutshell, there’s no fixed course and the participants need to find their own way to the finish line.

Once we were brought up to speed with the definition of the sport, it was time to learn the basics of body position, which is similar to other forms of off-roading to a huge extent. The nitty-gritty like seeing as far as possible, gripping the lower portion of the bike with legs, keeping arms flared out, and maintaining a loose grip on the handlebar, were common. Well, all of this was easier said than done on the training course that was set for us!

CEAT, along with the trainers, had set up a course comprising all the elements that riders come across during hard Enduro competitions. And it was all beginner-level, or at least that’s what they thought. The course comprised a vast variety of hurdles, amongst which some of the most intimidating ones to cross were muddy water pit, tyres bangled around huge planks, a garden of gigantic rocks, and many tight corners with deep and loose dirt. We were trained to tackle a few of these obstacles that were complicated yet doable for us.

Facing my fears

The training started with us trying to get through a pair of muddy water pits. In theory, the trainers made it look simple – hold the bike tightly at the bottom and keep the throttle steady without decelerating or accelerating while being in the water. Even the demonstration given by the trainers deceived us into believing that it was no big deal. 

This was followed by us journos giving it a try and falling face-first, including yours truly. In the first two attempts, the bike just left traction and tipped on the right side as soon as I was in the deepest portion of the pit. The issue was unsteady throttle input and not looking ahead towards the exit. The third time though, I focused harder on consistent acceleration, looked straight at the exit of the pit and stayed upright on the bike. The bike dove in and came out smoothly!

We then moved on to the next few obstacles like a see-saw ramp, a steeply banked corner, tyre mines, a log bridge, and a big pit. While all of these felt like a cakewalk to me, the rock garden turned out to be too extreme. After going over a few rocks, I was caught by one of the bigger boulders as the bike’s front end got stuck in a huge gap and I was thrown ahead. After sustaining a minor injury during the first few falls at the slush pit, I decided to not give the rock garden another try and watched others take their share of tumbles instead. 

MX X3 tyres – a revelation

All the aforementioned off-road drama took place on the stock Hero Xpulse 200 kitted with dual-purpose CEAT tyres that come as standard. After the entire training session, I got the opportunity to try out the brand’s new MX X3 tyres, meant for the Xpulse 200, and are yet to be officially launched. These aren’t just any other knobbies but purpose-built, soft-compound, hard Enduro tyres with gigantic knobs. 

Now, this was my first-ever experience on proper off-road tyres. As I went out on the track at a slow speed, the bouncy and squirmy nature of the tyres astonished me. I thought either it wasn’t properly inflated or the surface I was riding on was too slippery. 

However, these rubbers turned out to be a revelation as I picked up some pace. The stability and grip were unbelievable. They gave me the impression of being glued to the surface and consistently masked my mistakes. Going through the slush pit was way more effortless now. And through the loose dirt sections, the knobs dug in like no one’s business and kept tracing the line I intended to go on. Owing to the immense grip, sliding the rear was difficult as the rear tyre just stayed glued to the dirt. On Xpulse’s stock tyres, I was intimidated to go through some straights and corners with slippery gravel and loose sand where the rear kept fish-tailing from side-to-side. But on these tyres, the Xpulse went rock-solid, like a tractor, despite my vision, throttle inputs, and body position being all over the place. 

End note

The unpredictability of an Enduro course is what makes it stand out from other formats of off-road riding. And if you’re someone who likes to do a lot of two-wheeled exploration of new places with challenging routes, enrolling for CEAT Enduro Tracks is advisable. It will help you get armed with off-roading skills and techniques that are crucial to explore the beautiful wilderness that India has in abundance. Also, the good folks at CEAT will make sure it’s easy on the pocket by charging somewhere close to Rs. 1,000 per session, which includes training from experts, access to the track, and food. It will be held in multiple cities across India in the coming days, and its official announcement will be made soon.