Gulf Bhopal Monsoon Autocross 2017: Scooter Madness

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Nine hundred metres, 17 turns, a massive public ground and some curious spectators. The 2017 Gulf Bhopal Monsoon Autocross was home to India’s only scooter autocross event. Standing at the centre of the city of lakes, the Bittan Dussehrah Maidan saw a horde of scooter riders battle it out to take the trophy home. TVS, a company that is known to focus on several motorsports, invited BikeWale to witness this special event. And it was obvious that the Hosur-based company would bring in their ace riders to this monsoon event. 

The track was built on a public ground, but it didn’t give out that feeling. The place was well barricaded and there was enough space for the spectators to enjoy this adrenaline-filled scooter event. Unfortunately, the rain god had decreed it a dry day, so there was no slushiness on the ground. But that also meant more traction from the tyres and less drama on the turns. Actually, I, was pretty happy about that because I was supposed be riding the fastest scooter on this track. But more on that later. 

With seven categories in place, beginning from two-stroke 110cc scooters to 210cc four-stroke, the event began on time with much fanfare. The riders had to ride through dry patches. There were slow speed turns and some high speed ones too. At first, the track didn’t look difficult, but as more riders rode on the 900 metres long track, the mud loosened, making it quite difficult for the late riders. However, things were slightly easier for the riders from the 160cc and 210cc categories. With more power, bigger wheels and knobby tyres, these competitors managed to clock better timings than the Jupiters, Dios and the Kinetic Hondas. 

The U-turns were the most difficult ones of the lot since it required a full steering. Not only did the riders have to slow down but they also had to figure out a way to get through it as fast as possible. The ruts, which were getting bigger and deeper, added to their difficulties. Fortunately, most of the riders managed to get through it, but many riders lost some time. The riders with the bigger engines could easily catch up on the lost time though. So, the Aprilia SR150 and the TVS SXR150 competitors had the most advantage. Not only were they faster but the usage of race components on the TVS and the big wheels on the SR150 meant that they handled better and were more stable. 

It was fantastic to see female riders participating in this event too. With two categories in place, the ladies open category upto 160cc 2 & 4 stroke and the ladies category upto 210cc 2 & 4 stroke, the participation was at its maximum. The official choice for these riders were the TVS Wego, Rodeo and also the fast Aprilia SR150. 

This half a day event was nicely organised. By 1pm, all the riders had finished their run made up of 2 laps of the track. The winner is decided by adding up the times of both the laps. Everyone’s favourite, Syed Asif Ali from Bhopal, was the fastest on his TVS SXR150. He clocked 00:02:57:41 and also took the pole position in his category. Nidhi Shukla was the fastest lady rider and clocked a 00:03:18:94 on her Aprilia SR150. She took the first place in both categories – 160cc and 210cc. 

The full results of the 2017 Gulf Monsoon Scooter Autocross can be accessed here.