Spending three days on a racetrack teaches you a lot of things. Not just about motorcycle or racing but also about the rider’s ability, strength and how hard he or she is ready to push. My first stint at motorcycle racing was quite an exciting one and would love to do that again. But before that, here are a few learnings that need to be talked about.
Fittest will survive
The most important factor – fitness. Believe it or now, this will decide if you will finish the entire race or give up in the first few laps. Motorcycle racing demands your core, your muscle strength and stamina. If you lack in any of these, your chances of crossing the chequered flag first is minimal.
Weight management
The more you weigh, the slower you will be, especially on smaller bikes. I learned this the hard way. I had an excellent start, but lost three positions in the long straight due to my weight which is close to 100kg. The lighter riders will definitely take advantage of this. So ensure that you cut down the excess fat by doing plenty of cardio and eating right.
Know your limits
There’s a saying that ‘To finish first, you must first finish’. A lot of us like to push ourselves to win. That’s a good thing, but knowing your limits is equally important. This way, there are high chances of crossing the finish line in one piece.
It’s all about the lines
The fastest way to get through the track is following the racing lines. I found it a little difficult to adapt to this since it was my first time at the track. But I eventually ended up going faster once I cracked the ‘racing lines’ code.
Look far ahead
You need to plan far ahead when on a racetrack. This will help you anticipate your next move which will indirectly help you go faster and smoothly. This should be applied mostly in the long corners because that’s where it proves to be very useful.
