Motorbike Road Racing
Everything to know about the Indian National Motorcycle Championship
Kerala-based riders Anfal Akdhar and Allwin Xavier explain the details of circuit motorcycle racing in India and the main professional championship.
Like all aspirants, Anfal Akdhar and Allwin Xavier started their bike racing journey at an academy. It handed them the necessary certification to apply for their license to race, issued by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).
After his first season in the 2020 Indian National Motorcycle Championship with Rockstar Racing, Allwin moved to Sparks Racing this year. Anfal followed in his footsteps, making his debut with Rockstar Racing in 2021. The duo is currently battling it out in the Novice category of the Stock group at the 2021 Indian National Motorcycle Championship.
Here, they present insights into the National Championship and the bikes that feature in it.
01
Regulations regarding bikes
Through a practice called homologation, the FMSCI certifies certain bike models produced by Indian manufacturers that can race in specific categories. Each bike is registered on the basis of its chassis number and must be used for the entire duration of the National Championship season. In case of a crash, the team must spend resources to fix the bike, readying it in time for the next round.
“If you want to use a new bike, you need to put in a fresh entry form and register a new chassis number,” Anfal says.
Anfal Akdhar
© Jishnu Vaimeethil
02
Regulations regarding tyres
The championship has been sponsored by MRF Ltd, as a result of which, all bikes feature MRF tyres during the races. A set of front and rear tyres is issued for each bike, which must be used for two weekends of racing.
03
Guidelines to be followed
The FMSCI releases a technical regulation guideline each year for every category. It specifies all aspects in detail and the bikes have to be strictly prepared as per these guidelines. There are some elements that can be modified and some which must remain the same. Every bike is scrutinised as per these rules, before and after each race. The slightest deviation can lead to a penalty or cause potential disqualification.
Along with the bike, the rider’s safety gear – riding suit, an approved helmet, boots, gloves, and chest and back protector – is also checked thoroughly, leaving nothing to chance. Only after getting the marshals’ approval do organisers hand over a competition number to the racer. There are also specifications related to how the number plates must be displayed on each bike.
Participant numbers should be clearly visible on race bikes
© Allwin Xavier
04
What happens on the racing weekend
The weekend starts with a practice session, followed by qualifying and two rounds of racing; i.e. two races each race weekend. There are points awarded to the top 10 places, with 25 points in store for the winner of a race. Any protest in relation to the race must be logged within 30 minutes of the declaration of provisional results.
05
The racing categories
The National Championship comprises two groups – the Stock and the Pro Stock. All riders under the age of 23 years feature in the Novice category of the Stock group during their debut season. There is a separate girls category in the Stock group as well. The five rounds feature 10 races for the Novice category and five for the girls.
Any rider over the age of 23 years, or who has previously won a race in the Novice category, must participate in the Open category as part of the Pro Stock group. The Pro Stock group features five rounds of two races each.
“There may be around 15-20 teams racing at the National Championship. All riders have motorcycles upto 165cc in our (Novice) category. Once you win a race in the Novice category, you are not permitted to ride in the same category the next season and must make the jump to the Pro Stock group,” Allwin says.
Allwin Xavier
© Jishnu Vaimeethil
06
Stock bikes you can use in the championship
In India, there are three Stock bike manufacturers – TVS, Yamaha and Honda. According to Anfal, most riders in the Stock group prefer the Yamaha R15 V3 bike that has 19.6bhp – the highest among all bikes in this category.
“There is no bike that can beat the Yamaha R15 V3. It has great handling and is made for the track. It takes just a few modifications to ready it for the track,” Anfal says.
Bikes in the Pro Stock group are classified into three categories – 130cc to 165cc, 201cc to 300cc and 301cc to 400cc.
“Riding in Pro Stock is an expensive affair. The most competitive category is the Pro Stock 301-400cc. It features bikes like the Yamaha YZF-R3, TVS RR310 and KTM RC390, which are really powerful,” Allwin says.
Allwin on a Yamaha R15 V3 bike
© Allwin Xavier
07
Making modifications to your bike
Bikes used for racing in the Stock group have a similar configuration to road bikes. Teams usually strip unnecessary components such as headlights, indicators and electronic switches to make the bike faster.
“There cannot be any major modifications on the bike. Performance in this category is down to the skill of the rider,” Anfal says of the Stock category.
The primary modification is that of the suspension, depending on the height of the rider.
“The adjustments are usually made to set the handlebar and footrest position as per riding comfort. Stock bikes are similar to normal bikes – just the suspension and tuning is different,” Allwin says.
There are six gears on the bike, but the shifting pattern is opposite to that of road bikes.
“In normal bikes, you push down to hit the first gear while the rest are all switched upwards. In racing, we use GP shifting – you switch up for the first gear and for the rest, you push down. This allows a rider to change gears while leaning,” Allwin says.
Things are a lot different in the Pro Stock category, where most riders build their own bikes based on specifications mentioned in the rule book. As a result, besides the ability of the rider, a lot depends on the machine that they put together.
“You have the option of using soft suspensions made by manufacturers, adding electronics like shifters, and changing the exhaust and race bearings,” Anfal says of Pro Stock bikes.
Riders make changes to the bikes based on regulations
© Allwin Xavier
08
Testing your bike before the season
A lot of teams conduct their own preseason testing to understand their machines better. The exercise is less intensive when it comes to Stock bikes, since there isn’t much tinkering involved. Besides private testing, a lot of work happens during the practice session prior to qualifying, where riders work with tuners to ready their bikes.
“You can only make a few changes to a Stock bike. We usually make the changes during testing,” Anfal says.
It is very different in the Pro Stock category though.
“Pro Stock is where you need perfect tuning for the engine and the suspension, and practice sessions are the key to analysing the bike and its handling,” Anfal says.
09
The 2021 racing season
In 2021, the National Championship is set to roll out only at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai as a precaution for health reasons. The season that started in August will run until February 2022. The event has been organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club, who have been promoting motorsports in India since 1953.