Granted that motorcycle racing in India is at a nascent stage and there are scattered events around the country where folks can enter and of course there is no glamour attached to it, but there are takers and with two wheeler giants like Honda entering this field, we wouldn't be too surprised to see a Valentino Rossi or Dani Pedrosa from India in the next 10 years
Honda's One Make Race was one such attempt in that direction. Introduced in India in 2008, the Honda One Make Race is all about promoting motorsports in India and seven years on, there couldn't be more enthusiasm among racers. The company has been providing race training since 2011 for novice & expert Indian riders to enhance their riding skills and well the culmination of all this effort is the race. Yes, once in, the racing enthusiasts get a unique opportunity to take the bikes provided by Honda on a racing circuit and prove what they're capable of.
But there are a few rules to adhere to and well, here they are. One should be above 13 years of age and should have a valid FMSCI license to apply for the two categories - the Honda CBR 150R(Novice) and Honda CBR 250R(open category). One can register for the Novice category if s/he is below the age of 23. Those above that age limit fall into the open category.
The bikes are provided by Honda and the rider does not have to worry about it. Indeed, there is a selection process in place after which candidates make their way to the race rounds. All the selected racers have five rounds to go through and the initial four rounds were held at the Madras Motor Race track and the final round was at the Buddh F1 International Circuit in Noida.
But well, it's all about the man and the machine and now we turn to the machine - the Honda CBR250R. The first thing that you notice about the bike is that it loses the beautifully sculpted face and is replaced by a more aggressive and aerodynamic front face which has been shaped by the racing department of Honda - HRC(Honda Racing Corporation ). The changes make it easier for riders to enter a corner, clip the apex and exit without them facing much wind resistance. This comes in handy even on the straights and the changes to the bike make it 14kg lighter than the production version.
The bike uses the same engine which is used in the CBR250R but there are a few alterations to gibe it that edge on the track. The headlamp has been transformed into a cowl, there's an aluminium sprocket by HRC and a brand new wiring kit. There is also a mode switch provided for engine remapping on various laps. The quick shift buttons electronically cut off the engine on gear changes and this comes in while dealing with corners as the rider need not release the accelerator and can keep it on full blast to get the optimum speed when exiting it. The race under cowl prevents any sort of oil leakage on the track and all the changes to the body cowl and the engine make this CBR250R 20% more powerful.
Well, all the bikes are at par when it comes to power and it's all on the way the riders take it around the track. The boost from Honda to bring in such a competition to India speaks volumes about its trust in the talent that India has and we might soon see a lot more participation from our country in the international motorsport arena. We've conquered F1, Dakar, Le Mans and many a historic motosport championships but MotoGP has always evaded us. With renewed hopes, thanks to Honda, we can be optimistic about conquering all the worlds.
