TWO Track School is on April 19-20 at Kari Motor Speedway

Indimotard and OVERDRIVE are pleased to announce that the next edition of India's top track riding school, Throttle Wide Open, will be held on April 19 and 20, 2014, at Coimbatore's Kari Motor Speedway. Registrations are now open and seats are limited so if you would like to improve your riding skills, the time to sign up is now. The TWO Track School focusses on riding skills rather than racing skills and targets the very basic components of riding a motorcycle well. Students typically finish the first level finding greater confidence in their abilities and greater speed at the racetrack.

Why go to school?

Riding motorcycles isn't as automatic a skill as it should be. Riding well requires the rider to overcome a whole bunch on instinctive responses to situations and that is the focus of the Level One of the school. Riding motorcycles is a more involved process than just figuring out how the various levers on the bike works. TWO aims to demystify this process through two days of classroom instruction and instructor-led drills out on track.

 Why go to a track?

In theory you can learn these skills on the street. But in practice, a track offers a much safer environment with a lot of distractions - like traffic or varying road conditions - removed so you can focus on your riding skills and what you are doing on the motorcycle. Plus, it is great fun to ride on track and we warn you, pretty addictive. That's why TWO sees a lot of students come back again and again - because learning is great but learning when you're having a great time is pretty much unbeatable.

 How much does it cost?

We used to charge just Rs 4000-5000 for the weekend but a steep rise in the cost of track rental has forced us to raise prices dramatically to Rs 13,500 per student. We know that this isn't a small amount of money but we promise it'll be worth it. The cost includes instruction, am ambulance on standby, track marshals to help run the on-track sessions, buffet lunch on both days and water. All the other costs will have to borne by you.

 What other costs?

You should budget for the cost of getting to and returning from Coimbatore. If you're riding your bike down, that is fuel and stops, or air/train tickets as applicable. Further, Indimotard has an arrangement with a Coimbatore hotel for rooms at discounted rates - you'll spend about Rs 3,000 on three nights accommodation plus another Rs 2,000-odd on dinners.

I have to bring my own bike?

Ideally yes. We believe riding your own motorcycle allows you to ride a more familiar machine and learn better. However, Indimotard does have a limited supply of Yamaha YZF-R15s and KTM 200 Dukes available for rent. These get booked pretty fast, so book early. Also, Indimotard trucks a number of motorcycles from Bangalore to the track and back - this is a paid service which many of our students find reasonably priced and extremely convenient. Contact Indimotard for details of prices as well as drop-off and pick up schedules. Please do note that if you're planning to ride back to Bangalore on Sunday afternoon you should call it an early night Saturday. It is not that long a ride (~400km) but two days of riding at the track will drain you. Better to ride rested (on Monday morning if it comes to it) than to ride tired.

Are there other schools in India?

Yes there are. And to us, it is more important for you to go to school than to go to our school. Riding a bike under the watchful eye of someone who can improve your riding with clear instructions and ideas changes everything. It is really something you must do. Ideally with us, but definitely with someone you trust, and as early as humanly possible.

Where do I sign up?

Go to indimotard.com or send an email to tworacing@indimotard.com and you'll get everything you need to sign up - prices, registration forms, transportation details from Bangalore, hotel addresses and what have you.

What do I need to bring?

Indimotard will email you a full list of items. But in essence, you'll need full riding gear (helmet, gloves, boots, riding jacket and riding pants or at least knee protection). We would like to see everyone in full leathers but they are expensive and not an expense we want to burden you with until you decide to ride on track regularly. Also check that your motorcycle has enough brake pads (they wear fast at the track) and enough engine oil. We encourage students to remove mirrors before you ride the track and to tape over your speedo so that your actual speed is not a distraction. Also bring money for fuel - there's a petrol station pretty close to the track and you'll go through gas quickly on track - though most Indian bikes will easily handle two days on a tankful.