CHENNAI: Crazy youth in big bikes zipping past in the busy roads, many times maiming innocent passers-by — this is the popular image about the menace of street racing. But until a few years ago, North Chennai had a tradition of a slightly different form of racing which was conducted in the empty roads in midnight hours. Both ends of the stretch would be blocked and youth in their modified motorbikes — invariably Yamaha RX 100s or RX135s — would race in drag races between straight stretches.
The old-timers in this trade recall how this form of drag racing, which they believe was unharmful for public and “organised”, has had a slow death due to the police crackdown. And as a result, many youth take up busy roads for racing, and in the process cause nuisance or sometimes maim or kill other road users.
This dying racing fraternity is limited to the northern part of the city which includes Chintadripet, Vyasarpadi, Mint, Perambur and the infamous Pudhupettai. It is dying, but still the occasional drag races do happen. The location has shifted to outskirts where there is minimal police watch.
Car races are rare but the bike racing fraternity has a rich legacy. Tuned up Yamaha RX 100s and RX135s are the de-facto race bikes for a variety of reasons such as availability, small gear shift ratios, controllable power and room for customisation. The two-stroke engines garner a much better power-to-weight ratio than their four-stroke successors.
One of the godfathers of the illegal bike racing circuit in Chennai is 41-year-old Bhaskar, a mechanic from Triplicane. The lean, balding man is a local hero to the kids and a prodigy to his peers.
The founder of the G2 racing team has worked on more than 5000 motorcycles and tuned more than 500 engines for races. He is said to have lost less than 10 races in his 28-year career.
G2’s last race on May 1 with a team from Bangalore was cancelled after the opposite side backed out citing strict policing. They claim to have no races coming up in the near future.
Shift to the suburbs
Races have shifted to the suburbs where police patrol is minimal and only the big guns operate. The number of races has come down but the stakes are much higher.
“We practice in Uthandi or Kelambakkam after the roads are deserted in the night,” says Hyder, a racer.
“Back in the day, races were primarily about pride and bragging rights”, says Dhina, a former racer. “Now money is the main motivation,” he says.
How races happen
The G2 team explains that the standard drag race happens on a three-kilometre empty stretch; usually near Chengalpet on the National Highway 32 which connects Chennai and Nagapattinam.
“Almost fifty people assemble at the race stretch and block both ends,” says Sugan, G2’s best racer. “Participants sign a declaration saying the other party isn’t responsible for injuries, death and the bets range anywhere from Rs 50,000 to 2,00,000.”
Since the entire race only takes less than two minutes, and within five minutes traffic is back to normal, police aren’t able to catch the culprits.
Essentially the race is in the hands of the mechanic. It is the mechanic’s reputation which is on the line during each race. Races put some mechanics on the map and take others off.
“The rider merely changes the gears. I decide how much power each gear disburses,” says Bhaskar.
According to Glady, a mechanic from Tambaram, the entire motorcycle is taken apart and only the essential parts go back on with a ‘C’ shaped fairing to increase aerodynamics. The exhaust system, the reed, the transfer port and the crankshaft are tweaked with to achieve maximum power output.
Mechanics of Bhaskar’s cut are known to increase the BHP of an RX 100 from 11.5 to 18 and tune an RX 135 to 24 BHP from its stock 14 BHP. While tuned RX 100s hit a maximum speed of 160km/hr, RX 135s hit a top speed of 180 km/hr. In comparison, a 2017 stock KTM RC390, a modern motorcycle twenty years apart, hits a top speed of only 170km/hr.
Fatalities played a role
However, it is not only the increased policing but CCTV presence that has put a lid on racing. Bhaskar has watched three of his riders die right in front of his eyes.
His proteges also recount numerous accidents they have seen. “One of my friends swerved dangerously close to the railings of the Adyar bridge when we did a practice run. Luckily he held on and brought the motorcycle under control,” says Dhina. “The bikes are sometimes too powerful to handle,” Bhaskar says.
“And the riders lose control”.
The two-stroke engines are formatted to allow more fuel for combustion, thereby drastically bringing up the power output. The crankshaft and piston can overheat and cause the engine to cease abruptly.
When asked about the youths who race in the city’s roads during the busy hours, Bhaskar dismisses them as, “just kids driving rashly and don’t deserve to be called racers.”