Funny name, we’ve seen it on YouTube, looks crazy but who wants to chase cones in a parking lot? Green Eggs and Ham!
Gymkhana started as an equestrian event and has evolved into motorcycle and car challenges featuring all riding skill sets.
https://m-gymkhana.com/ sets up at Auto Club Speedway on Saturdays with https://fastrackriders.info/ so I tried it. Racing can be like playing chess at 100 mph. Gymkhana is much the same, hence it’s great training for everything we do.
The idea is to ride the course as fast as possible. The trick is, you must memorize the course: From the start box, go through yellow gates, right around red cones, left around green cones, if the red or green cone has a yellow top you have to go around at least 270 degrees, stop on the finish box. Time penalties for messing up. Got that?
James Bush showing me the course, all photo’s by Katie Bush.
It’s not as hard as it sounds. First you walk the course, then you practice, then you race, just like road racing. Well not really. In competition you don’t get to ride the race course. Never mind that, you start with a practice course, this is where I’m at.
I got to ride a KTM 390 Duke demo bike, nice ride. I went around and around. Not having a street bike to ride I‘ve become rusty on some of these sharp turn skills, I could feel the rust falling off. This is great practice for body position, head turn, brake and clutch control, everything. It’s a lot like what Lorenzo did and still does working to be precise in every way.
New KTM390 Duke with a rusty rider.
It’s hard at first, too much to remember, not sure how fast to go, feeling awkward. But that’s my point, if it’s easy you won’t learn anything, won’t try harder and get better.
Riding and racing your bike on track is expensive and risky. So we found ways to practice that cost less and risk less. XR100’s on small dirt tracks, scooters in parking lots, visualization exercises to name a few.
Gymkhana offers all this, a serious mental challenge and wicked fun.
Getting more pointers from James Bush of M-Gymkhana.
Here is the thing that made me realize that I need to do more of this. First the base line of this example. On a road race track with similar road race bikes no one smokes me, the fastest riders in the world can catch and pass me but they won’t just blow by me. I’ll keep them in sight long enough to learn a few things. A few years ago I entered a 25 hour dirt bike race in the amateur class with some friends. There was a pro class too. I was slowly catching the guy ahead of me riding into the setting sun, running over a long section of fast woops, we were doing about 40 mpg. I heard a noise as a pro went by doing about 100 mph. I was stunned. Clearly that rider knew stuff that I have not even dreamed of. Inconceivable. I felt the same way trying to keep up on this course with my instructor. Clearly, I have work to do.
Go right around the red cones…
Check out M-Gymkhana at the address above. The couple who put the events on do a great job, nice set up, good instruction and encouragement. You’ll get to hang out with like minded people, ride around in circles all day and improve your skills.
Left around the blue cones…
With Skill, Speed is Unavoidable.