The GP Experience
Bike India|December 2022
Yamaha had us over in Malaysia for the penultimate round of the MotoGP world championship 
Azaman Chothia
The GP Experience

WATCHING MOTOGP races on weekends has been somewhat of a ritual ever since I was a little kid. It was actually the raison d'etre of my obsession with motorcycles and, until very recently, I had never had the good fortune to attend a race weekend in person. Therefore, a big thank you to Yamaha Motor India who invited us to be a part of the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoGP championship at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Considering that Malaysia had not hosted a MotoGP race in the last two years due to the COVID-19 restrictions, this was an extraordinary experience with high energy levels, especially getting to witness the battle for championship between Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia that has been intensifying with every passing race this season.

The atmosphere at the track during a race weekend is surely a great feeling for an enthusiast who has been waiting to experience it live. While we did miss out on the practice sessions that take place on Friday, our Saturday started early as we headed out from the place of our stay which was situated around 50 kilometres away from the racetrack. On the way to the venue, we got a glimpse of the stunning automotive culture in Malaysia. Almost every motorcycle, scooter, and car is customized in some way or the other, making each one a unique sight. When we came closer to the circuit, various superbikes in groups roared past us as they were all heading to catch the action that was set to take place after a long wait of two years.

This story is from the December 2022 edition of Bike India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 2022 edition of Bike India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BIKE INDIAView All
BMW F 450 GS Concept
Bike India

BMW F 450 GS Concept

EICMA 2024 IS GENERALLY NIRVANA FOR MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS as they're treated to plenty of new machines from a number of manufacturers. BMW Motorrad are one of them.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Toprak is the 2024 World Champion
Bike India

Toprak is the 2024 World Champion

Toprak Razgatlioglu took home his second World Superbike Championship (WSBK) title after a good battle with the Italian rookie, Nicolo Bulega of Ducati.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
A Toprak Sandwich
Bike India

A Toprak Sandwich

The battle for the title heated up as Toprak Razgatlioglu won Race One and Race Two while Nicolo Bulega won the Superpole Race in Estoril, the penultimate round of the 2024 World Superbike Championship (WSBK) season.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Navaneeth Wins Double
Bike India

Navaneeth Wins Double

Navaneeth Kumar S, Rohan R, and Yogesh P were the winners in the second round of the J K Tyre Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup INDIAN RACING

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Ross Branch and Team Hero MotoSports are the new FIM World Rally-raid Champions
Bike India

Ross Branch and Team Hero MotoSports are the new FIM World Rally-raid Champions

TEAM HERO MOTOSPORTS was founded in 2016 and Ross Branch joined in 2022. Since then, he has been a Hero MotoSports rider and their years of toil have borne a particularly sweet fruit: Ross Branch and Hero MotoSports are now the FIM World Rally-raid Champions.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
The Rise of a New 'Rad'
Bike India

The Rise of a New 'Rad'

Reise Moto invited us to the COASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore to experience their all-new radial road tyres, the traceRads.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Feels Like Graduation
Bike India

Feels Like Graduation

The third and final round of the TVS Young Media Racer Programme (YMRP) saw us take P2 in the race and P3 in the overall championship. Here is how it went off

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
In the Shadow of the Colossus
Bike India

In the Shadow of the Colossus

TVS have given the base Jupiter a complete overhaul, including a new engine. We had checked it out on a closed course back in August. This time we let it loose on the urban jungle and observed if it could survive there

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
Pay Win
Bike India

Pay Win

THE ATHER RIZTA WAS LAUNCHED TO much fanfare in April this year and then we got to sample it for a short burst in May.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Agile and Aggressive
Bike India

Agile and Aggressive

The Kawasaki KLX 230 is a superbly built dual-sport that has the ability to take on some big hitters in our market. We hopped on it for a while and kicked up some dirt at the Prodirt Adventure Park.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024