Hadapsar’s unique motocross rider- Hitesh Ghadge
In India, motorcycles are more popular than scooters. Motorcycles are always preferred because of their Thrill, Power and Speed. Nowadays scooters are also widely used as they are easy to handle, but the fun of riding a motorbike is not found in scooters. While riding a scooter, you cannot enjoy the power, thrill and speed of a motorcycle.
In the 1980s we had some options in motorcycles like Royal Enfield (Bullet), Yezdi and Rajdoot. In 1982 Ind-Suzuki launched the first 100 cc bike in India, TVS Motor of India and Suzuki of Japan jointly launched this bike in India.
After the launch of Ind-Suzuki, Hero Honda, Kawasaki Bajaj and Escorts Yamaha launched their bikes. All these were 100 cc motorcycles. Only the Hero Honda was a 4-stroke while all the others were 2 strokes, which were made economical considering the mindset of the Indian buyer. This changed the face of the Indian motorcycle market.
Today we have many options in motorcycles in terms of power and speed. Indian and foreign-made bikes with power ranging from 100 ccs to 650 ccs and more are now easily available.
Speed, power and thrill always encourage riders to ride a bike. But we can’t ride a motorcycle at high speed on the road. The only option for that is a dirt track and motocross competition.
I remember around 1983-85 Hadapsar used to hold Motocross competitions on the Tukai hill natural track (a slope created by a farm embankment on the slope).
The bikes used for this competition are specially prepared by some contestants from the garage of Rafiq Mama at Hadapsar. Bajaj Super to Bajaj M50 was also in the competition. After 1983-85 100cc bikes like Honda CD, Yamaha RX and Suzuki bikes were used for such competition.
It was fun to watch the bikes flying high in the air from the dirt track. In this competition, the speed, the control of the bike in the turn, the noise after the bike passes, and the sound of the bike is indescribable. In those days there were no TV channels like today or even mobile phones to shoot.
In Pune, the Pune Automotive Racing Association (PARA) used to hold such competitions at the Nehru Stadium. Shyam Kothari, Pratap Bhagwat, Ashok Raja, Dnyaneshwar Barguje, and Deshpande brothers were famous riders of that time. Urvashi Patole and Aishwarya Barguje were the leading names in the women’s category. The day after the competition, photos and descriptions of the competition used to publish in the newspaper, that’s all the publicity they get.
But today dirt track racing is gaining popularity in India day by day. Motocross and dirt tracks have existed in India for over six decades. Over the last 5-6 years it became more popular and gained interest across the country. However, the sport is not given the publicity it deserves.
Now international riders also participate in rally and road racing events in India. India’s role in motorsport will continue to grow in the future. Automakers are investing money in the sport, with various manufacturers sponsoring such competitions.
Many amateur bikers/riders join clubs for weekly or monthly bike rallies and rides. Today many young riders in the country are aspiring to become professional riders.
Why am I saying all this?
Because I recently came across one such budding rider.
He is emerging as a young aspiring dirt track and motocross rider.
His name is Hitesh Ghadge, one of the dirt track and motocross riders from Hadapsar, Pune. Sometime before Corona, I met him in a competition held near DP Road in Malwadi Hadapsar. A reason to chat with him, he will provide some useful information, tips and inspiration for new budding riders.
Sri Ganesha in motocross and dirt track.
Hitesh started dirt track and motocross riding at the age of 25, since his childhood he used to watch dirt track bikes in a garage near his home. At the age of 16, he started learning to ride a bike in a nearby field. After getting his driving license, he used to go to a garage near the home where dirt track bikes were maintained or motorcycles were tuned for rally or dirt track.
Later, he would help Rafiq Maman (the garage owner) to carry the bikes from the garage to the practice ground so that he would have a chance to ride them. This is what got him interested in this game.
Rider Mania hailed as the world’s largest gathering of Royal Enfield is a three-day event featuring riding events and competitions, dirt-track racing, bike-related stalls and music, entertainment and art, bringing together Royal Enfield and bike enthusiasts from across the country to enjoy their bikes and like-minded people. They come to Goa to share their passion with people
An inexperienced Hitesh participated in a similar competition, in which Rafiq Mama spotted his talent and encouraged him to become a professional rider, he was felicitated by a small program at Hadapsar.
After Rafiq Mama agreed to tune the bike for the competition, he started training on the dirt track.
Hitesh participated in the Blitzkrieg Riding Club’s dirt track event on 15 August 2015, on which he rode the Bullet Electra 350 for the first time and took his first podium on the day.
After that, he took Guru Rafiq Mama’s advice and started competing in motorcycle competitions in professional races like FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India). Also won the title due to his guidance and advice from time to time.
It is really difficult to get practice ground in the Hadapsar area. But he found a solution, for regular practice he goes to Holkarwadi and Kanifnath Ghat, which have some natural tracks which are similar to the dirt track in the competition. The villagers also allowed him to practice here. So he goes to this place for regular practice and training.
His bikes
Hitesh owns 6 different bikes, 3 Royal Enfield, two Hero Impulse and one Yamaha Rx 135. Which I use for racing. His favourite bike is Royal Enfield (RE), apart from that he also likes Hero Impulse
- Royal Enfield Electra 350 CC
- Royal Enfield Standard 500 Cc
- Royal Enfield Himalayan
- Yamaha RX 135
- Hero Impulse Stock
- Hero Impulse Racing
The reason for using these bikes is that they are Indian-made, so spare parts are easily available. Another reason is considering his height, the seat height of this bike is suitable for him. This bike has less maintenance than other bikes.
It adapts to its needs for dirt tracks and motocross, making the bike easy and comfortable to ride. For dirt track or motocross, he removes unnecessary parts from his bike, which makes the bike easy to ride at the required speed.
His Mentors (Guru)
His mentors Rafiq Mama and Jatin Bhapkar periodically guided him to tune the bike according to the racing track and conditions, which boosted his confidence.
He exercises regularly for fitness. Any sport requires you to be physically and mentally fit. He wakes up at 4.30 am every day, cycling at least 25 km or running 5 to 7 km and walking 5 km, some exercise, gym as needed is his routine.
When there are no competitions, he reads success stories of successful athletes and also watches interviews of successful people in different sports on YouTube. Also, watch racing videos of international rallies and dirt track events.
He also watches his racing videos where he sees the mistakes he made in races so that he can avoid the same mistakes in the future.
The happiest moment of Hitesh’s life was winning the Royal Enfield category Group ‘D’ title in ‘Rally of Himalayas’. The rally starts via Manali, Hamta Pass, Solang Valley, Gramphu, Batal and Kaza. Skill is at stake in this rally. As well as your training and physical and mental fitness.
The race was very tough and challenging for every rider. It’s everyone’s dream to finish the rally in one piece, it was my first cross country rally and I managed to complete it in the first attempt, Hitesh said.
So far Hitesh has won more than 100 trophies, out of which 20+ are National Championships in various categories.
His advice
He feels that continuous effort and practice day in and day out has made him a better all-around rider and has helped him win various championships, besides learning from his past mistakes.
He feels that whoever wants to pursue a career in dirt track riding apart from physical fitness, a rider needs to perfect his fitness to handle the bike.
A rider has to ride off-road first to get the handling of his bike. He has to build his bike as per FMSCI rules. Full protection gear is a must-have for a dirt track or rally race. A rider must obtain an FMSCI license to participate in FMSCI events.
They need a lot of training/practice for grabbing style, and riding posture, there are different styles of riding. It is important to choose the right one for your comfortable riding.
Knowledge of maps and navigation is essential in the rally, you don’t have the same tracks in the rally, so you don’t know what is going to happen next, you have to constantly monitor the track. It is very difficult to maintain speed as well as handle the bike.
Body position and riding style are different for rally and dirt track. So everyone should find a body position and riding style that feels comfortable, easy and comfortable in competition.
His favourite hero in motocross and dirt track.
In dirt track racing, his idol is Pinkesh Thakkar, who is the 2018 National Rally Champion with over 22 years of racing. Also, CS Santosh, an Indian off-road and enduro motorcycle racer, is his sports hero.
Best wishes to Hitesh for his motocross and dirt track career!
हडपसर न्यूज ब्युरो
hadapsarinfomedia@gmail.com
