CORNERS from around the world (18 to be precise), but some genius along the way forgot to include a decent sized straight in here. That's the Madras race circuit for you, more of a handling circuit where top whack counts for nothing and the surface is as bumpy and abrasive as the road to hell.

It's been a while since I last rode a bike on this circuit, 1999 to be precise when I last raced my Yamaha TZ250 here. Nothing much has changed since then, except for the facilities degenerating into a further state of disrepair and now only the reduced 2.1km short lap is used for the races. We were told that the back end of the long circuit was in state of utter disrepair and so wasn't being used. Which wasn't the case, the track being in the same condition since I last raced here. Anyway, let's go for a flying lap of the circuit on the quickest bike here, the Pulsar 180.

Cannon down the 105kmph fifth gear start-finish straight, under the MRF arch and into C1, the first long right hander still nailed on the throttle. 100 metres on and brake hard dropping a gear for the frustratingly slow and tight right hander C2. Gassing it out of C2 using a slightly late apex and dart diagonally across the track to get into position for the left-hander C3, a negative camber corner and very tricky to get right. The exit is vital as it leads to the up straight and messing up the exit will lose a lot of time on the run to C7. Exiting C3 in third, I go up the gears through the mild esses leading up to the straight itself.

I drop a gear for the relatively fast left hander C7 that leads into C8. At the exit to C8 I get back on the throttle and into top gear for the mild left beforeC10, the sweep or the never-ending corner as we racers call it. This is one of the most thrilling corners of the track and it's really a shame that the present crop of racers racing only on the short loop don't experience the rush of taking this corner flat out.

Some 50 metres from the exit is C12, a fast left hander leading onto the back straight, the fastest section of the track. Brake and drop into fourth for C15 darting diagonally across the track for the left-handed C14. Cannon down under the Scissors arch going up the gears flat out through the fast right hander. Hard on the brakes and downshift into third for C16, the slow left of the bridge complex.

Nail the throttle at the apex and go up the gears to C17, the right hander leading up to the bridge. The bridge leads into a twin apex right hander taken in fourth that leads back onto the start-finish straight and round and round you go.