HUMBLED!

Coming to grips with the ‘go fast, turn left’ way of two-wheeled life

- Manaal Mahatme

Going flat out on straights, slamming the brakes to load up the front, leaning into the corner with the knee slider scraping against the tarmac... unlearning most of this and doing the opposite is quite an ask, isn't it? Especially if you haven't had some flat-track sessions for a long time. And signing up straight for a race? I knew I was in for a humbling experience, but was excited nonetheless.

Ever since I saw pictures of the Harley-Davidson Street 750 flat trackers in 2018, I have been waiting for my chance to go sideways with it, and I finally got it... well, almost. Though the one I raced was based on the X440 and not the 750, it was built by the same guys — Rajputana Customs.

'Isn't this too petite?' I wondered. The seat took most of the real estate, running from almost the fuel tank cover all the way to the rear cowl. And that's it. Strip away the Harley badge on the engine and the side panels, and there's almost nothing that said that this started its life as an X440.