Niklo Lateral, the new outfit from Niklo Media and Experience has partnered with Dubai-based The Drift Home to bring drifting to India. The biggest challenge with learning to drift is finding a safe place and trainers, but Niklo Lateral seems to have cracked the code. The drift school was launched at the Buddh International Circuit which has a massive parking lot, which is where sessions will be conducted on weekends. Niklo Lateral also has plans to take the drift school places, and have enthusiasts across the country learn to drift. What’s worth noting is that the trainers include some of Dubai’s most famous names from the sport, like Yousef Al-Herais and Fahad Latheef, also the men behind The Drift Home. 

The inaugural weekend saw Niklo Lateral set up multiple tracks, including a curated fast track with wide corners for professional drifters to practice on and for Yousef and Fahad to offer taxi rides, besides a simpler track for novice drivers. But while drifting sounds easy, the art requires immense practice and throttle control, not to forget, razor-sharp reflexes. Most importantly, you need a rear-wheel drive car that has been set up to go sideways, which is perhaps the biggest challenge! And that’s where Greater Noida-based Sportech comes into the picture. Sportech has been doing more than servicing, customising and tuning cars, because they have been building cars for drifting – including converting the humble Maruti Suzuki Swift and Baleno sedan to rear-wheel drive drift cars!

Niklo Lateral also has Indian drift stars like Prateek Dalal to teach students, who is a professional himself and has represented India in autocross and other motorsport championships abroad. Prateek recently acquired a Nissan 370Z and has converted it into a drift car. I was keen on trying out the BMWs though – the 3 Series and 5 Series, both of which have been customised and turned into proper drift cars – with the famous ‘e-brake’ or handbrake! The efforts gone into starting a dedicated drift school for enthusiasts and also offer experienced drifters a place to practice safely without breaking the law or be seen as a nuisance are commendable. To be there and get behind the wheel of a drift car with more than rear wheel drive to go sideways, while also learning from professionals made for quite the evening for us!

Prior to this, despite the growing following, we haven’t quite seen anything like this except for one-off events and individuals making it large on their own. But with a full-fledged setup, Niklo Lateral’s initiative feels like the perfect boost to help drifting get recognised as a sport in India. The focus on the setup of the cars, taking care of the cars mid-session to ensure engines don’t heat up, the setup of the track and more was excellent, and the Niklo Lateral crew was working with clockwork precision. The discipline helped, and given the highly-experienced trainers and perfectly tuned cars it was clear this is a thoughtfully curated program for anyone and everyone wanting to learn the art of drifting. The evening gave us ‘Tokyo Drift’ vibes too, given the cars, the track, the sounds – the turbochargers, blowoff whistles and the screeching tyres – and of course, the acrid smell of burning rubber! 

Interested? You can sign up for Niklo’s drift school too, because in the automotive sphere, there’s few things more gratifying than being able to go sideways! Level 1 training is priced at ₹80,000 including the drift car, trainer, tyres and fuel, while experienced drivers can opt for Level 2 training which is priced at ₹1.50 lakh. That’s a whole lot more affordable than going in for the same training abroad, be it in Dubai or Thailand, not to mention the cost and efforts to travel abroad. And with experienced drivers and a full-fledged, professional set up, Niklo Lateral really is aiming to bring drifting to India in a way enthusiasts have never seen before! 

Words Abhay Verma

Photography Saidatta Naik

The post Feature: Scratch that itch! – Niklo Lateral Drift School first appeared on Turbocharged.

Your tyres are as important as the specifications of your motorcycle. You can have a great engine, the best suspension and sharp brakes, but it all comes down to those small patches of rubber keeping you connected to the road, just like how you wear shoes. Get the wrong pair, and you will hate the ride; get the right pair, and the whole experience elevates itself.

Eurogrip wanted us to test what their tubeless tyres are really capable of, so they planned a ride from Madurai to Kodaikanal. From the heat and chaos of the temple city to the cool, twisty roads of the princess of hills, it was just the perfect mix to test them out.

I started the trip on an MT-15 with a Beamer HS+ at the front and a Protorq Extreme at the rear. Through the city, they felt steady and predictable, which is what you want in traffic. Braking was smooth and the tyres held strong even when I had to dodge sudden surprises on the road.

A quick break, and I swapped to a Dominar 400 running Protorq Extreme HR at both ends. That is when the ride got interesting. On the way up to Kodaikanal, the grip was excellent. The tyres warmed up quickly, delivering the confidence to lean harder at every corner. By the time we reached the top, I was grinning like a kid, throwing the bike side-to-side through the bends and enjoying every moment of it.

The next morning, the weather turned rainy, and on the hills, that usually means slowing on your way down, but not this time. The Protorq Extreme felt planted even on wet tarmac. Braking, cornering, stability, everything, stayed in check. I could ride naturally without worrying about losing grip.

By the time we rolled back into Madurai, the conclusion was clear. Eurogrip has stepped up big time. Their tyres feel sorted in the dry, dependable in the wet and are built to last. If you are thinking of getting your stock tyres swapped, both the Beamer HS+ and Protorq Extreme make great alternatives for everyday use and performance.

Indian manufacturers have come a long way when it comes to tyre technology and formulating different compounds for tyres to suit different riding styles and conditions. Eurogrip’s tyres warm up quickly and assure you of a smooth and comfortable ride, along with a longer lifespan. Eurogrip is also in the process of developing racing slicks, which we will get to see soon; however, they will be exclusively available for racing use only.

The post Feature: Eurogrip Tread Talks 2025: Its Tubeless Tyres Put to Test first appeared on Turbocharged.

The format was straightforward. We had to qualify in the selection round and then earn a spot on the grid for Round 1 of the championship. But before we could head out on track, TVS made sure we were properly trained. We went through classroom sessions that explained the nuances of racing, followed by on-track practice focused on improving our lines, throttle control, and race starts. It was a masterclass in unlearning our street habits and replacing them with race-ready skills. Out of the 46 participating auto journalists and influencers, only 16 qualified. I was proud to be one of them. The first stint on the track made me realise how different racing is compared to track riding. There’s so much more involved: precision, commitment, consistency. I had plenty to work on, especially in terms of body position and corner entry. But the fire was lit. Soon, the mail for Round-1 hit my inbox. The excitement was unreal. I spent the whole week visualising every turn, every braking point, preparing myself mentally. A month after the qualifiers, I was back at the Madras International Circuit, ready to chase lap times and personal progress.

The day began with a short but productive practice session. Despite the month-long gap, I felt far more confident than before. This was also the first time I truly appreciated the TVS Eurogrip tyres. These race-spec tyres played a pivotal role in giving me the confidence to push harder into corners. Their grip levels were fantastic, even under aggressive braking and lean angles. I managed to drop my best lap time from 2:31.600 to 2:26.081 minutes. That’s a massive gain on a short track and a testament to how much the right tyres can impact your confidence and performance. The tyres not only provided ample grip but also allowed for mid-corner corrections, which is a big deal for amateur racers like me still working on perfecting their lines. The aggressive profile made the motorcycle feel agile yet stable, and helped smoothen transitions from side to side. Combined with the sharp handling of the Apache RTR 200, it felt like the machine was just waiting to dive into every corner.

After the session, I spent time watching the professional racers competing in the TVS One Make Championship, which was being held alongside the YMRP. Seeing the pros take on the track aboard their race-prepped Apache RR 310s and RTEs was incredibly insightful. I focused particularly on how they tackled Turn 1, learning how race lines differ from practice lines. In a real race scenario, you constantly adapt based on who’s ahead, who’s behind, and where the overtaking opportunities lie. I learned the importance of offensive lines, taken to pass others, and defensive lines, used to block passing attempts. Armed with those observations, I was ready for the qualifiers that would determine our race grid positions for the final race. I applied the techniques I’d just learned, focused on being aggressive where needed and composed where it counted. It paid off. I managed to shave another 2.5 seconds, bringing my best time down to 2:24.372 minutes, which put me in 10th place on the grid.

The next morning was Race Day, and the nerves kicked in. I was the first one suited up, pacing around the pits, running through mental checklists. It was finally happening, my first ever motorcycle race-start. As we lined up on the grid, I focused on keeping calm. I gripped the front brake, pulled in the clutch, and dialled in the right amount of throttle. As the lights came on and then went off, everything else faded into the background. I released the clutch and gunned it towards Turn 1. The first lap was chaos. Bikes all around me, everyone fighting for clean lines and clear air. I loved every bit of it. This was no longer about lap times but racecraft, strategy, and instincts. I managed to work my way up to 6th position, feeling more composed with every corner. Unfortunately, at the start of Lap 3, my motorcycle suffered a mechanical issue. I couldn’t engage 4th and 5th gears, which seriously limited my pace on the faster sections. I tried to hold on in 3rd gear, but eventually, I was swallowed by the pack. I crossed the chequered flag in 9th position.

Disappointed? A bit, yes. But not disheartened. I had clocked a new personal best of 2:24.017 minutes before the issue hit. And that’s what mattered most. I was improving with every session, becoming a more confident and competent rider. Racing, I’ve learned, is as much about setbacks as it is about progress. Mechanical failures, mental lapses, missed lines, they’re all part of the game. The key is to take it all in, learn from it, and come back stronger.

Thanks to TVS and the YMRP, I now have two more rounds to go. Two more chances to get better, go faster, and grow as a racer. This experience has opened a whole new chapter in my motorcycling journey. It’s one thing to watch racing from the sidelines, but to be out there on the grid, heart pounding and throttle pinned, is something else entirely. And this is just the beginning.

The post TVS Young Media Racer Program: Round 1 first appeared on Turbocharged.