Talk a good lap - Snetterton

[Blue_SV650S]

I actually wrote a series of these a few years ago mostly as an aid memoir, but others might find it interesting, perhaps even useful?

Well here goes!!

Snett

Going down the start/finish straight chin on the tank, this is a pretty long straight so deceptively fast with the pitwall on your right, drift to the left hand side of the track for Riches.

Right after the II marker board, brake hard. There are a few bumps here so the bike may come a little unsettled, but nothing to worry about. The corner is pretty wide and can be entered unbelievably fast. Turn in just past the I marker board, clip the right hand kerb just as the tarmac patch on the inside kerb runs out. There are quite a few undulations round this corner and if you drift wide these are minimised and you can carry more speed, come back in for the second apex then get hard on the gas and let the bike drift out to the kerb. Full chat to the next right-hander, Sears.

This is a Slow in - fast out corner. Sears tends to be a bit slippy (especially in the wet), this corner is all about setting yourself up for the backstraight, a good drive out is crucial. Hard on the brakes and turn in, the apex is about 70% round the inside kerb. There is plenty of run off at this point and you can actually cross the line and go on the tarmac the other side, but this tends to be slower than taking a tighter line, so only use if you have messed up a bit at Sears. Power up, watching for the highside and head down Rivett straight. This is an important corner to be in the correct gear such that you can get the power down for the Rivett Straight.

This is the longest straight in the UK so expect big numbers on the speedo, at this speed aerodynamics are crucial, tuck right in, this is quite scary as you are looking through the screen and 80% of your view obscured by the brow of you lid where you have your chin on the tank, keep your eye out for slow coaches or people missing gears. Depending on bike this straight is good for about 170 (600), you should be just hitting the limiter in top if the gearing is correct. Make your way to the right hand side of the track and watch for the marker board, braking here is crucial … there is a little mud track on the right which is between the II and I markers (about 1.5), Brake really hard!!! start downshifting then turn in for The Esses.

The back will be light so expect the bike to squirm a bit here, but again nothing to worry about as long as you keep it planted for when you turn in, you will probably still be on 80% braking at this point. Start turning in just after the bridge and carry the brakes all the way into the left hander. Keep left and a quick burst of power, then hit the brakes again and flop the bike over hard for the right hander (hitting the front brake actually helps turn the bike here). Back on the power before you reach the right hand kerb and clip the apex. Get back on full power but watch for the highside/slide, drift left for the next corner, The Bomb Hole.

Roll off the throttle and turn in roughly where the surface changes in colour, then steady the bike on the power, many people go through the ‘bomb hole’ and apex there, I find if you go slightly wider (so you knee is just left of the hole) you can carry more speed as the suspension isn’t loading up so much, get back on the gas for Coram Curve.

This turn is difficult to get right, no not because it is particularly complex, but because it is so long and wide, it is a real balancing act. There doesn’t seem to be ‘A line’ through here but things can get a bit bumpy and slippy if you drift to far off the beaten track, about 1/3 of the track is all you need to use and you can keep a constant radius (ish). When about 2/3 of the way round you can really start winding on the gas. The kerb ends and you will drift out to the left on your approach to Russell Bend.

I prefer a tighter and slower entry here as it is more defensive and you are not asking so much of the left hand side of the tyre on the ‘flop’ of the ‘flip flop’ (the left hander here is notorious for offs as the left side of the tyre doesn’t get much heat in it at this track). Turn in just after the surface changes colour, it is a bit bumpy here and if you get it wrong the bike will refuse to settle … the turf here is quite friendly though! So if the bike refuses to slow sufficiently you can go straight on … On the right hand apex, just clip the far end of the painted kerb, bang the bike over to the left and clip the middle of the painted kerb on the left. Power up as you clip the left hand kerb, but be smooth, I then tend to get off the left of the bike here standing the bike up to get a better contact patch (and the warmer bit) of the rear, there is a tendency to drift on the kerb here, but this method helps you have some room for error (i.e. you can pull the bike back on you if you start drifting wide). Head back off down the Start / Finish straight.
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The purpose of life is to fight maturity.

[Al]

Cheers, think I've got the lines sorted, just lacking a little commitment which will hopefully come in time.

Will bear in mind about taking a tighter line out of 'sears'. I think because my bikes a little slow (115-120mph down the revitt straight) I was trying to make up for it by exiting sears as fast and wide as possible, but looking back I'm not sure if this was really helping.
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Yamaha FZR400RR 3tj
My Instagram Thingy

[Bishbash]

Nice write up of the track, will help me out in 2 weeks.
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My current bikes are - YZF-R1 & GS 500 E

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[Blue_SV650S]

No worries guys, as I said, did them ages ago, so no sweat!!

I did one for several of the main UK tracks, if you want anther one then I'll dig it out!!

This one was actually prompted by the mallory one in this thread https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=2130940#2130940
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The purpose of life is to fight maturity.

[Barry_M2]

Good write up, but I found I was braking alot later than you've mentioned, and never really hard braking.

The right hander at the end of the start straight can be taken very fast, I was going down to 4th and dabbing the brakes.

And the left hander under the bridge at the end of the back straight is also a fast corner, again down just 2 gears and a bit more pressure than before, carry alot of corner speed as you shouldn't need to be giving it any gas between there and the right hander. I was getting held up alot on that left hander, and even almost rear ended someone as they braked far too early!

But good description of the track.
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ZXR750R (M2) - For the road.
CBR1000 RR4 - For the track.
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[Blue_SV650S]

[Barry_M2]

Really?!

I had people out braking me at the end of the start straight too, I thought I wasn't leaving it late enough!

The left hander at the end of the back straight can we taken really fast, faster than most people think. I was going through it in 4th at around 9k rpm on a ZX10. I never found the need to give it a squirt before the following right hander, in fact I almost over cooked the right hander by carrying too much speed through the left hander.
____________________
ZXR750R (M2) - For the road.
CBR1000 RR4 - For the track.
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[Blue_SV650S]

[OssY]

Blue dont suppose you have got a write up of oulton park have you??

[Blue_SV650S]