Lydden Hill?

[P.]

Many people been here... just realised it down the road So I have this and Brands to play with

Flat mate was looking to do a track day with me, hes on 33hp but also owns a GSXR750 with a restrictor kit that could fall out... Unsure if Lydden do 33hp licences. Have emailed twice now but 0 response.

Also, of people that have been there.. whats it like?

[Bendy]

Bumpy and basic.

BTW, you don't email Lydden, you send a carrier pigeon.

[P.]

I'll try calling them again tomorrow...

Bumpy and basic sounds good for his first time... Hope they allow 33hp, we can pop his restrictors out in seconds

[Pie-Roe]

Lydden hill allow anything. I presume you've seen my gt550 I posted pictures of KD at pfizers? They let me go on with that, exhaust blowing like fuck, a saddlebag, and the headlight not taped up or anything.

You can just turn up in the afternoon of any bike trackday, pay 15 quid and get a session on the day.
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[Wozza]

Lydden is good fun. Very relaxed, sometimes they don't even check that you have a bike licence.

[P.]

Seems they are pretty easy going I'll call at lunch.

[Daimo]

Bumpy???? Hardly, its got a couple, but what track hasn't.

I love it, its a tight little track, I only use 2/3 gears. Its cheap and effective.

Was there in Sept, it hammered it down, still had great fun.

Checkout South East Bikers, as they do great deals. I'd do one in Nov but no monies, but my old mans doing another one down there.

Not had a DB test yet either

Briefing involves standing outside the main office, and a dude shouting out the do's and don'ts.

btw, not been on a for a few days, forgot about gaymuffs... Get the pic tonight.

[G]

Lydden's one of the few tracks that a genuine 33hp actually won't be a massive disadvantage .

It is lacking in run-off, which is irksome.

The track surface is abrasive - or was last time I was there and can eat tyres a bit.

Overall though, I like the track (despite the lack of run off issues leaving me thinking I had a couple of seconds left to live) - it packs a hell of a lot in to one mile and four corners.

[cliff]

[G]

Hey .
One corner has four sections kinda thing, but it is one (continuing and variable) sweep.
Then there's devil's elbow which is THE left hander and fairly simple. The hair pin which is also fairly simple and padock hill bend which is a nice maybe slightly decreasing radius blind cambered corner - providing you don't get it too wrong you can usually run off and just rejoin it.

[Gazdaman]

It is four corners if you really simplify it. But one is a massive long hairpin, that you could probably consider two corners linked together. There's some run off, but only in a few places.

It's a really good track, you end up knackered after a session because there's no-where to chill out and have a break.

Really, really entertaining though, and cheap.

And it is bumpy! Or certainly was when I was last there. And random repair patches on the tarmac.

Gaz

[P.]

Sounds alright for his first time I guess.
Its literally 30-45 mins away...could even borrow a van from somewhere just incase. I dont aim to bin it

I'll see if I can find some youtube vids and get a load of the corners

[Daimo]

My perspective...

3rd into 4th along start straight, kink left and hard on brakes.
Chuck it into the right hander, feather throttle, go over chrest of hill, apply more and more throttle until fully open on the very very short bit of straight before chucking into the left hander at the elbow. On the power, I usually stayed in 3rd all the way up the hit, just tapping the limiter.

I never get the poxy hairpin right. Its tighter to go in, and opens up on the way out. Taking a normal "wide, tight wide" line never worked for me. Found it easier to brake hard, miss the entry apex, get round, and open the throttle hard on the way out.
Leave brakign as late as possible for fast right hander, let the bike drift out and onto start/fin straight.

But i still say its not bumpy. A few underlations, and maybe the odd dip in the road, but not bumpy. Patches in the tarmac are grippy, and can be rode over with no loss of grip.

Warm up lap (no warmers, hence being overtaken), before the hammering of rain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0LXrLrQ6lEk


Oh, this is my old man, in the next session that someone done. Bear in mind the cameras at the front, the back end REALLY stepped out (friend made it up)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IYZpMi6dqhw

[G]

Think I used 2nd to 5th on 600s generally.
More gears on the SV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvkUdS2sWDU

(Lines are partly dodgy because you're always looking for a 'route past'.)

Year before on a 600:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6MiSgv0_CA

Actually, sure my track positioning is much better now, but that's probably because I'm going much slower, which makes it easier to put it where you want it .

There are some bumpy bits at Lydden, but nowhere near as bad as say the end of the start finish straight at Silverstone was!

[Daimo]

Yeah my gears are quite long and I dont need high revs to get it going so different kinda bikes

tbh, that vids terrible (mine) as its the 2nd session. By the end of the day coming down the hill my braking was well after the track goes wider to the left. I only got the 1st and last sessions dry Looking forward to next time for sure there. Smaller closer "buzz" than brands, brands is much faster and race track esq.

[G]

[Daimo]

I dont need high revs, 4k and its off. Power dies off about 10.5k.

Its a medium cc triple, so decent spread of toque and average power.

Its an 1130, its tiny, but a rough idea..

https://www.benelli.com/eng/img/tech/tech_motore3.gif

I can get on the power mid corner at 4k, and by the time your exitting the bend its right into its rev range. Im only an "average" rider, not hugely skillfull, but can hold my own.

[G]

Having long gearing with useful power is, well, useful .
However the graph also shows to make the most progress you need to be right at the top of the rev range.

But then we are also sort of back to it being easier to 'rag' a smaller bike as you're less worried about the rear coming around; which can be duplicated by just being in a higher gear.

That graph shape is actually pretty similar to my zx9, though it revved a little higher and made slightly more peak power.

[P.]

Got a reply from Lydden Hill..

[Gazdaman]

Your licence is 'full'. How did you word the email to them? Did you call it a 'restricted' licence? Because if I was a jobsworth in an office that doesn't actually care about bikes I'd probably shy away from telling you it's fine.

I've ridden there several times on a 33bhp licence.

Gaz

[P.]

Hmm, I replied saying it is a full licence, it just has a power output restriction.

I never got to look at my licence, I lost it after it got posted back to me.. but my friends states <25kW on he rear... its still his only "full" entitlement anyway... so I'm sure they wont turn him away.

Might take a ride down there at the weekend...

[Daimo]

You have to go past the track, carry on down the A2. About half a mile past the road is a U turn/traffic light area. Do a U turn there.

G - Yeah obviously most of the power is at the top end, but unlike a 600, theres a lot of torque low down, so you can be low in the revs and use the torque to get out the bends, by which point the powers coming into play.

[G]

[Daimo]

No, I do mean the engine torque. I know the difference.

At 4000rpm, your using the torque of the engine, not the power.

[G]