http://circuits.octagonmotorsports.com/circuit/circuit_visitors.asp?c=3
and there's a lap description (for rather quicker bikes than a classic
single) at http://www.teamixion.org/tracks/snetterton.htm
Spent a bit of time last week fixing oil leaks, playing with carburation, and
replacing the stripped rear brake arm with one that Richard Bool sent me - he
doesn't do credit cards but will ship (to the UK at least) and expects payment
later. He also supplied a new cam bearing block - I discovered mine had a crack
where the bearing sits when I fitted it onto a mandrel to machine the mating
surface flat. Also had a cast iron disc fitted to the ally carrier by CAT
Engineering.
Snetterton has long straights, so i geared up to 16/45 as a first guess
Having just paid for it to go through its annual safety test I was allowed to
use the horsebox, which provides warm, dry sleeping accommodation and a dry
garage. With a forecast of rain that was likely to be needed!
Quick road test to confirm the carb settings showed things are still out at
small throttle openings. Tried all the slides I've got with no real
improvement and then it was time to load up
Sunday practice. All's well except the missing and stumbling at low
throttle. Pulls really well up to a shade over 9 at the end of the long
straight, so the gearing is fine. And it stops!!!!
Still leaking oil, but not enough to dribble when on the stand. Seems to
be from the head drain banjos again even with new ally washers, or maybe the
bevel gear cover. Silicone goo applied.
Race 1, 21st on the grid, field of 28. get a fair start - the carb
stumbling makes it hard to hold at 5k and a bit iffy when whacking it WFO, but i
get a few places. First corner i get passed and loose bottle, but onto the
straight and I catch and pass a couple and latch onto Dave Wildey and Mike
Judkins both on Dukes. Swapping places couple of times a lap and I'm
almost getting the hang of this passing thing. Really can't work out the Esses
and take to the grass twice on the right hander but get back behind Mike both
times and take him down the straight. Get Dave in my sights again and I'm
closing but on the last lap when i get to Sears he's sliding across the grass.
Mike comes past me on the outside round Coram, but i get a better line coming
out of the chicane and pass him going onto the straight to beat him by .4
No sign at all of the Cottons that bugged me at Pembrey!
9th!!!! best yet! quickest lap 1.39, race time 12.03, 1.16 behind the
winner, John Hynes - his bike's been raced for 40 years, prepared by the same
guy throughout. It's had some steady incremental improvement!
Spend a couple of hours on the carb and the oil leaks and find Dave Widley.
He's ok. fairing scraped, nothing broken (must remember to put some
fibreglass repair stuff in my spares box for next time) He'd changed
shocks, they were .5in shorter and he'd grounded his footpeg... And mine
are fixed too. Time for folding ones perhaps?
Race 2, 9th on the grid. Fair start and pass a couple. 4 pass me
round Riches. Mike Judkins is not to be seen, but Mark George who I've
been dicing with since i started comes past and we have fun for a lap but I get
away and have quiet race to myself. Next bike is the length of the
straight away - a B25!! It has no right to be able to finish a race -
never managed more than a week's commuting for me. No excursions at the
Esses this time!
10th, 11.53 race time, 1.13 behind the winner, quickest lap 1.40
Monday. A 1954 NSU sport max 250 4 stroke arrives on one side and an
Armstrong with a tandem disc valve twin Rotax on the other. The variety at
these meetings is astonishing!
Race 1
The B25 isn't there, I have an uneventful race with 3 passing me at the
first corner, the pack moving steadily away and a three retirements mean i get
another 9th. Mark George is way back. Missed a gear and thinks he's
bent a valve (again). Hairpin springs...
11.48, 1.11 behind and 18 sec behind the next bike
Race 4
Field has thinned down to 19. I hold my own a bit better into the first
corner and am still in site of the pack by the end of the first lap. Keep
Chris Maggs on a Greeves Silverstone in site throughout and am convinced I would
have caught him...eventually!
9th, 11.40. 1.03 behind and 10sec behind Chris. Best lap 1.37.9
so best laps 1.5 sec better and race times down by 23sec over 7 laps
The little yellow Duke hasn't missed a beat apart from sounding like a crackling
2smoke at small throttle openings. It's clearly got the legs to get a few
places higher tho it'll never win. I'm still the limiting factor - at the
end of the pit straight the quick guys do not back off at all going into Riches,
but I have to touch the brake and drop into 4th. Maybe next year!
Coming out of Russels for the finish, I hit something on the kerb on the left -
assumed exhaust, but the rear brake was missing as I went for it going into the
pits. Closer examination reveals one snapped Tarrozi lever and the splines
on the arm on the brake plate are stripped. Guess if they hadn't the wheel
would have locked and I'd have been on my arse. Is that why they aren't
made of steel?