Leon Haslam will be preparing for another crack at the title, after finishing as runner-up for the past two years. But the 'Pocket Rocket' has now switched to the double championship-winning HM Plant Honda team, where he will be joined by new team-mate Cal Crutchlow who also wants to make an impressive debut on the new Fireblade.
Former champion Shane 'Shakey' Byrne returns with Ducati; the 2003 champion teams up with Leon Camier in the Airwaves backed squad, as they get to grips with the all new 1098R machine.
Double BSB champion Ryuichi Kiyonari may have departed for World Superbikes, but a new Japanese star has arrived. Rizla Suzuki has signed double Japanese Superbike champion Atsushi Watanabe.
The test will mark his first time at
Snetterton, having moved over to the UK for the season. British team-mate Tom Sykes will be on familiar ground - and aiming to hit the top of the timesheets by the end of the three day test.
The Official Pirelli Test will be the last chance to check out the new machinery and new rider line-ups before the
Brands Hatch season opener from April 4-6.