Quick vacation & rider training with Marcel Irnie

[Shaman]

Monterey is a really nice area... 17 mile road, the Big Sur, the aquarium, Carmel Valley and the Cannery Row are all good ways to spend some time.

Laguna Seca is, of course, awesome and over-the-top (pun intended).

Marcel and Marianne are well and the training went well. Broke some bad habits, I hope. Most other things I'm doing pretty well. I also got to see Aliki Karayan for the first time in a couple of years. She's doing well for herself, too.

Some pictures...

I think this is braking and setup for the Corkscrew.

Passing on the brakes entering 11 (hairpin to main straight)

Entering the Corkscrew

 

[Shaman]

Entering the corkscrew

On the way down the Corkscrew. Full throttle as soon as the bike is pointed downhill.

Full throttle, throw it in and approach 9 in the middle of the track, then tight the line on engine braking. These two corners are heart-stopping.

Trying to get everything I can out of the mouse-motor Honda puts into its bike. (exit of hairpin to straight)

 

[Shaman]

Believe this is apex of corner 3.

Braking downhill into 2, AFAICT.

The Money Shot

Getting some lean through 2.

 

[Shaman]

Late entry, single-apex and only started to lean for 2.

Dave Moss was there.

A scene from the 17 mile road

Seals lazing about on the beach

 

[boyoboy]

great pics at laguna seca! super cool. i wish..

thx for sharing

 

[Shaman]

It's a bucket-list track. So much hard braking and you have to be inch-precise in multiple corners. Really good practice and really good fun. The only downer is that stupid sound booth between 5 and 6. Oh, and the possibility of hurting yourself, I am surprised they ran a GP there as there is plenty of opportunity for a bad crash.

I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. I have many more, of course... and I spent some real time in the Cannery Row Brewery. One bottle of beer I sampled there was $40 CDN.

But this was my favourite by far: