Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Timmy Topanga: Otei's So-Cal Adventure.

[Otei]

It was going to be a busy few days, and the next day, we arranged to take a tour of the Griffith Observatory. This was the building that gained its initial mainstream fame from featuring in the James dean movie,"Rebel without a cause"



It was a beautiful day, and the views over L.A were spectacular with the Hollywood sign visible above and behind us.



Ther building itself has only recently reopened, after undegoing a 4 year, 93 million dollar refurbishment program. During this program, they added more space to the building by adding another floor below the existing one.

We didn't give any thought to how they had actually managed to achieve this until we watched a movie in the theatre there. It turns out that they actually lifted the entire building up on rams and excavated underneath it and then built what they needed. During the movie, the guy in charge of it casually declared that they had never done this beore, and that it was all theoretical stuff. I don't know how he slept at night!



There was all sorts of stuff in there for us space nuts and we merrily gawped at all the cool stuff, including their very own Tesla coil (not that it has anything to do with space). Tesla coils were invented by a guy called Nikolai Tesla, and initially they were an experiment in trying to make electricity go from one place to another without the need for expensive cables and routing. They were ultimately unsuccessful, but alot of the theories he came up with are in use inthe national electricity grids we use today.



At the end of the day, just as we were going to be making our way back down the hillside in the bus, there was this helicopter that came in really close to the cliffside. Amy took a pic that turned out really cool.



After this, we went to some friends house, where we changed into our posh gear (suit and tie and cocktail dress). We had managed to get an invite to a very exclusive hollywood club called the Magic Castle. As you may have guessed, It's a place where they have magicians. There are several bars and a restaurant where we had a very nice meal.

The place is a real rabbit warren, with corridors twisting here and there, and lots of little close up magic shows and other, larger displays. It was prettycool and I'd like to go back and spens a little more time there,checking out a few more of the shows.

Unfortunately, I have no pics, as cameras weren't allowed in the place. It has a website though:http://www.magiccastle.com

[Otei]

The next day was pretty much a chill out day, although we did have to load up the bikes in the truck, as we were setting off on Christmas day to Monterey where we would be doing a trackday at Laguna Seca. Now I've been wanting to do this since I was about 17, so to say i was a litle excited is putting it mildly.

The weather for the drive up next day was lovely, with bright sunshine and mid 70's temperatures.

I had heard stories about how spectacular the scenery was on the Pacific Coastal Highway, which as you may have guessed is the road that runs along the West coast of the United States. i wasn't disappointed by the tales, and the views and surrounding natural architecture were impressive, inspiring and somewhat intimidating all at the same time.



The journey was going to be between 6 and seven hours each way, so I took half of the driving duties and have probably logged about 400 miles in the U.S now. I must confess that I wa pleased Amy was driving when we were on some of the tight and twisty PCH roads, that were lined with possible rock slides and precarious cliff drops on the other side. You would really want to be very used to any vehicle you were driving up there, and how some people get Motorhomes around there without suffering brain meltdown is beyond me.



At the start of the journey, we had stopped off to get some petrol. As I was driving and about to navigate my way back onto the Freeway, a Mexican looking guy leaned out of his truck that was parked alongside us and shouted "hey buddy, what kind of bikes are those?..touring bikes?" What with my mind being preoccupied with being on the right side of the road, I just gave him the standard and honest reply "No mate, they're race bikes" Amy was slightyl less charitable though, and let loose with "What kind of Moron are you, Mexican or South east asian Moron?". I don't think he heard her to be honest, but we were both cracking up for miles after that.

On the way we stopped off at the campest restaurant/bar you have ever seen in your life. It's called the Madonna Inn, and is extremely pink and covered in lights. It's a pretty impressive joint though and has some unreal stuff inside...including a mens urinal that is like a mini waterfall!







We were still on the PCH as the sun was going down, and to be honest, although the final 120 miles was hard going concentration wise, we both considered ourselves really lucky to be able to see such an amazing sight on Christmas day of all days.



After 7 hours including stops, we hit Monterey and signed in at the Otter Hotel.

We were obviously going to be missing Christmas dinner, so we decided to bring our own from the delicious resourses of Gelsons Deli. We started with a lovely waldorf salad and Prawns and the for a main course we had pecan encrusted and parmesan topped chicken breast, with candied yams, stuffing, cheese potatoes and a delicious chiken pasta. we followed thi with some cake that we bought at the Madonna inn, all washed down witha lovely bottle of red wine.

Before we left, amy asked me if I wanted to look at the weather forecast for Laguna. I declined, said that it would do whatever it was going to do whether we looked or not, and that I didn't want to be depressed about it if it said rain. As it turned out, it was fortunate that we didn't look, as the forecast was for a terrential downpour!

[Otei]

I was amazed how well I slept, considering that I'd be ticking one of life's major boxes the next day, but I was also glad, as I figured that Laguna was going to be a pretty physical track, and I haven't seen a gym in over a month.

It was dark when we set off from the hotel, so it was hard to see what the weather was up to, but it was dry, and that was what counted. As the skies brightened, we could see that it was slightly overcast, and it looked like it might start to drizzle. I tried to remain upbeat, but was now itching to get the briefing over and done with and get onto the track.



The organisers, Red Shift, were very nice, extremely helpful and not at all bolshy. Something else of note, is that Laguna is very much like Brands GP, in that they only get about 5 dates a year for trackdays. The day had cost the equivalent of 150 quid, and they even chucked in a really nice lunch (there was loads of really nice food, but I just had a small plate of chicken and salad). I can't ever imagine getting that here, even if I had paid 250 for a brands GP trackday.



There was a guy there doing onboard video for $95. Fortunately, Amy knew him (Brant WiWi,WSMC No1 plateholder, great name too!) and he owed her a favour, as she had taken care of everything when he'd had a major off at a track and smashed his hand up. She basically organised for all his stuff to make it home etc. He announced that he would be giving away a half price video session to one of the lucky punters. Imagine our surprise when he called my name out. Nice one Brant!

So then, to the track. we went out in the fast group, as I'd always rather be the slowest in the fast group, than amongst a bunch of people who weren't sure whether they were quick or not. At least you were in experienced company.

Now it isn't very often that I go to a track, do one session and not at least know where the track goes, but wether it was a combination of the high anticipation and the technical layout of the track or what I don't know. But when I came in off the first session, I had no clue where the bloody track went at all! This unerved me slightly, as I only had another 2 sessions before we'd arranged to do some video work. I didn't want to look like a nobber.



The next session was much better, the sun was out and I started to get a feel for the track. I was slightly worried that I'd be disappointed. I needn't have bothered, it's awesome. I wouldn't say that it's any more spectacular than Cadwell..in fact I'd go so far as to say that Cadwell is a little crazier, but there are places where you really have to know where you're going in order to go quickly, and I instantly saw why Rossi couldn't win there straight away, it's pretty unique.



The 3rd session was better still, and I now felt as thoughI was ready to at least look half decent on the bike video. The corkscrew is cool, and not as intimidating as some would have you believe. I think the part that was intimidating is the fact that there's a large area of sealer where the track has been repaired at the top, and it doesn't look as though it would offer any grip whatsoever. The real intimidating part is the braking zone, which is very difficult to get absolutely right.

At this point, a mate of mine, Dave Wallis turned up. I met dave when I sold him a CBR 400 cyinder head over a year and a half ago, but hadn't hooked up in realtime yet, so it ws cool to meet him. truth be told, he's the original reason I managed to get over here, so I owe him a great debt. I'd like to get him racing in the UK next year as well as Amy, so I may be trying to blag spare bikes left right and centre!

[Otei]

One of the best things about the entire day, was that there were quite a few people attending that had been racing at Willow Springs, so i felt like I was in friendly company straight away.



One of these people was a crazy guy called Tim Martinez. Tim's a great bloke, and very funny. His SV 650 says everything about the man that tends to wander around in a carhaart one piece "bearsuit" and a santa hat most of the time. It has it's own wooden dash, stickers from everywhere all over it, graffitti, and even 3 rubber ducks named after each member of the glam rock band, Kiss. Awesome.



Willow Springs Superbike rider Robbie Dowie was there, as was Jason Perez and several other faces I recognized.

After lunch, It was time for me to perform in front of the camera. I didn't give it much thought untilI rolled up to Brant and we were about to set off, then the pressure seemed enormous. Fortunately, I rode smoothly and at what I figured was an extremely respectable pace for what was my 4th session on the track. I was pretty beat when i came in and rolled up alongside Brant. He asked me if I wanted the good news or the bad news.



The good news was that I was one of the quicker people he'd video'd, which made it more fun for him. The bad news was that the camera had packed in after the 3rd corner!...AARRRRGGHHHH!

I had been so relieved with how it had gone, and to be told that we'd have to go and do it all again was a little frustrating, but never mind. Sure enough, the next session came around, and I tried to focus on a few points that Brant had mentioned might make me go quicker.

I didn't think I rode as well as the first session, but Brant said that my lines and corner speed through some of the turns had improved and that I seemed to have actually taken notice of what he'd said and put it to use immediately, which was rare as folk usually revert back to what is comfortable. Perhaps this is why I didn't feel as fast, but whatever the case, we got the footage and I'll try to get it uploaded somewhere at some point.

The last session was just a bit of a muck about, grinding kneesliders and having a blast. I really like left handers, and turn 5 is a fast sweeping uphill left with great grip and good camber. I hardly ever wear out kneesliders, but I knackered the one on my left knee through that turn. Awesome!





So then, to summarise: laguna was a slight disappointment as far as the facility itself was concerned. I thought it would be a bit grander, but the track is amazing and I can't wait to go back one day and improve the areas that needed work.

I simply can't tell you how lucky we were with the weather. It was perfect all day, then about 20 minutes after we'd done our last session, it totally hammered down. really dodged a bullet that day.



We went out that night and had a great meal with Tim Martinez, his partner Tracy and Dave Wallis and his friend Carrie. It rained all night. Phew!

[Otei]

You're up late Ian!

Thanks for the kind words mate, I sometimes wonder if people are interested or not. I don't wish it to come across as if I'm rubbing peoples noses in it. I'm just having a great time and wanted to share the experience. It's also so that my family and friends can keep an eye on me!

Good skills on the potential loan of your bike, I'd love to be able to repay the people for what they've helped me achieve.

Got to come back on the 1st though. Bummer!

Cheers,

Tim

[Otei]

The day after the trackday, we went to see the famous Monterey bay aquarium as it was only a few hundred yards from our hotel.

It was now really windy and the weather was awful. Once again I thanked my lucky stars that the highlight of my trip hadn't been ruined by rain.

The aquarium is a great place, particularly if, like me, you were fascinated by underwater nature programs as a kid. I used to sit for hours watching Jaques Cousteau and the like as they sailed their way around the world. The visit to the aquarium has really made diving something that I want to do, but at the right place and time. Like winter in Australia for example!

We started our way through the aquarium, and there was a mega jellyfish exhibit. we then found ourselves face to face with the centrepiece of the building, the million gallon tank.



The first thing we saw was this huge Sunfish. It was so cool, it looked like it had dropped in from the Jurassic period for a quick swim around. Unreal. There were also some gigantic Tuna, some barracuda, reef sharks and the showpiece, a real, live Great White shark. The Great White was only a baby, and to be honest, the Sunfish and tuna were just as impressive in different ways, but it was cool to see one close up in the flesh. I now want to do a cage dive with it's older brothers and sisters even more badly!



The very friendly Giant Sunfish.



Look, It's a Great White..WOOOT!

There was a load of other cool stuff, including a large Kelp forest display, and some hilariously entertaining Sea Otters. It's a definite must see if you're in the area.



I drove half the way home, and we decided to try and cut across country to avoid the traffic that would pile up in Santa barbara by taking the 198 across to the 5. The 198 was like the land that time forgot, and the only clue that we weren't in the wild west, was the ribon of modern tarmac ahead of us. There were old buildings and farms that looked like they housed a load of Waltons clones. Weird but cool.

The weather then turned really nasty, with mega winds and rain that forced the 5 to have lanes closed down in the opposite direction due to mudslides, so you aren't having all the crappy weather to yourselves in the UK!

It's nicer today in Southern cali, but still windy!

[Otei]

Hmmmmm!

Sat reading this for something to do as the Mrs is off to a Prodigy concert.

I REALLY need to get my act together and organise another adventure for next year.

Trip to Vegas, ride Paruhmp racetrack (one of the smoothest in the universe apparently) go to Bodie ghost town, race at Infineon...and whatever else i can cram into a couple of months.

I do believe I'll start researching stuff