Ahead of this weekend's Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, the usual pre-race activities took on some of the iconic landmarks and features of the region.

LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl wheelied his RC213V across San Francisco’s Treasure Island, before winding his way down the iconic Lombard Street with its endless hairpin bends. Bradl then took part in a lecture at Stanford University labelled "Embracing Risk in the Pursuit of Victory".

Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden took the opportunity to step into Sony Pictures film studio in Los Angles and check out how non-racing entertainment is produced, and get a first hand glance at some rather special props.

Last but not least the Yamaha Factory Racing duo of Lorenzo and Spies were joined by Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso as Yamaha USA filmed their yearly spoof promo video at the company’s headquarters in LA. Lorenzo, who two years ago was a janitor, was promoted to “Honorary CEO”.

At the press conference ahead of the race, Yamaha Factory Racing's Ben Spies confirmed he'll leave the team at the end of the 2012 MotoGP season, but gave no hint of his plans for 2013 and beyond.

images: motogp.com