Hi! I'm in Fresno, CA.  Picked up a torque'y big boy noob friendly 2007 GS500F with about 14.5k on it at the end of last summer.  I'm a near daily rider and have added just over 10k vibrating filled ear-to-ear (s)miles to the tach.

As they say when coming of age, you never forget your first, ...and this is my first bike.  What a maintenance pig/princess/whore!  ...But easily manageable, even with no prior mechanical skills (thank you GSTwins.com!).  Never looks clean, lots of blemishes (a'la stretch marks & scars, some caused by me), in pretty good mechanical shape.  It's all stock except for my bar levers & toastie grip heaters.  Thought I was going to have this bike for just a few months, but now I understand the thrill and why the previous owner kept it until he moved away.  I'm a fixture at a country Suzuki parts dealer feeding my addiction.

I'm near numerous twisty forest slabs, and Yosemite/Kings/Sequoia National Parks aren't much further.  Recently did an exhilarating group ride through the Santa Cruz coastal mountains.  I commute north a couple times a month, parking is never a problem.  I took the MSF course last August, did the BRC2 in November, and am always interested in improving my rider skills.

I handled Fresno's 100 degree valley heat last year, and I'm definitely looking forward to it again!

Gotta go, the roller coaster hills are calling me.

Hell Yeah!

Welcome to the addiction. You get to keep it for life.