California
$400.00 50 in a 40 ticket...
That $30K can get eaten up quickly but sometimes you have to play along with the Company man to climb the ladder when the opportunity presents itself.
Bakersfield itself sucks except the good people there and there is plenty of good riding within a short distance. Worst case you go out there and enjoy all of the weekend away rides that are near you 1/3 of the raise to that 1/3 of it to the taxes and 1/3 of it to increased cost in general
That being said there is also the individual Officer to be considered, run across a biker hater and you are in for some pain.
We have a CHP officer in our area who hates bikers and calls us scum, he makes up things to write you a ticket for. My buddy has an old Shovel with FLH duals that he has put long glass packs on and upswept the pipes to seat level. He got a ticket for loud pipes and too high exhaust along with a host of other "violations". His bike is so quiet the valve train is the loudest thing.
I love the State for it's variety of beautiful natural wonders and great outdoor activity opportunities but the State gubmint and politics just suck and I hate supporting it. If I could go back in time to receiving my wonderful job opportunity with a 40k bump in pay I would turn it down, this place is very expensive to live and many freedoms taken for granted are not here. Do you hunt? You will need to purchase a hunting lic 2 times a year as they only last 6 months. Hunt big game? No lead can be used in your projectiles any longer, California is the first state to ban lead for hunting bullets. The list goes on.
NOTE:California law prohibits California residents or businesses from importing and/or registering a new vehicle with less than 7,500 miles at the time of purchase unless it meets or is exempt from California emission standards. If you acquire a 49-State vehicle (manufactured for all states except California) from another state or country, you may not be able to register your vehicle in California.
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
I am pretty conservative, and have lots of like minded buddies to ride with. The smallest club in the entire state is the "Bikers for Obama" group.
The financial opportunities are great out here. If you make more money, you pay more taxes. That is the way it is.
Bakersfield is a unique situation. The best opportunities are with oil services, medical, and government providers. Bakersfield is a pretty isolated place, but lf you like riding, hiking, hunting, boating, or any outdoors sports you will be as busy as you want.
It is different from Indiana, and if you want everything to be just like home, you will not be happy. If you are leaving a strong family culture, and they all remain in Indiana, you will miss that family stuff.
Best advice is to give it a shot. Common out, and take some time to travel around the state and it's adjoining states. You may just find a final landing spot for you to set up a fresh, new life. I know I did. Have no interest in moving back to Detroit, and most of my family comes out to California now for their vacations.
On the Highways, Harley's rule. Lots of biker specific events to give you a reason to ride. Tahoe, Reno, Laughlin, Rocky Point, Hollister, etc.







