I ride Kawasaki Vulcan 900. I use it to commute and for occasional weekend rides around Bay Area. I had a license since mid-nineties, but started riding again a year ago after a long hiatus. There are a few music/fire arts festivals that I go to every year; one of them is IgNight in SoCal, Joshua Tree area. So this was a great opportunity to try a long-distance trip and have a great destination. It was my first long distance ride, both very beautiful and quite exhausting. I hope to explore more of California on two wheels; I plan to ride Route 395 next year.