Got popped with my gf for allegedly doing a wheelie, I was cited for reckless driving.

They impounded my bike for 30 days, even though I have a spotless driving record, my license, insurance and registration are all up to date.

The driver that picked my bike up said it'll be just over $1000 to get my bike out after the 30 days, which is ridiculous. On top of it being my only transportation to work.

This is my first time having to deal with a misdemeanor.

Mate. That seems totally over the top punishment for something so small. Is this Californian normality for driving offences? It's not like you caused an accident or fell off and damaged property or something. Good luck fighting it, hope you find a good lawyer.

Its normal for Commiefornia. Try to petition the court as a hardship.

Yeah the State of CA really needs the revenue money so they go all out of fooking their citizens.

The political spectrum is a circle. Go far enough right of fascism and you get Stalinism

I think you may as well just enter the courtroom and make your plea. I would go as far as stating with the extra weight on the back end and the new power from the illegal exhaust system installed added to the fact that the traffic situation required an immediate acceleration scenario you were overwhelmed with adrenaline in this possible calamitous situation and will take proper measures to ensure this never happens again.
You could also make your girlfriend pay for half as clearly it was far more her fault than yours.
Leave California out of this, we seem to be the only state that has learned from Rodney King. You haven't lived till you've lived in California.

I had a tow hearing with a Sargent and she let me have the bike after being impounded for 4 days. She told me the officer that cited me used to work in the traffic division and they've had a lot of issues with motorcycles.
Lucky for me it only ended up being $560 to get it out and not $2255 if it was for the full 30 ($265 tow/$65 per day/$70 lien fee), regardless I had to pay the station $50 to give me the release forms as well.
The biggest lesson I've learned so far is that I need to stop what I'm doing and open a towing business.

Glad to hear it was not superxpensive. I feel your pain.