VMAX

     The picture is of VMAX, a 1200cc motorcycle, which is my brother's. I borrowed it this afternoon and took a short ride. I got an unlimited license for motorcycles recently. It was not easy, but I got it in order to ride this motorcycle. This is so heavy that I managed to put up the center stand only after a great deal of effort. However, once it started, it was so light. I felt a comfortable sound and beat from the heart of the motorcycle. Its accelerating force was so amazing that I've never felt before. I became eager to have my own super-big motorcycle. I almost got addicted to its power.

(Vocabulary)
after a great struggle / after a great deal of effort 辛うじて
accelerating force/power  加速力

(From the comments)
in-laws  婚姻による親戚(しんせき), 義理の親
load up （＜車・トラックなど＞に）荷物［貨物］を積み込む
load sth up with sth ＜車・トラックなど＞に＜…＞を積み込む
She loaded up the car with camping gear.  彼女は車にキャンプ用品を積み込んだ．
go off 出かける
hightail it  一目散に逃げる
seaboard  沿岸（地帯）
the eastern/western/Pacific seaboard  東部［西部，太平洋］沿岸地帯
be hot on sb's trail/tail/heels  ＜人＞のすぐあとを追いかけている
hail [U] ひょう, あられ
sideways 横向きに, 斜めに
in the middle of nowhere 辺ぴな所に
cover (長い行程の一部として) (ある距離を)進む, 移動する, カバーする
They were hoping to cover 40 miles yesterday. 彼らは昨日40マイル進みたいと思っていた．
cover a lot of ground  長い距離を進む
That's about it. まあそんなところだ。／こういったところだ。／それが限度だ。

 

Comments

[KUMO]

Hi, Shiroi_Tora

The U.S. is vast as could be expected. To ride the motorcycle for 500 miles a day is absolutely impossible in Japan, because Japan is small and the speed limitation is up to 80 miles per hour at best.

[Shiroi Tora]

On that particular vacation, I had taken a total of 6 weeks off. I had visited my in-laws in Shikoku for the first time...I had also seen my relatives in Kyushu for the first time in decades. We spent 2 weeks there and then came back to CA. We loaded up the bike and off we went.

We headed South to LA and then headed East. We stopped in Tucson, AZ for our first night. We ended up averaging 500 miles a day (some 250 miles - 650 miles depending on the sight we had wished to see on that day). We had gone through New Mexico and down to Texas and across the southern states to New Orleans. We then went to Florida (Epcot center...etc) for a few days but had to high tail it up the Eastern Seaboard with a hurricane hot on our trail.

We stopped for a few days in New Jersey to visit a friend (he showed us around NY city - the World Trade Center also)...he also treated us to a tremendous Off Broadway show.

We then stopped by Niagara Falls and headed West. We stopped at Yellowstone and across North Dakota (We got caught by a freezing rain and hail storm that had hit us sideways - 2 hours in the middle of nowhere). The rest of our trip was relatively uneventful.

We had covered approximately 10,000 miles in 30 days (20 of them on the road - the other 10 sightseeing).

I had done a similar trip (solo) in 1981 on a Honda CX 500. I had gone north into Canada and then East to Niagara Falls and then to NY to visit my friend. Then south till midpoint and then West across the middle. During this trip...I had packed food and sleeping gear and had slept at campgrounds.

On both trips, I had stopped at various sightseeing locations (I had preplanned my route).

I loved riding...however...when my son was born...I gave away my Honda Aspencade. I couldn't risk my families financial future doing risky things
(I had numerous accidents on my CX 500...a few could have been fatal were it not for luck - it was my stupidly and love of speed in corners that had gotten me in trouble).

Anyway...that's about it. Take care.

[KUMO]

Hi, Shiroi_Tora

In Japan, your bike is called GL1200 Gold Wing and is very popular, although the highway of Japan is not so long as that of the U.S. By the way, how long was the route in your 1995's trip? I wish I could ride a bike on the historic road of 66 someday.
And your comments are always welcome. I'm really happy to learn the ordinary people's English. I'm used to reading official publications like newspapers, but not for comments written privately.
I'm writing about various kinds of topics.

[Shiroi_Tora]

I love the V-max. I almost bought one years ago. Perhaps it is fortunate I hadn't...I love the feeling of acceleration...especially in corners. I ended up buying a 1200 Honda Aspencade - full dress touring bike. My wife, and I toured the outer perimeter of the U.S. in one trip in 1995.

I hope you don't mind me commenting on your older articles. You have a very interesting and informative blog. There are many articles I would like to comment on that are older...ones that I have yet to read.

[KUMO]

Dear Klaus

Yes, BMW is one of options, but one thing,,, the length of my legs.