I ventured to squidland the other day...

[Toad Rider]

I got my 96 GS a couple of months ago.  I've been riding pretty regularly.  I've ridden about 2400 miles so far.  I'm starting to get more confidence, so I decided to head for the North Georgia mountains.  I had been on some twisty roads before, but I wanted some serious hairpin twisties.  So I get up around Blood Mountain (The Appalachian Trail goes over it), and it's like I'm in another world.  Motorcycles everywhere.  Mostly squids.  Most of these guys spent some serious money on their bikes.  I saw it all, Ducatis, Beemers, Busas, Gixxers, Ninja ZX-14s, YZF-R1s, you name it.  I hit the curves as fast as I was comfortable with.  Lots of fun!    I was pleased to find that I only held up a few groups of squids.  My MSF course served me well.  All in all, a fun, but intense experience.    I can't wait to hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Dragon's Tail.  The only bad part was getting passed by a Silverwing on the way home.   

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Dude, where are you? I live in Atlanta and try to venture up to Dahlonega at least twice a month. Probably go this Sunday, actually. Hit me up next time!

[cosmiccharlie]

I love that road!  Never driven it on a bike, but it is fun in my impreza also!  I gotta get back up there and do some backpacking!

[Bboy AJ]

Uh, so why are they squids?

[Toad Rider]

Well, most of them were well mannered, so 'squid' is an exaggeration.

[RobTheTyrant]

I had some guy on a 600 gix tell me my bike was cute at an intersecton so when we were on some twisties that I know REALLY well (drive them every day) I late braked light crazy and took him inside and after that he couldn't touch me.  He was trying too but he quite obviously had a bike that was too much for him to handle.  once he cought up to me at the next intersection(I waited) I told him that he had a cute bike and he shouted some nasty profanity that i couldn't hear over his Yosh pipe.

Not to pirate this thread but what exactly is the definition of a 'squid'... i.e. what makes one a squid?

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Uh, so why are they squids?

Never been to the mountains, have you?

A lot of guys on bikes that are too big for them to handle, gixxer750/1K as a starter bike, insufficient gear (t-shirt, gloves, jeans, tennis shoes, helmet only because it's the law), tear down the straights, idle through the twisties, then go on about how they drug their frame sliders through that turn, when it was really a 5mph drop that caused the rash on the sliders.

[ledfingers]

you should see some pretty sights tearing up the corners of the dragon over the next week. 5er fest is going on i know a lot of the canuks are planning on hitting the dragon and some of the people i've seen talking about it have some niiiiiiiiiiiice freaking cars.

[Crash-n-Burn]

Not to pirate this thread but what exactly is the definition of a 'squid'... i.e. what makes one a squid?

Whenever I hear squid I imagine those guys on gsxr1000s in tennis shoes and no socks, t-shirt, shorts, no helmet, trying to look cool on a bike they can't handle.

[VTNewb]

The mountain rodes in vermont are pretty much squid free. Most people here outside the standard harley guy in a leather vest wear full gear. Hell, those harley guys can rip pretty well too.

[cgann012]

I was up in burlington a few months ago on route 9... it was great.

Im heading up in a couple weeks, I might go that way again, it was enjoyable.

[Nominally Lucid]

Not to pirate this thread but what exactly is the definition of a 'squid'... i.e. what makes one a squid?

SQUID = Stupid, QUick and Inevitably Dead.

Anyone know other definitions?

-Lucid

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Squids are so named because, much like the sea dwelling invertebrate, they exhibit periods of rapid motion in a straight line, but are unable to handle even minor changes in direction (i.e., turning)

Just check wikipedia for "squid", it's got em all.

[RobTheTyrant]

So all the guys on Fort Drum with nasty fast bikes who rip down rt 11 at about 90 and then lock up their rear tire for a sissy corner would be squids then... yeah, I sell R1's to guys like that on a regular basis.  I went on a test drive with a guy who I shouldn't have let drive the R1 he eventually bought.  I was behind on my gs and he thought it was funny to smoke me on the straits buck couldn't figure out why i could catch him on the turns. 

[zephler]

according to Urban dictionary a Squid is...........


A young motorcyclist who overestimates his abilities, boasts of his riding skills when in reality he has none. Squid bikes are usually decorated with chrome and various anodized bits. Rear tyres are too wide for their own good, swingarm extended. Really slow in the corners, and sudden bursts of acceleration when a straight appears. Squids wear no protection, deeming themselves invincible. This fact compounds intself with the fact that they engage in 'extreem riding'--performing wheelies and stoppies in public areas. Squids wreck alot. Derived from 'squirly kid'

here is the link http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=squid

I know some squids 
.

[ben2go]

I got my 96 GS a couple of months ago.  I've been riding pretty regularly.  I've ridden about 2400 miles so far.  I'm starting to get more confidence, so I decided to head for the North Georgia mountains.  I had been on some twisty roads before, but I wanted some serious hairpin twisties.  So I get up around Blood Mountain (The Appalachian Trail goes over it), and it's like I'm in another world.  Motorcycles everywhere.  Mostly squids.  Most of these guys spent some serious money on their bikes.  I saw it all, Ducatis, Beemers, Busas, Gixxers, Ninja ZX-14s, YZF-R1s, you name it.  I hit the curves as fast as I was comfortable with.  Lots of fun!    I was pleased to find that I only held up a few groups of squids.  My MSF course served me well.  All in all, a fun, but intense experience.    I can't wait to hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Dragon's Tail.  The only bad part was getting passed by a Silverwing on the way home.   

Come on up.I live on the NC/SC state line and frequent the Blue Ridge Parkway and The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway.Beware,they are cracking down on speeders on Dragons Tail and the Blue Ridge Parkway.Nice views anyway.

                                                 Ben

[ben2go]

Doe. I guess I'm considered a squid.I don't gots no monies for the fancy ridin suite.I just strap on my steel toe hiking boots,put on a pair of double lined jeans,thick shirt with tee under,and a nylon hikers jacket.I go out and hit the twisties,but I'm a conservative driver.Unless I know there is absolutely no traffic around.By the way I wear a full faced hell-met,too.

[Jarrett]

Doe. I guess I'm considered a squid.I don't gots no monies for the fancy ridin suite.I just strap on my steel toe hiking boots,put on a pair of double lined jeans,thick shirt with tee under,and a nylon hikers jacket.I go out and hit the twisties,but I'm a conservative driver.Unless I know there is absolutely no traffic around.By the way I wear a full faced hell-met,too.

Lack of gear can make you a squid but it's not the final nail in the coffin.  I look at a squid as someone who doesn't respect the bike, themselves, or other motorist.  We all have our squid moments.

[spc]

Some more than others
But dammit the whole cornering thing does not apply to me.  I would much rather be draggin a knee all the way down a nice twisty road than wheelieing

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Doe. I guess I'm considered a squid.I don't gots no monies for the fancy ridin suite.I just strap on my steel toe hiking boots,put on a pair of double lined jeans,thick shirt with tee under,and a nylon hikers jacket.I go out and hit the twisties,but I'm a conservative driver.Unless I know there is absolutely no traffic around.By the way I wear a full faced hell-met,too.

The fact that you know you need gear, but can't afford it makes you less of a squid, IMHO. But, look at it this way: If you can't afford proper gear now.. can you afford skin grafts, later? Because going down is a fact of riding. And I'll guarantee that the hiker's jacket won't provide proper impact/abrasion resistance. It sounds like you're riding with no gloves, either. Guess what the first thing you do in a wreck is? Throw your hands out to stop your fall. Ouch.

Not to try to scare you away from riding, or make you think I'm a duck or anything.. just something to ponder.