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! :icon_twisted: 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. :thumb: 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. :oops:
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!
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!
Uh, so why are they squids?
Well, most of them were well mannered, so 'squid' is an exaggeration.
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 :icon_rolleyes: 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?
Quote from: Bboy AJ on May 22, 2007, 03:08:08 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: RobTheTyrant on May 22, 2007, 04:29:25 PM
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: RobTheTyrant on May 22, 2007, 04:29:25 PM
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
:dunno_white:
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.
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.
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 (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=squid)
I know some squids :icon_lol:
.
Quote from: Toad Rider on May 21, 2007, 04:51:26 PM
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! :icon_twisted: 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. :thumb: 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. :oops:
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 :)
Doe. :cry: 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. :icon_rolleyes:
Quote from: ben2go on May 24, 2007, 09:41:16 PM
Doe. :cry: 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. :icon_rolleyes:
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.
Some more than others :oops: :oops: :oops:
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 :thumb: :thumb:
Quote from: ben2go on May 24, 2007, 09:41:16 PM
Doe. :cry: 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. :icon_rolleyes:
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.
Ummm actually everytime I've hit the ground, I've tucked into a combat roll and neither my hands nor head touch the ground :thumb: My knees however get badly abused :icon_rolleyes: Only 2 times though and both at relatively low speed, 25-30 mph.
Quote from: spcterry on May 24, 2007, 11:27:04 PM
Ummm actually everytime I've hit the ground, I've tucked into a combat roll and neither my hands nor head touch the ground :thumb: My knees however get badly abused :icon_rolleyes: Only 2 times though and both at relatively low speed, 25-30 mph.
I got lucky.. 1st wreck I landed on my back and slid on my back. 2nd wreck I did a tuck and roll, but only because I hit the ground sideways, not head on. But that wreck at 60mph scuffed up both sides of my helmet (would have been my face.. ouch), my shoulders, my elbows, and partially my knuckles (not bad though.. thank God for carbon fiber knuckle protectors). I somehow avoided hitting my legs at all, even though I smacked the crap out of my back on the guard rail. Actually, both of my wrecks have been in the same pair of blue jeans. Maybe they're cursed.
I wasn't able to afford propper gear for a long time (now I have a pretty nice setup though) but it dosn't cost very much to be relativly safe.
Of course always wear a helmet, preferably full face.
The next thing is to get some gloves, for $7 from the hardware store you can get some thick leather gloves that should be just fine.
As for pants, jeans will be okay untill you can afford some riding pants.
For a jacket, a heavy jean jacket will be okay, but for not much more you can get a leather one. If you look arround you can usually find a leather jacket or a textile riding jacket for less than $100
The nylon hikers jacket is really the only weak link in Ben2go's riding attire, if he's wearing some gloves.
Just ride really conservatively and upgrade your gear as finances allow.
newenough.com i got all new gear (head to fingers to toes) for just over $300, but what thats because my boots were $140 i think i paid $70-80 for the jacket, $70 for the helmet, $5 for the gloves (with a sheild wiper blade on the thumb! i haven't used it in rain but it works great for bugs!) and $68 for the pants. you could get a good jacket for around $60 and gloves for like $5-10 and be safer than with the hiking jacket. everything else is fine until you can afford more.
i couldn't be a squid if i wanted to. i tried wheelying a couple times, just couldn't do it very well. i'm wheelytarded. the best one i've done was an accident getting on the freeway (stupid metering lights making you stop on a hill) when i had only been riding a couple weeks. since then it'll come up maayyybe a foot, but thats about it. i guess it's a good thing...
I Have A Full Face Shoei
A Marlboro Leather Racing Jacket
A Leather Suzuki Racing Jacket,
I Hate Leather Trousers , So I Got Some Kevlar Lined Jeans ,
A Decent Set Of Boots .
Kevler Gloves
Cost Quite a bit , but its not worth losing, plus , i feel more confident in good gear
Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLast on May 24, 2007, 11:22:09 PM
Quote from: ben2go on May 24, 2007, 09:41:16 PM
Doe. :cry: 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. :icon_rolleyes:
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.
I have riding gloves and helmet,but I went shopping today.I haven't found what I want yet,but soon.Very soon.
what is it that you want? Chances are you can get it on ebay, or newenough (I love newenough, and will never stop recommending them)
Try to stay with a helmet that is not only DOT stamped but SNELL as well. They cost a little more, but it's like my boss says... he's broken two helmets and still has his original head.
I ride with an Icon trm merc stage 2 jacket, icon gloves, usually dickies pants, Icon Battlecry lid and AS short boots. I've got a suzuki Joe Rocket leather but it's MAD hot. Too hot for anything above 70 degrees.
Quote from: RobTheTyrant on May 26, 2007, 04:22:53 PM
Try to stay with a helmet that is not only DOT stamped but SNELL as well. They cost a little more, but it's like my boss says... he's broken two helmets and still has his original head.
I ride with an Icon trm merc stage 2 jacket, icon gloves, usually dickies pants, Icon Battlecry lid and AS short boots. I've got a suzuki Joe Rocket leather but it's MAD hot. Too hot for anything above 70 degrees.
It was 87F here today and 83% humidity.It was so hazy in the mountains it was almost like fog.I'm trying to find a light,flexible jacket that has vents.Pants too,if it's possible.I am wearing kevlar reinforced jeans,but feel a fall could still tear me up.
Quote from: ben2go on May 26, 2007, 06:36:32 PM
Quote from: RobTheTyrant on May 26, 2007, 04:22:53 PM
Try to stay with a helmet that is not only DOT stamped but SNELL as well. They cost a little more, but it's like my boss says... he's broken two helmets and still has his original head.
I ride with an Icon trm merc stage 2 jacket, icon gloves, usually dickies pants, Icon Battlecry lid and AS short boots. I've got a suzuki Joe Rocket leather but it's MAD hot. Too hot for anything above 70 degrees.
It was 87F here today and 83% humidity.It was so hazy in the mountains it was almost like fog.I'm trying to find a light,flexible jacket that has vents.Pants too,if it's possible.I am wearing kevlar reinforced jeans,but feel a fall could still tear me up.
Cortech GX-Air.. I ride in it in both Georgia and Florida summers, and have no complaints. As long as you're moving, it's like wearing a t-shirt. If you stop, it's still good (Mine's black.. the white would probably be cooler). Another tip is to wet your t-shirt before heading out.
be careful with that. if you get too wet then ride at a good rate of speed with all your vents open, it'll make your clothes too cold and give you hypothermia. yes, even in high degree weather can you get hypothermia.
Of Course. Not LAot of people would no that , i wont go into it , but thats a Very Very Good Point :thumb:
I don't ride when there's any chance of rain.I hate being wet unless I'm showering. 8)
I Past This Person Today , I Think Hes A So Called Squid, Was Wheeling Every Second , and Couldnt Turn A Corner, What You Think?
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u148/James_Jay_Wolf/SquidwardOnBike.jpg)
Quote from: spcterry on May 24, 2007, 11:27:04 PM
Ummm actually everytime I've hit the ground, I've tucked into a combat roll and neither my hands nor head touch the ground :thumb: My knees however get badly abused :icon_rolleyes: Only 2 times though and both at relatively low speed, 25-30 mph.
Yeah, that's what I do too. Except I finish it off with a backflip and a roundhouse kick.