Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I'm an occassional "squid". When too hot wearing full gear is as dangerous

Back home I always squid all the time with my 4yr old son on the fuel tank. Great happiness.

But yeah going to reefton without proper gear is insane...

I dont have new leathers, but I do have a new bike , and it sure hasn't made me ride any faster

I just ask them "Who's going to wipe your arse for you when you have gravel rash all over you hands"

I rarely ride without leathers...

red_dave wrote:I just ask them "Who's going to wipe your arse for you when you have gravel rash all over you hands"

I rarely ride without leathers...

Their answer is.....you are that and help to pay for the oprerations & the pretty nurses

[quote="javaman"]I'm an occassional "squid". When too hot wearing full gear is as dangerous quote]

Problem there is it will be the occasional squid down to the shops for a pack of smokes when a volvo wants your spot on the road & it all goes pear shape.
Spose it comes back to the mentality of it wont happen to me even in a small way that could catch you out
& in order to minimise the dammage wearing the correct gear even when it is 40 in the shade would make all the difference.
I had a squid about 21 years ago & that was a once off ... it felt strange & sorta uncomfortable

The bit I posted is prolly more focussed on the dills who hammer the straights and wobble around the turns. As for squiding it, I do it occasionally. But my squiding extends to denim jeans, Boots, and a minimum of a textile bike jacket with summer weight gloves. On occasions I have run down the shop in a t-shirt. I have even run into the city wearing same. I call that acceptable risk when the temps are 40+ degrees C!!!!!!

But if it's a run in the hills, I'll wear the leathers no questions asked!

My first serious squidding experience was in Cowes at the Supers this year... still nothing compared to what the Donutman was up to

I think I understand that squidding is riding without the proper gear, but why is it called this?

Bogan wrote:I think I understand that squidding is riding without the proper gear, but why is it called this?

Might be because the level of protection that a squid posseses is the same.... nice & fleshy

I need new leathers, so semi-squiding at the moment. Though that's an absolute minimum of bike boots, denim jeans, textile (or leather) bike jacket with CE armour and winter gloves (actually, for Canberra, they're more like spring/autumn gloves). Hyper-alert for the dreaded Volvo driver and taking almost exaggerated care in the twisties, though. And some nice heavy cow hide is top of my shopping list (though I'm having trouble deciding what I want). I figure the thinning grey hairs under the helmet might offset the shiny new bike and (soon to be acquired) leathers to some extent.

Noticed just yesterday that I was definitely dragging the chain on getting the gear, when I realised my arse was starting to shift further and further off the seat through some familiar bends. All good fun - but pushing the boundaries a bit too far!

And here's a few definitions for squid: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Squid(motorcycle" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank)

I particularly like the one that it's "based on similarity between the way a "squid" rides and an actual squid swims.
Squids can appear unable to change direction while swimming without first coming to a near complete stop. However, once the squid does stop and change directions, it can very quickly accelerate back to its regular swimming speed. Beginning motorcyclists (especially sport bike riders) commonly have trouble negotiating turns, and must slow down to unnecessarily slow speed, while at the same time have a tendency to ride very fast on the straight sections of the road".

Billz wrote:"based on similarity between the way a "squid" rides and an actual squid swims.
Squids can appear unable to change direction while swimming without first coming to a near complete stop. However, once the squid does stop and change directions, it can very quickly accelerate back to its regular swimming speed. Beginning motorcyclists (especially sport bike riders) commonly have trouble negotiating turns, and must slow down to unnecessarily slow speed, while at the same time have a tendency to ride very fast on the straight sections of the road".

Hahaha it's me. Not embarrassing through the corners but not particularly unsquidlike .

I think it's important to note that it's 'good gear' that's important, not just 'full leathers'.
Good gear doesn't mean full leathers and thus doesn't mean baking in the heat. ie a hot day is no excuse not to gear up, and doesn't necessarily mean sweating like a pig in full leathers.
I've had my fair share of accidents - none of them in leathers. All in decent gear though. Leathers wouldn't have had any effect on the injuries I sustained (all impact injuries).

Note I'm not saying leathers are unnecessary, I'm just saying they're not the be-all-and-end-all.
Boots, draggins, gloves, helmet and a decent textile jacket are also safe and reliable, and negate many of the arguments/excuses people make for squiding.
ty

Good point. I never squid on any roads > 60 i.e. nepean highway. Also after a near miss on a sweating hot day now I just take the train when anything > 30 degrees.

That's why melbourne is great because it's cold most of the time

And then there's stuff like this that just beggars belief. Somewhere in Europe I assume. Somewhere warm...

yea lets clarify.... squiding is basicly riding in t-shirt and shorts i reckon.... jeans are not squid...jacket is not squid...

theres a bunch of theories on squiding...

Seriosly
Quick
Underdressed
Idiodically
Dangerous

is one acronym...