Best thing I could have done as a Noob. So grateful for this knowledge

[MiketheGuide]

I just looked up Squids on youtube. Holy Fark, that ain't ever going to be me.

:scratch:

[Smifffy]

Great!

Actually the best thing you can do is a noob is get some professional training. One day with a pro is worth years of youtube watching.

[Ricardo S]

An extremely rare animal with a short lifespan. Usually a new sport bike enthusiast with the reasoning of a lunatic, whom you might see thrashing on an R1 wearing sandals, shorts, and a tee.
When found lying motionless on the pavement, this creature transforms itself into a stream of blood, exposed flesh, and broken limbs. Hence the squid moniker.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rTEO8ka5e0M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Rhys]

Why do people do stunts in shorts and a t shirt your helmet doesn't save your skin :facepalm:

[maggot]

I die a little inside every time..

[blue rider]

I had to ask a friend what a squid is (outside the ocean and kitchen), and still can not understand why anyone would go ride a bike a scooter for that matter in clothing fit for the beach.
I feel pain just looking at it....

[baptist]

Why do people do stunts in shorts and a t shirt your helmet doesn't save your skin :facepalm:

:gob::gob: Limited gene pool I think

[GrayWolf]

I just looked up Squids on youtube. Holy Fark, that ain't ever going to be me.

:scratch:

second best thing you can do Mike is, dont listen to a word that other (young) learners tell you about how various bikes are pieces of shite, unbreakable, manic, fastest, etc.
Go for the bike that suits YOUR needs as a person. There is always a trade off on performance, reliability, longevity and repair costs.
Often the advice of more, errrr 'experienced' riders will be in direct conflict with the unwashed masses of L plater's......

[dblancer]

God these vids make you cringe don't they!!

I used to go to Uni and see this guy arrive in shorts and a T-shirt on a Firestorm, where as no matter the weather Id wear jacket, gloves, heavy jeans and boots on my 250!

I was talking to him one time and it turns out soon after he came off and grazed the shit out of himself, he was thankful he had his wallet in his pocket as it saved his ass ( his fairings cost him a bit however... so his wallet got punished in both ways!)

I also talked to a motorbike guy at the hospital, he reckoned the amount of scooter riders that come in with skin missing and gravel in their hands is crazy! Since they almost never wear gear!

Its like when people get a full licence they can't possibly crash or something?

[jackboy]

Great!

Actually the best thing you can do is a noob is get some professional training. One day with a pro is worth years of youtube watching.

As a genuine noob who has had absolutely nothing to do with motorcycles prior to owning one (I ride it everywhere - do not own a car).. no friends who have owned motorcycles - may I ask what the benefits of your suggestion is?

[imdying]

As a genuine noob who has had absolutely nothing to do with motorcycles prior to owning one (I ride it everywhere - do not own a car).. no friends who have owned motorcycles - may I ask what the benefits of your suggestion is?It's obvious... even if you're Nigel No Mates you can pay somebody to help you.

[avgas]

I too like crochet and slow walks along the beach.
On Thursdays we go to bingo. What a hoot!

Sometimes I risk it all and go to sleep with no socks on.

[The Singing Chef]

Sometimes I risk it all and go to sleep with no socks on.

:shit: You sir, are one wild motherfucker!! :first:

[Road kill]

While driving me 18 wheeler over the Waipuna bridge this arvo' I watched a fat Yoof wearing mostly gray clothing an a red back pack on a red Hyosung Comet buzz on by.
Somebody really should tell some of these fat arse honkys that glow in the dark white legs should "always" be covered.

Nufing to do with bikes,,,it's just wrong FFS.

[varminter]

Saw a kid on a scroter wearing 'safety sock' no shoes, just the socks:gob:

[Jay GTI]

Whenever I see the idiots on bikes in t-shirts and shorts, or even paddock jackets and jeans, I always want to follow them so I can ask them to walk back out onto the road and sprint as fast as they can, then just throw themselves at the ground. Then ask them if that sounds like a fun activity? And then ask them if that doesn't sound so great, why they seem to think they would be fine if an unobservant motorist gave them the chance to play the same game at 100kph...

[superman]

SQUID - Stupid, Quick, Underdressed, Imminently Dead.

Get to see some sweet Darwin awards.

[otter]

As a genuine noob who has had absolutely nothing to do with motorcycles prior to owning one (I ride it everywhere - do not own a car).. no friends who have owned motorcycles - may I ask what the benefits of your suggestion is?

In my eyes the main benifit is safety. Any money that I can give someone to teach me to ride better so that I'm more able to avoid writing myself or my bike off (hospital is boring) is well spent.
You'll also be more confident and skillful when things start getting hairy (bucketing down with rain, gravel on road etc) and instead of shitting your pants, keep riding.
Ohh, and depending on the training...faster ;)

You don't nessisarly need training with another person, there a books, youtube etc to teach you to ride better. I recently found that I improved my techique greatly riding twisties with riders who were going just a bit faster than I would usually and really had to concentrate on staying loose on the bars. In saying that, don't go faster than you feel safe and never go 100% on the road.

[2DriveSafe]

A bit of self promotion here in regards to training, as that is what I do. I was talking to a guy a while back who said he had been riding 17 years like me, but about a year ago he realised he only had 1 years riding experience that he had repeated 16 times making the same mistakes again and again!

We get 'experienced' riders coming to us all the time to get their licences ( basic handling skills or further training) and they get more out of a half hour or half day course than they have in their entire 'experience'. Simple things like head up, look where you want to go, relax on corners and looking for limit points all helps. Practicing quick stops and stopping in a curve and counter-steering help too.

Training is an investment in your own life, skin, finances, family etc. Even better ACC subsidise our training so you technically get some of those levies back, by the training being much more affordable.

Its always better to practice new stuff with someone who can help guide you through it in a safe environment rather than becoming a Squid and learning the hard way.:facepalm:

We have just started our summer training programme in north canterbury, check out our website (http://www.2drivesafe.com/html/mb/lessons.html) for more info.
:yes:

Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back. ~Chinese Proverb
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~Attributed to Harry S Truman