REPUTABLE TRAINING ORGANIZATIONS

Training can be scary and sometimes expensive. But the greatest rewards come from putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. Trust me when I say it’s money well spent and you’ll learn skills that will provide miles of smiles.

The whole purpose of this website is to inspire you to train and practice. These are big, intimidating adventure bikes. But I know first-hand that when you train, your enjoyment factor on the trail goes up exponentially. When you think, “I can’t” – book some training with a reputable organization. There, you’ll find the confidence and skills you need to change your mind to, “I can“!

START HERE to take the next step in your ADVENTURE RIDING journey

BMW Performance Center – Greenville, SC (and at other rallies throughout the U.S.)

The BMW Performance Center offers both on and off-road motorcycle training and I’m not sure anyone does it better. There are a lot of great training organizations out there, but the Performance Center’s “Rider Academy” is unique in that their facility literally allows for training in ALL conditions, which you don’t often get from other training organizations.

Not only will they train you in the basics of adventure riding, but they also have terrain and courses that will give you the experience and training you need for: mud; water; deep water; single track; single track with trees, hills and off-camber; deep gravel; sand; deep sand; steep hills and anything else you can think of. After a morning of intense training, you can grab lunch in their beautifully appointed training center before you get out there for more training.

The instructors are all amazing as well and are some of the most skilled riders I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding with. It is expensive, but in my opinion, it’s well worth it.

WEST 38 MOTO – Locations Throughout the Mountain West

As a former coach myself for West 38 Moto, I can tell you that this organization, hands-down, is the best value for the money. Dusty Wessels could charge a lot more for his training, but he doesn’t because he wants to make training affordable for everyone.

It’s also the reason that many of West 38 Moto’s students come back again-and-again to brush up on their skills each year. West 38 Moto also offers women-only classes taught by my fellow GS Trophy female competitor, Cassie Maier, who has a lot of great videos for female riders as well.

BRET TKACS – Boise, Seattle and Other Locations Throughout the U.S.

I have not personally taken Bret’s classes, but I have traveled with him while on a motorcycle expedition in Nepal, and he is truly one of my favorite people. Not only that, but he is an excellent coach. If you’ve done any adventure riding research on YouTube, you’ve likely seen his videos. I know I’ve personally watched hours of his videos. He is high energy and has a great sense of humor, but he’s also a professor of his craft when it comes to the mechanics behind each maneuver.

D.A.R.T. – Norman, OK and Throughout the Mountain West

I first had the pleasure of riding with Ben Dragoo at the G.S. Trophy U.S. West Qualifier in 2021 and was immediately impressed with his finesse and mastery of the G.S. Fast forward 9 months later and I finally had the chance to do some training with Ben and Charley at the BMW MOA Rally in Springfield, MO, earning D.A.R.T. a spot on my short list of recommended training organizations.

I have no doubt Ben and his team will provide you with excellent coaching in addition to simply having a great time.

SHALMARIE WILSON – Throughout the Mountain West

I have not personally taken Shal’s classes, but she and I are scheduled to coach together later this year in Denver. Shal, like me, has an insatiable appetite to learn new skills on the bike and never stop learning. She is also a certified MSF RiderCoach, Total Control coach and often teaches alongside other reputable coaches like Bill Dragoo (D.A.R.T.).

Shal teaches throughout the mountain west and coaches as her full time job. Visit her website to find a training clinic near you.