I've ridden street bikes most of my life and picked up a few dirt bikes a few years ago. My kids and I have had a great time on them, but without any formal instruction, always felt we didn't have the foundation for the skills needed to ride the trails we wanted to explore. My son and I took the Intermediate class and, now, things make a lot more sense. Wish we could have had these foundational techniques in place before we formed some bad riding practices, but it's never too late. Now we have solid methods we can practice and work on. Looking forward to the advanced class at some point in the future.
Jason and Whitney are excellent instructors: genuine, enthusiastic, and skilled. There was a range of experience and personalities in our class and I enjoyed watching how they adapted to everyone's needs. Everyone seemed to learn, enjoy the day, and express gratitude and a desire to return once it was over.
Most people didn't bring their own bikes and I heard several say they wanted to learn on something they weren't afraid to bang up. We brought our own bikes. My opinion is I want to learn and be trained on the bike I'm riding. That option worked out great for me, and if you have your own dirt or dual sport, I'd suggest you consider taking the training on your own machine. Email Jason and Whitney. Based on your experience, they can give you a recommendation on which option might work best for you.
Warren 47 / Snohomish County
Our 10 year old Grandson took this class yesterday and we are still talking about the amazing experience. He did not want to stop at the end of the day and will not stop talking about getting on his bike to practice (like the "guys" told him he should do). He went from being very tentative to now knowing how to control his bike, brake, shift, get safely off a hill and on and on. We will be signing him up for more classes. The best way to describe what these guys offered is my favorite 3 P's: Pride, Perseverance, and Patience!
Jayden 10 / Monroe, WA
I have some street riding experience, but never took my bike off pavement. So I signed up for the class hoping to get taste of dirt riding and check if it is really as fun as it looks on Youtube. The course is really good - very well designed and taught, with each exercise is building on previous and being fun at the same time. At the end of the day I was much more confident, more relaxed and much faster. Jason is an incredible teacher, who can explain things clearly and provide precise and actionable feedback, he is also very supportive and his enthusiasm is contagious! %) I've had an awesome day and will definitely come back for more.
Alex 37 / Bellevue
I took the Level I and II courses a month into learning to ride, and, a year later, I can say they were the best thing I did to improve my riding. The clear instruction combined with the controlled low traction environment reveal so much about the fundamentals of good riding (lean angle, body position, traction management, ...). Also, the dirt experience prepared me to turn down fire roads and rip on some fun light adventure rides.
I took Level II again a year later as a refresher / skill assessment. Definitely worth coming back to the course more than once as so much is covered and the instructors will find ways to push you.
Also, it's just plain fun. Friendly atmosphere. Small class sizes. A single track course with swoopy turns and just enough sticker bushes to keep your adrenaline up.
Marc 33 / Seattle, WA
Knowledgeable, friendly, and patient instructors with structured, progressive lessons make this course a fun and engaging experience.
Daniel 43 / Seattle
I haven’t ridden a Motorcycle on any type of dirt for over 40 years, until taking the Dirt First Course at the 2018 Touratech Rally West. What an assume experience it was, my friend Gary invited me and set me up with the Dirt First class. The Instructors were amazing teaching the techniques needed to ride dirt and also help on the street riding. My dirt riding skills were way off mark, until Jason started teaching us the basics. I’ve been around a lot of instructors in my days, I have to say Jason is among the top 5. He was very professional and was top notch in his teaching skills.
If you are learning to ride Dirt Bikes or even been riding for a while. I highly recommend you take a course with these guys. You will not only learn valuable skills, you will have a blast.
Thanks Dirt First for a great experience!!!
Earl Faulk, Olympia, WA
Earl 56 / Olympia