I've ridden street for over a decade, but learning how to handle dirt has always been high up on my list of aspirations. I couldn't have imagined a better instructor than Whitney. He was a patient and attentive instructor who adapted to each of his students' levels and progress, and not only showed us the hows & whats, but took the time to make sure we understood the whys.
The course site was perfect - comprehensive and well-maintained, with some fun little trails to zip through between lessons.
Highly recommend these classes for any skill level of riding.
-Benjamin 36 / Seattle
I've been a street rider for 15 years and got my first dual sport a few years back. I've done a little off road riding, but frankly I'm terrified of it. My husband thought this would help me gain some skills that would boost my confidence and make it more enjoyable. He decided he could probably learn a thing or two as well, so we took the level 2 class together.
First of all, wow! it's hard work! I learned so much from this class though! I think it was definitely a little harder since I've been a street rider for so long; there are a lot of things that are quite opposite between the two riding methods. To be honest, I was beside myself with anxiety; how many times am I going to drop my bike, how many people are going to be waiting for me, how frustrated are people going to be with my lack of skill, etc. But our instructor (the owner, Jason) was absolutely fantastic and so incredibly patient with me. There was no judgement from anyone and it seemed like everyone in our group was learning and having fun too. Even in our group of 8, which they considered large, everyone got some real personal attention and coaching. By the end of the day I was able to ride and actually maneuver in sand, which is something I've never been able to do - skill or confidence-wise. And my husband, who has done some pretty extreme off road riding learned a lot as well. The principles behind the teaching methods here are pretty spot on and I'm definitely excited to ride more now! I also believe it would be worth taking the class again to really master some of the skills learned here. I would recommend this operation to pretty much anyone interested in off road riding - there are 3 levels of skill courses, so there's something for everyone and you'd be amazed at how even just a little coaching can improve your riding. Thank you Jason!
-Lara D. 40 / Portland, OR
Jason is an amazing instructor. He nails it with clear objectives, clear directions, over all logical progression of exercises, quick recognition of a need act when we needed corrective action (including taking breaks). And in particular I liked how he was firm with me when I was doing something dangerous, and didn't realize it! It takes a strong and confident instruction to bring levity and firmness to a training like this. Thank you so much!
-Nicholas R. 51 / Kenmore
I attended the Dirt First course at the 2017 Touratech Rally using their bike.
Unfortunately I didn't get to practice the techniques right away. I thought I may have wasted the course but I have recently done some dirt rides where the training kicked in and WOW.
My Dirt riding with my 2015 F800GS has improved dramatically. It's like I have a whole new set of tools to draw on when riding. The enjoyment level has gone up twofold.
Thank guys!
-Michael F. 65 / Joseph, Oregon
Thanks to the guys from DirtFirst for bringing their amazing training to the Tourtech Rally. The course was perfectly balanced between verbal instruction and drills to instill great riding skills for us adventure riders on bigger bikes. When I went on my first major ride the next day, I could still hear Whitney and Jason's instructions and encouragement in my head for an awesome and safe ride. Check it out!
-Garth B. 53 / Vancouver, B.C.
Nothing short of awesome!!! Jason and Brandon provided private lessons for my family (wife 39, brother 31, son 9) and me (38). The range and coaches are everything you could ever want. Jason knew exactly how to coach me out of some ‘bad’ street bike habits and was able to patiently break down skills so they were easy to execute. Everyone who attended was blown away by the great experience today :-) thanks fellas!
-Force T. 38 / Tulalip
I recently took the Level 2 class. Jason was our instructor for the day and he was great. He was patient, communicated the lessons very well and made sure everyone was taken care of. His enthusiasm for teaching is obvious. I liked the structure of the day - the lesson, demonstration and practice of what we learned was very helpful. The techniques he taught us were the solid basics I was looking for. And small adjustments made all the difference. I would highly recommend taking this class before you get out and ride. You will enjoy it much more!
-Ashlie M. 50 / Bellevue, WA
Used to ride off-road motorcycles in the 70’s & early 80’s but had not been on one for 35+ yrs! Decided to give the Level 2 class a try with some reservations that I’d be holding the others up. But thanks to the spacious facility, well-designed curriculum and excellent instruction, it worked out just fine. I did the package wherein DBST provides the bike and all the equipment and was particularly grateful for the helmet - which helped hide the silly grin that otherwise would have been evident to all, all day long. Thanks, DBST. Heartily recommend your course to anyone looking to learn how to ride a bike; brush up on their skills; or take their riding to the next level.
-Dean H. 59 / Everett WA
Gary, Jason and Whitney were so professional on teaching us the bunch of Dirty Girls ADV! I had concern riding offroad again since I have crashed and fractured my ankle, but during their class and even after the class, I could feel my confidence back and wanted to try more challenge terrains. Indeed, their class offered and led my skill improved, and I am thankful to be able to take their class! I will be planning to take another advanced class next year for sure.
-Kumi / Snohomish
My 13 year old daughter and 9 year old son LOVED their first experience dirt biking last weekend with Jason and Whitney! They both have been mountain biking since they were little but my oldest was begging to get on a dirt bike :). Both instructors were awesome at gauging the individual kids' progress throughout the day (there were three kids total in the class) and they moved at the perfect pace for each, especially with my son who is definitely more of a visual learner. They were extremely patient, encouraging, personable, and professional. I was so impressed with how much the kids learned in one session--it was so fun to watch the kids riding around with ease by the end of the day. I would definitely recommend and am confident we'll be coming back for more soon!
-Carol F. / Sammamish
Our 10 year old son begged us to let him ride a dirtbike for quite awhile. We were hesitant, especially since neither my wife nor I have any experience riding. Jason and Whitney are great. They are super knowledgeable and friendly!! They truly enjoy what they do and it shows! The lessons our son has taken with them have been terrific. We now have a dirtbike addict in our family. We would highly recommend Dirtbike Safety Training here in Washington!
-Josh C. 44 / Seattle
Great learning experience! It was awesome having the trail rides, then doing a couple exercises and being able to immediately apply the skills on the trail. Very cool see how you improved through out the day. Patient instruction and willingness to take the extra time to ensure you understand and do it correctly. Super fun day on the dirt bikes!
-CANDACE B. 26 / MARYSVILLE
The class was awesome, but for me what changed my riding the most was Whitney's ability to make me UNDERSTAND the plank exercise (and stop thinking that it was there just to torture students!). Since then I have been able to use this particular way of counterbalancing in all challenging situations (like when it gets very rutty) and stay relaxed.
-Dionne H. / Pacific Northwest
I too feel the greatest benefit besides guided practice riding was that Whitney Koeberle was able to communicate and make clear the rationale for certain movements and actions. Smart animals like to have reasoning to go with our training Whitney provided both!!
-Deanna V. 45 / Seattle, WA
I attended the 2022 Odessa 100 Clinic today. Amazing! I cannot express how impressed I was with Jason and his training. You can certainly tell that he loves what he does and he is great at it too. I hope to attend more training classes in the future.
Feeling exhausted yet super excited with the new riding skills I learned today.
I cannot thank you enough, Jason.
-Holly S. 53 / Odessa WA
I have been riding trails for 5+ years and I can usually get by with my limited experience with obstacles and loose terrain. After my training class I felt way more confident in my riding and have already put the skills I learned to use. I have recommended this to every single one of my riding buddies and I would recommend to any new rider as well. On top of all the learning, it was a fun experience meeting new people and talking about our experiences with riding.
-Sierra 23 / Marysville
