Dirt Bike Essentials is all about foundational skills that are required for small, powerful dirt bikes on single track trails. It’s important to master these skills in order to ride safely, confidently, and in control.  This class is appropriate for new and experienced riders.  Starting new riders by teaching proper techniques gives you a “jump start” toward being skilled, confident, and safe.  These skills are directly transferable to riding bigger, heavier Adventure bikes.  It’s easier to practice and build confidence on smaller bikes.  Experienced riders benefit for several reasons.  Many experienced riders never learned proper fundaments and “fuddle” their way through.  They manage to get it done, but often ride “by the seat of their pants” and struggle in challenging sections.  In my expereince, the problems advanced level riders encounter on more difficult terrain are often directly related to improper fundmental skills.

Body postion and balance; throttle and clutch control, braking, and line choice are the essential skills we focus on.

ADVwoman “Dirt Bike Essentials” Curriculum

• Proper Body position- standing and seated balanced positions, “strong” body frame, driving with legs, very dyanamic
• Dirt bikes have lots of suspension and are tall.  Gotta deal with it.  We teach how to ride and stop with 1 foot on the ground only.
• Throttle and clutch control and balance.  Clutch techniques- two finger covering and feathering are required for high level skills.
• Dirt biking means sliding the back wheel a lot! Braking drills teach skills, reaction time, and balance.
• Acceleration & Shifting Drills “Racer Starts” are TONS OF FUN, teach shifting, power, and how to start in sand
• Cornering on a dirt bike is an art form! Turning around the inside foot, brake sliding, ruts, berms… so many ways to play!
• Obstacles like ledges, rocks and logs require riders to master unweighting, acceleration, body shift, driving and softening legs.
• Proper line choice is safer, conserves energy, and often faster.  Learn how to choose the best lines.

ADVENTURE ESSENTIALS curriculum is designed for large, heavy street legal ADV bikes which are typically ridden on dirt roads and double track. We focus on balance, throttle and clutch control, counterbalanced turns, and slow maneuvering and skills as those present the biggest challenge on these heavy bikes.  ADV bikes are typically 650CC or bigger, though some smaller statured riders ride smaller displacement bikes.

Adventure bikes typically weigh more than 400LBS, have a fuel range greater than 200 miles, have sophisticated electronics, substantial luggage carrying capacity, and fairing with wind screens.  (Note: some smaller statured riders use smaller displacement bikes for adventure riding.)

DIRT BIKE ESSENTIALS curriculum is designed for small, lightweight, powerful dirt bikes typically ridden on single track trails. We also focus on balance, throttle, and clutch control.  The dirt bike class is more aggressive and faster.  We do a lot of brake sliding, turning around the inside leg, and being highly dynamic on the motorcycle.  We teach “racing starts” to learn about shifting, power, and because that’s how riders start in sand.  Some dirt bikes are street legal and others are not.

Dirt bikes typically weigh under 2350LBS, have a fuel range of around 100 miles, are “naked bikes” without fairings and fancy electronics, and have a high power to weight ratio.

Adventure Essentials is all about foundational skills that are required for riding big, heavy adventure bikes.  It’s important to master these skills in order to ride safely, confidently, and in control.  This class is appropriate for new and experienced riders.  Starting new riders by teaching proper techniques gives you a “jump start” toward being skilled, confident, and safe on a big ADV bike.  And experienced riders benefit for several reasons.  Many experienced riders never learned proper fundaments and “fuddle” their way through.  They manage to get it done, but often ride “by the seat of their pants” and struggle in challenging sections.  In my expereince, the problems advanced level riders encounter on more difficult terrain are often directly related to improper fundmental skills.

Body postion and balance; throttle and clutch control, braking, and line choice are the eseential skills we focus on.

Adventure Essentials Bullet List of Skills

• Proper Body position- balanced always, using legs, maintaining upper body power position, and efficiency for those long rides.
• Teach 1 foot on the ground only- ADV bikes are tall.  Rather than resist that truth, learn skills to ride that big beastie!
• Briefly show how to lift bike only when someone falls.  We have a full 1 hour dedicated classroom session on lifting the bikes
• Throttle and clutch control and balance- big ADV bikes often IDLE at 10 MPH.  That’s pretty fast.  Master riding slow.
• Braking drills (Turn off ABS) Skillful braking separates the good riders from the average riders.
• Corners- learn to counter balance and “The Jacques Turn” which is especially helpful for inseam challenged riders.
• Scared of riding up and down steep hills?  It’s about body position and braking control. Start small and work to steeper terrain.
• Line Choice.  Sooner or later riders who consistently choose “bad lines” will get burned.  Learn how to pick “good lines.”
• Have you ever stalled on a hill and wondered how to turn aournd?  We teach that.
• Backing down a hill or ramp with the bike in gear using the clutch for braking is very effective.
• Unweight front wheel to ride obstacles (Optional skill if time allows.)

Our instructors are skilled at creating various levels of challenges to complement your current skill set. I have been riding motorcycles almost 40 years yet I learn each time I take even entry level classes.  Most riding problems boil down to a basic skills.  Women learn and develop confidence differently than men.  Our teaching methods are tailored for women.  We teach women to use their stronger lower bodies, rather than trying to muscle the bike with arms and shoulders. And men appreciate our safe, step by step methods too.  If you’re a skilled guy who wants to ride with a less experienced spouse or girlfriend, you will learn how different riding is for women.  I love working with spouses or partners.  Teaching you to ride as a team and understand each other’s strengths is really fun!  And isn’t that who you want to ride with anyway?

I enjoy teaching private lessons to riders who have never, ever ridden a motorcycle before. Currently we do not have the facilities, gear, or motorcycles to offer a group class to brand new riders.  We would like to offer this in the future!

Adventure motorcycles are typically 650cc and larger. Adventure motorcycles typically weigh more than 350LBS, have a fuel range greater than 200 miles, include wind screens and fairings, can power multiple electronic devices, and are capable of carrying luggage.  However, there are smaller entry level motorcycles like the Yamaha XT250 or Honda CR250L which smaller statured riders may use as Adventure Motorcycles.  If you ride a smaller street legal motorcycle primarily on dirt and gravel roads rather than on single track in the woods, you might consider taking “Adventure Essentials” class.  Riders on big, heavy adventure bikes will NOT turn by pivoting around their inside foot.  Adventure riders will predominately turn counter weighting the motorcycle.  Riders on smaller, lighter motorcycles can turn around their inside foot AND by counter weighting.

The ADVWoman Rendezvous is all about teaching, supporting, and training.  If you can ride a motorcyle- release the clutch to take off, shift gears, and come to a stop; you’re good enough for our training.  We’re not setup to teach brand new “never ever” riders.  But, you don’t have to have lots of experience.  Our instructors are trained to work with riders of all skill levels.  We are patient, supportive, and nurturing.  At the 2016 rally, one of our attendees had only ridden her motorcycle FOUR TIMES before taking our classes.  She had a blast and did great!  Her husband wasn’t too bad either!  They both improved dramatically!

ADVWoman does not provide motorcycles. There are several motorcycle rental businesses in the Moab area.  Please google search for that info.  Please be aware we stop and start a lot during training. Rental bike batteries need to be solid.  In the past, several rental motorcycles from several different rental agencies experienced battery failure.