1st Gear Motorcycle School & Training

This was worth every dollar I spent. One of the instructors, Ted (I think that was his name), was amazing!! Reaaaaalllyyyy strict dude but honestly, when you're learning how to ride a motorcycle that could potentially kill you, I would want someone strict, not hold my hand the whole way.Ted, you're awesome dude and I hope you teach more folks!! You're the reason I'm recommending tons of my friends to this school.If you're looking to get into motorcycles and have ZERO experience, go for 1st Gear Motorcycle School. These guys know what they're doing!!

Excellent instructors, training, motorcycles and location!Lionel, Ted, Todd and Matt were fantastic instructors and experienced riders who provided helpful feedback and examples. The course really inspired confidence in my riding.Having the ability to try multiple different types and sizes of bikes was a real benefit to my learning. Would highly recommend 1st Gear! 10/10

Just finished the 1st Gear course today. Had the pleasure of learning from Ted and Kiefer. They are amazing in their teaching style which can include some tough love but these guys genuinely care for your safety and want you to be safe and succeed in riding. Highly recommend their program for anyone looking for a quality school. The in class portion was run by Lionel, again amazing instruction and real world examples. Thanks team 1st Gear!!

If you are on the fence about signing up, do it as soon as you can. I am so glad I took this course, learned much more than I would have riding alone or with friends. Absolutely worth the money.Instructors were attentive and clear, they provided excellent feedback and constructive criticism. The classroom portion kept me interested. Give yourself a good chunk of time to do the online lesson before the class starts, because it feels a little laggy and antiquated. I think that may be the fault of ICBC regulations and not the writers of the curriculum, so I don't hold it against the school at all.If they offered a moto mechanic crash course I would be first in line, cash in hand!Thanks a ton 1st Gear, looking forward to linking up for road rides.

Don't look any further. This is the course you've been looking for. Controlled environment, you can try different bikes and the instructors are awesome super friendly. Lionel was the main instructor and what a great teacher! Learning from someone who has been riding for more than 2 decades is a great feeling that you are in great hands. Shout out to Todd, Mat and Brian also great teacher's!

I couldn’t of asked for better teachers, Todd and Ted went above and beyond to help each student not only practice the fundamentals of riding, but to understand how and why. They hammer the information into to you and it truly makes a difference. Money well spent, their entire team is rock solid and will do their absolute best to ensure you not only pass, but become the best possible rider before leaving their course.

I recently had the pleasure of learning how to ride a motorbike at 1st gear motorcycle school,and I must say, it was an incredible experience! From start to finish, everything about this school exceeded my expectations.First and foremost, I want to commend the knowledgeable and skilled instructor Ed who guided me throughout the training process. His expertise and passion for motorbikes were evident in every lesson. He was patient, understanding, and always made me feel comfortable, even as a beginner. Their ability to break down complex concepts into easily understandable steps was truly impressive.The school itself provided a fantastic learning environment. Training space was well-maintained and equipped with the latest motorbikes, ensuring a safe and enjoyable learning experience. The practice area was spacious, allowing ample room to maneuver and practice various skills. The school also had a strong emphasis on safety, with proper safety gear available for students.What impressed me the most was the personalized approach to instruction. The instructor tailored the lessons to my individual needs and learning style, ensuring that I progressed at a comfortable pace. He was always willing to address any concerns or questions I had, providing clear explanations and helpful tips along the way. It made the entire learning process engaging and enjoyable.The booking process was straightforward and hassle-free. The staff was friendly, accommodating, and prompt in responding to inquiries. They worked with my schedule to find convenient lesson times, making the entire experience convenient and stress-free.I can't recommend them enough for anyone looking to learn how to ride a motorbike, whether you're a complete novice or seeking to enhance your existing skills.Overall, my experience with Ed at 1st Gear was top-notch. If you're considering learning how to ride a motorbike, look no further—this is the place to go!Thank you once again to the entire team at 1st Gear for providing me with an unforgettable learning journey. I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and skills I gained and look forward to many fantastic rides ahead.

Best money spent bar none.Lionel and his team taught us with extremely thorough, detailed instruction, both in class and out on the bikes.Equipment selection was well maintained and varied to suite any potential riding style.They start right from working the bike while pushing from a stand-still, slow speed handling, all the way to crash avoidance situations on the final day.It was straightforward to pass the MSA after their expert guidance with lots of opportunity to practice guided scenarios on their bikes.Highly recommended if you plan to licence to ride.

Edit: My experience of booking road rides is not great to be honest. The confirmation (waitlisting and cancellation) came pretty last minute. I do wish there is a better system to let us know if a road ride is going to happen (or not) - at least 3 days prior to the actual date, and not an email right before the date - so I could actually plan my weekends!Otherwise it'd be a 5-star.--Original comment on 2023-06-04 (5-star)If you're looking to learn how to ride a motorcycle, I highly recommend checking out courses from 1st Gear!Big shout out to Lionel and Todd, our instructors, for being incredibly knowledgeable and patient with us as we stumbled through the learning process. Their teaching methods were fantastic, and they made sure we were well-prepared for real-world riding scenarios, not just for passing the ICBC MST test (which, by the way, is included at the end of the course).What I loved about the course was how it was structured in a fun and engaging way (heck - even the online / classroom training wasn't boring). For the two days of on-the-bike riding, we had various exercises and games that train us to be prepared for the road. Plus, there were plenty of motorcycles available for us to test ride and experiment with. It was great to get a feel for different types of bikes and figure out what worked best for you.Note: the venue for the course recently changed from SilverCity Riverport to Leader Cold Storage. I almost went to the wrong parking lot lol, so make sure you double-check the address. Although (I heard) the new parking lot is smaller, it was still sufficient for our class of 10.Special thanks to Matt and Otto for helping out and giving riding tips!

Just finished the 3 day of the 1st Gear course. I wanted to personally say thank you to Lionel and Todd for making the entire experience start to finish extremely enjoyable.Lionel was an amazing instructor in both the in class setting and the riding portion of the class, he was very knowledgeable and excellent at demonstrating the course curriculum while also being hilarious at the same time and making the entire thing very fun and engaging.During the riding training Todd was super helpful and always had a number of pointers to help improve my riding ability and if I had any questions regarding the class or riding in an outside environment he typically had a few very insightful key points to share that I found to be very helpful and are things I will be putting into practice whenever I ride.All in all I would say the 1st Gear program is a must for anyone who is starting out on a motorcycle, you wont find another program where you get such amazing hands on instruction and the ability to try out as many different motorcycles as you do with 1st Gear.I look forward to going back for the group rides,Thanks again!