MSF DirtBike School Review: Learning to Ride Off-Road

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MSF DirtBike School Review: Learning to Ride Off-Road

Ready to dip our toes into the world of off-road riding, my husband and I signed up for an MSF DirtBike School course. (Photos by the author)

When I was a kid, I was fortunate enough to have access to many acres of wooded land and a couple utility ATVs. Summer mornings often began with my sister and cousins airing up the tires and gassing up the fuel tanks before heading out onto the trails near home, with a plastic bag of sodas and peanut-butter crackers tied to the rear rack. Even though I knew every inch of those private trails, it was always an adventure and we always stayed out later than we were supposed to. 

A tent on one edge of the field provided a space for our classroom sessions.

My transition from four wheels to two came later, and for the past nine years, I've been riding street motorcycles, leaving the trails behind in favor of pavement. I've had incredible experiences on the street, especially since I joined Rider. The stories I edit and read for this publication inspire me daily with new places to explore. But I've grown jealous of the stories of adventures that lie outside of my skill set, especially the off-road rides. 

The Kawasaki KLX140R provided an approachable path toward learning to ride dirtbikes off-road.

GEAR UP (Allison)

• Helmet: Fly Racing Formula S Carbon Legacy
• Goggles: Fly Racing Zone
• Jersey: Fly Racing F-16 Women’s
• Armor: Fly Racing Barricade Long Sleeve Suit
• Gloves: Fly Racing Lite Women’s
• Pants: Fly Racing F-16 Women’s
• Knee Guards: Fly Racing Barricade
• Boots: Fly Racing FR5

There's no time like the present to learn something new, so my husband, Jake, and I did some research and found a Motorcycle Safety Foundation DirtBike School in Nashville, Illinois. Reading the course information on the website (MSF-USA.org), we learned the DirtBike School is a one-day course for anyone 6 years old and up and doesn't require previous motorcycle experience. An outline of the curriculum is available on the website, showing lessons that cover the basics of operating a motorcycle as well as some off-road skills. It sounded perfect for us, since Jake is fairly new to two-wheeled motorcycles and I've never ridden off-road. 

Classroom sessions provided time between exercises to drink water, eat a snack, and ask questions throughout the day.

Our class took place on a cloudy Saturday morning in a field behind the Holzhauer Pro Motorsports dealership. The class was small, consisting of Jake, me, a father with his teenage son, and two instructors. With a 2:1 ratio of students to teachers, we'd have plenty of opportunity for individual feedback and assistance. As we arrived, the instructors were setting up cones as a handful of dirtbikes and dual-sports sat in front of a tent that would serve as our classroom. 

John goes over motorcycle controls before our riding lesson.

We began the day with introductions and going over the range rules and signals. After about 20-30 minutes of classroom time, we walked out to meet our bikes. As I'd learn throughout the day, the dirtbike class consists of less classroom time than the MSF Basic RiderCourse I took nine years ago. Brief classroom sessions were followed by several minutes of riding inside a cone oval on the field, with about 15 lessons in total and a one-hour lunch break. This was the perfect setup to get some seat time on a dirtbike and a feel for the differences between riding off-road and on the street. 

Our second instructor prepares to demonstrate a riding lesson before the students attempt it.

When we scheduled the class, I expressed my concerns to John, the lead instructor, about riding bikes with tall seat heights since I'm 5-foot-1. John said he had a Kawasaki KLX140R with a 30.7-inch seat height that would be a perfect fit for me. He also brought a smaller KLX110R as a backup, but the 140R suited me just fine. Jake rode a Yamaha XT250 dual-sport, and the father and son rode Yamaha TW200s. The registration form for the class has a section for filling out your height and weight, and John made sure all students had bikes they were comfortable riding. Students also have the option to bring their own bike, saving $40 off the $169 cost of the class. 

Students line up to begin a riding lesson.

We started simply with locating the controls on the bikes, followed by walking the bikes across the field, riding slowly in 1st gear in a straight line, and then turning. The first few lessons didn't teach me much that I didn't already know, so John gave me some additional challenges to keep things interesting, like stopping more quickly and precisely with the middle of the tire lined up exactly with the cone during our braking exercise. 

Exercises began simply with riding in a straight line across a field.

GEAR UP (Jake)

• Helmet: Fly Racing Kinetic Verdict
• Goggles: Fly Racing Zone
• Jersey: Fly Racing Kinetic Mesh Sym
• Armor: Fly Racing Barricade Long Sleeve Suit
• Gloves: Fly Racing Evolution DST
• Pants: Fly Racing Kinetic Mesh Sym
• Knee Guards: Fly Racing Barricade
• Boots: Fly Racing FR5

My first challenge came when we were learning how to stand up on the pegs. It was straightforward at first, but I found it more difficult to shift smoothly while standing, and I soon realized some leg exercises would be worth adding to my routine. As the day went on, John wanted us to ride every exercise while standing, and while my legs grew more exhausted, my comfort with shifting while standing improved. That's the best feeling during a riding class (or any type of learning) – seeing yourself improve with practice. 

Learning to turn including riding and stopping between cones.

I wasn't the only one seeing improvement. Jake and Mason, the son of the father-son duo, were quickly improving as newer riders. A couple of low-speed tumbles didn't deter either of them from picking up and carrying on, and while each exercise introduced a new challenge, it also provided a new opportunity to build on the skills of the previous exercise. 

In classroom sessions, we reviewed safety and trail considerations.

We stayed in the flat field for most of the day, alternating between classroom sessions and riding exercises. For the last few exercises, we rode as a group to the far edge of the field, where a small berm would serve as our playground for the hill-riding exercises. 

Learning how to do a K-turn on a hill.

Before the class, I imagined we'd be on some beginner-level wooded trails and felt a bit disappointed when most of the riding was in a flat field. The field provided a controlled environment for learning the basics, but I recalled my days of riding through the woods on ATVs, having fun navigating ruts, creek crossings, steep hills, roots, and the occasional fallen tree. That's why the hill exercises were the most fun. It was still a controlled environment, but making a sharp turn on an incline gave me enough thrill to start dreaming about buying my own dirtbike. 

Mason practices stopping at the cones.

It was near the end of the day when we got to the hill exercises, so we had to go through them quickly before the dealership locked the gates. We finished with a wrap-up in the classroom, where we were given a 43-page booklet filled with exercises, riding tips, things to consider while on the trail, and a list of publications for further learning. 

John demonstrates K-turns for descending a hill.

If you're new to motorcycling, the MSF DirtBike School is a great place to start. Unlike the on-road class, the dirtbike class doesn't dive as deeply into road laws and regulations, focusing more on riding the bikes. If you're someone who's been riding on the street for a while but is new to off-road riding like me, the school provides an opportunity to learn new skills. My off-road journey has just begun, but now I can stop being jealous and start planning some adventures of my own, like a return visit to those familiar trails I rode as a kid. Now please excuse me as I pull up Facebook Marketplace and type "dirtbike" in the search bar. 

Students practice riding in circles and large figure-8s.

MSF DirtBike School courses take place at locations throughout the U.S. Visit MSF-USA.org to search for a course near you and learn more. You’ll also find information about other MSF courses, including intermediate and advanced options, as well as online training resources. 

The post MSF DirtBike School Review: Learning to Ride Off-Road appeared first on Rider Magazine.

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