Level 1 Beginner: 2 Day Training
Off-road skills don’t happen overnight. We want you to feel comfortable when you transition from the pavement to the dirt, and our training will help you build the finesse required to adventure ride safely. Breaking down each movement into easy-to-understand steps is the key to our training. The Triple Threat—or clutch, brake, and throttle—is one example of our focus on the fundamentals of controlling the motorcycle at slow speeds. By re-learning how to precisely control the actions of clutching, braking, and throttling, you’ll maximize your riding capability using this core principle. The Triple Threat is the backbone of our training program and it carries over into every exercise we do. One thing is for sure…you will have a lot more confidence, the necessary tools, and refined skills to help you “Ride your Ride.” Also consider adding the 2 Day Upgrade Beyond Training Ride to further enhance the experience and practice what you’ve learned!
Training exercises and skills you will learn:
Transitioning from the street to the dirt
Some things to remember to get you started
Why we ride standing up and the benefits
Improved visibility and changing your point of influence
Balancing on the bike at slow speeds and body positioning
Without turning and counterbalancing, what does it feel like when you move around on the bike
Operating the brake and shifting gears while standing
Proper lower body positioning
The “Triple Threat” the art of learning how to finesse the clutch, brake and throttle at slow speeds
It takes a lot more skill to ride a big bike slow than it does to ride one fast
Controlled stops and skids using the front, rear and both brakes together
Taking the myth out of using the front brake and knowing when either is better
How to weight your foot pegs and steer the bike from the waist down
Avoiding obstacles by quickly weighting the foot pegs
Climbing and descending rideable hills
The ups and downs of inclines
Restarting and Recovering from stalls on hills
Know how and when to stop and restart
How to ride sand safely and comfortably
We all know it is our favorite terrain ****If sand or mud is around*****
How to use counterbalancing for turning sharp and sweeping corners
Completely opposite of how to turn on pavement
Riding tight circles in a box while transferring your weight on the motorcycle
Comfortably turning tight takes a lot of finesse and exact body position
Colorado Training Itinerary:
- Meetup Day will be the Friday before training after 4 pm. Exact meet up location will be shared upon booking.
- We offer camping at this event. A full list of items to bring will be emailed to you upon booking.
- If you are staying at a hotel in town, feel free to come and say hi Friday evening.
- If you are arriving Saturday, please arrive by 8:00 am.
- If you drove in with your bike in your truck or on a trailer, we will have a place for you to store them for the duration of the training. (Please let us know this so we can discuss this option with you)
- Training will be Saturday and Sunday.
- Depending on the event and what you signed up for, Monday may be the start of Beyond Training and the 2 Day Ride or a 5 Day Tour!
Standard Training
Standard Training Format- 2 Full Days of Level 1 Training
- Trail Ride
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Fully Stocked Beverage Cooler
- Camping, Hot Showers & Bathrooms
- 2 Day Real World Guided Tour
- Motorcycle- Bring your own or rent
- Fuel for your Motorcycle
- Camping Equipment
Beyond Training
Standard + 2 Day Upgrade- 2 Day Guided Ride – We go beyond the cones and ride the trails
- 2 Full Days of Level 1 Training
- Breakfast & Lunch provided. Monday and Tuesday, dinner will be ata local resturant and at your own expense.
- Fully Stocked Beverage Cooler
- Camping, Hot Showers & Bathrooms
- Instructional Clinics Including Tool Kits, Trail Side Repairs and Basic GPS Setup & Use
- Motorcycle- Bring your own or rent
- Fuel for your Motorcycle
- Camping Equipment
*Multiple Lodging options are available in nearby towns for those that don’t want to camp
Level 2 Intermediate: 2 Day Training
Continuing from our Level I class and/or building upon the skills you have already, this 2-day training class further refines your control of the motorcycle through the mastery of “The Triple Threat” – the Clutch,Throttle and Brake at slow speeds, over terrain and during tight maneuvering. Body position is critical in Level II training and will be explained and practiced at length.
Level II Training is for life-long learners; those who realize motorcycling is a perishable skill. At the end of this two-day training event, you’ll be ready to ride more technical trails, further gain confidence and become a better rider. Practice is still key, however. Ride with others who have good riding techniques, display safe and considerate motorcycling etiquette and encourage you to “ride your own ride”. Also consider adding the 2 Day Upgrade Beyond Training Ride to further enhance the experience and practice what you’ve learned!
Training exercises and skills you will learn:
Controlled stops and skids using the front, rear and both brakes together
We’ll dive deeper into understanding the full range of the front brake and where the rear brake is most useful
Foot peg influence and pressure
Understanding what this means to learn to steer the bike from the waist down and more specifically with your foot pegs
Advancing the Triple Threat
Operating controls gaining a deeper understanding of how the clutch, brake and throttle work together as your skill advances and terrain choice changes
Understanding body positioning and counterbalancing while riding slow around corners and obstacles
We will tighten the turns, decrease the speed, and add increased use of the controls
360 degree circles and figure 8’s
We’ll use these exercises to build on momentum control and imitate technique while riding steep uphill turns
Skid Turns
Skidding with the rear wheel looks cool but is also very useful
Climbing and descending turns on hills with obstacles and switchbacks
We’ll increase the difficulty of the hills and add turns and slow descents
Restarting and Recovering from stalls on hills
Advanced terrain requires more advanced strategies in recovery and decision making
How to ride sand or mud safely and comfortably
These will depend on if we have sand or mud in the area
Cornering at speed
Getting the feel of using the throttle to “steer with the rear” wheel without breaking traction. We’ll also teach you how Power Slide (break traction) and how to control it
Colorado Training Itinerary:
- Meetup Day will be the Friday before training after 4 pm. Exact meet up location will be shared upon booking.
- We offer camping at this event. A full list of items to bring will be emailed to you upon booking.
- If you are staying at a hotel in town, feel free to come and say hi Friday evening.
- If you are arriving Saturday, please arrive by 8:00 am.
- If you drove in with your bike in your truck or on a trailer, we will have a place for you to store them for the duration of the training. (Please let us know this so we can discuss this option with you)
- Training will be Saturday and Sunday.
- Depending on the event and what you signed up for, Monday may be the start of Beyond Training and the 2 Day Ride or a 5 Day Tour!
Standard Training
Standard Training Format- 2 Full Days of Level 2 Training
- Trail Ride
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Fully Stocked Beverage Cooler
- Camping, Hot Showers & Bathrooms
- 2 Day Real World Guided Tour
- Motorcycle- Bring your own or rent
- Fuel for your Motorcycle
- Camping Equipment
Beyond Training
Standard + 2 Day Upgrade- 2 Day Guided Ride – We go beyond the cones and ride the trails
- 2 Full Days of Level 2 Training
- Breakfast & Lunch provided. Monday and Tuesday, dinner will be ata local resturant and at your own expense.
- Fully Stocked Beverage Cooler
- Camping, Hot Showers & Bathrooms
- Instructional Clinics Including Tool Kits, Trail Side Repairs and Basic GPS Setup & Use
- Motorcycle- Bring your own or rent
- Fuel for your Motorcycle
- Camping Equipment
*Multiple Lodging options are available in nearby towns for those that don’t want to camp
Level 3 Advanced: 2 Day Training
You don’t have to aspire to ride like Chris Birch to take our Level III Training, but you do need a strong desire to perfect your riding techniques. You must also take our Level II Training as a prerequisite to this class. Offered exclusively at our location in breathtaking Ouray, CO and taught by West 38 Moto Founder and Chief Training Instructor, Dusty Wessels, this 2-day training class builds on the mastery of throttle, clutch and brake control, and further expands on proper body positioning and understanding weight transfer at both low and higher speeds on dirt and gravel.
Level III Training is for advanced riders who are also life-long learners and want to keep their skills sharp for every riding season. This class is also a great for advanced riders who simply want a good refresher each year. Want to make it an even better experience? Pair it up with our 2 Day Upgrade Beyond Training Ride immediately following this class, allowing you to practice your skills under Dusty’s watchful eye while riding some of the most technical and scenic backcountry routes in the country.
Training exercises and skills you will learn:
Aggressive front and rear braking techniques
Being more comfortable and able to ride faster in corners and in more technically difficult terrain requires precise and confident braking control.
Aggressive Balancing Techniques
We will focus on completely stopping and balancing the bike on flat ground, in tight aggressive turns and on steep downhills.
Long, controlled rear wheel skids
Here we will focus on the ability to control the rear wheels’ direction in a side to side motion while in the skid. We will also teach you how to turn into and out of your skid with precision. Hint: It involves the front brake!
Power Slides
We will teach you how to use throttle power to steer with the rear wheel to quickly change directions and power through and out of corners.
Drifting
Need we say more? We will teach you how to power slide into corners and drift the bike all the way through and out of the corner…no fun at all!
Climbing and descending steep hills with multiple obstacles and switchbacks
If you desire to ride at this level, you will come across tough uphill and downhill sections on trails. Understanding how to navigate them on a big bike will boost your confidence in many situations.
Lofting Techniques
We will teach you the timing and body position required to loft the bike over rideable logs and embedded rocks or steps.
Reading terrain and making adjustments
Here we teach you more about reading the terrain and how to make adjustments to your body position and input to the bike. We will practice this on wide open flowing roads and tougher more technical trails.
Colorado Training Itinerary:
- Meetup Day will be in Ouray, Colorado the Friday before training after 4 pm. Exact meet up location will be shared upon booking.
- This event does not include lodging or meals. The group’s lodging location will be shared upon booking.
- No matter where you are staying, feel free to come and say hi Friday evening.
- If you are arriving Saturday, please arrive by 8:00 am.
- Training will be Saturday and Sunday.
- Monday will be the start of Beyond Training with a guided ride through the San Juan mountains.
LEVEL 3 TRAINING
2 Day Training + 1 Day Guided Riding- 2 full days of level 3 training
- 1 day guided ride – we go beyond the cones and ride the trails
- Instructors are Dusty Wessels & Tom Thompson
- Instructional Clinics Including Tool Kits, Trail Side Repairs and Basic GPS Setup & Use
- Lodging and meals are NOT included
*Multiple Camping and Lodging options are available in the town of Ouray
Adventure riding in Colorado offers some of the most sought-after experiences in the nation, maybe even the world. West38Moto’s roots are firmly planted in the Colorado backcountry since before it was cool, from north to south and west of I-25. Some of the most breathtaking views come from atop the multitude of 12,000+ mountain peaks. Between winter snowfall and summer monsoons, many of these mountain passes evolve and never look quite like they did the last time. Be prepared to ride through any combination of high altitudes, riverfronts, loose and embedded rock, sand, water crossings, expansive plateaus, prairie land, and wide varieties of temperature changes and weather patterns. Remote camping, luxury accommodations, and everything in between are available, depending on your style of adventure, riding abilities, and route selection. Riding season in Colorado is at its peak from July through September.
Join us on one of our 2 Colorado BDR Guided tours!
Join us on this 5 day 6 night tour through the majestic mountains of Colorado! We will be following most of the Colorado BDR route and add in fun detours and bonus scenic spots. We will spend each night in some of Colorado’s most famous mountain towns. Our lodging accommodations will be hotels or mountain cabins, allowing us to ride lighter and experience the Best of the Colorado BDR!
Common Questions:
How difficult is the riding?
The route has optional hard sections and easier bypass sections. We will stay together as a group for most of the riding. However, if some of the group feels like tackling a harder section and some do not, the guides will make a decision to split the group for those specific sections so everyone can enjoy their riding.
What kind of motorcycle do I need?
There is no one answer to this question because it depends on preferences, riding ability, and of course, budget. Any motorcycle can be converted into a dual sport bike. Heck, we know people who have converted their Harleys into adventure bikes! For this tour, we will be riding terrain that is big adventure bike friendly (BMW 1200GS, KTM 1290 etc.). However, we have had many customers ride smaller and mid size dual sport bikes and enjoy the ride just as much. If you don’t have a bike right now, we can help you with a rental.
How to handle elevation changes?
It is a good idea to arrive early to Colorado and spend a day or two at elevation. Our riding days have us at higher elevation than some folks might be used to. Each day, drink more water than you normally do and at night, less alcohol than you normally do.
Will a support truck be following us?
Yes. Our support truck will be carrying everything we need including room for your gear if you don’t want to carry it on your bike.
*Note: Support truck will follow us as long as we get at least 6 People
How do I need to pack my bike?
Pack lightly, efficiently, and in a way that encourages proper bike performance. We can help you with that! Since we are staying in all hotels, we can all travel lite on this tour. We suggest daily packing of snacks, water, and clothing for layering to adjust for the conditions.
What protection do I need for my bike?
We recommend the following at the minimum:
Note: Not having these items does not mean you can’t come on the tour. It just means your bike may get damaged and the protection we recommend is for major working components.
- Skid Plate
- Crash Bars
- Headlight guard
- Radiator Guards
What tires do I need for my bike?
We recommend at least a 50/50 tire and even better is a more dirt or off-road focused tire. We will be riding through some technical sections that are more comfortable with a more off road focused tire.
How many people are in the riding group?
We limit our groups to 10 people
How do we handle extreme weather?
We will ride in most weather conditions. However, our guides are well equipped to make the best decision for the group regarding trail and weather conditions and may re-route the riding day.
What should I pack?
For You
Clothes:
Proper riding gear is a must! If you have any questions about riding gear and clothing, feel free to contact us and we can cover this in more detail. In general, people tend to over pack clothing items. Besides riding gear (including a helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, and boots), you will need layers for frequent weather changes. Consider packing a separate set of comfortable clothes/shoes to wear in town or at the hotel while we are lounging.
For your Bike
Tools:
If you have a good set of tools it is not a bad idea to bring them; some people like to be self-sufficient. If you don’t have any or want to save room we should have enough tools to fix or repair most bikes on the fly.
Colorado BDR Itinerary:
- Meetup Day Sunday June 5th after 4:00 pm in Fort Collins, CO. Exact hotel meet up location will be shared upon booking. Your hotel room and dinner are covered as part of the tour on this night.
- If you drove in with your bike in your truck or on a trailer, we will have a place for you to store them for the duration of the tour.
- We will ride from North to South on the Colorado BDR starting in Fort Collins, CO and ending in the Ouray/Telluride area of Colorado.
- Exact tour itinerary will be shared upon booking and is subject to change based on weather and/or seasonal road closings.
W38M Colorado BDR
5 Day 6 Night Cabin/ Hotel BDR- Professional Instruction
- Professional Guide Service
- Fully Stocked Support Truck
- Hot Showers & Bathrooms
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Fully Stocked Beverage Cooler Including Alcohol
- Specific GPS Track Route
- West38Moto Gift Bag
- Alcoholic Beverages at Dinner
- Motorcycle- Bring your own or rent
- Fuel for your Motorcycle
Join us on this 5 day 6 night tour through the majestic mountains of Colorado! We will be following most of the Colorado BDR route and add in fun detours and bonus scenic spots. Our riding will take us through some of Colorado’s most famous mountain towns. We will be camping, which will allow us to experience the Best of the Colorado BDR!
Common Questions:
What camping gear should I bring?
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
- Camp Chair
- Cup or Vessel for drinks
How difficult is the riding?
The route has optional hard sections and easier bypass sections. We will stay together as a group for most of the riding. However, if some of the group feels like tackling a harder section and some do not, the guides will make a decision to split the group for those specific sections so everyone can enjoy their riding.
What kind of motorcycle do I need?
There is no one answer to this question because it depends on preferences, riding ability, and of course, budget. Any motorcycle can be converted into a dual sport bike. Heck, we know people who have converted their Harleys into adventure bikes! For this tour, we will be riding terrain that is big adventure bike friendly (BMW 1200GS, KTM 1290 etc.). However, we have had many customers ride smaller and mid size dual sport bikes and enjoy the ride just as much. If you don’t have a bike right now, we can help you with a rental.
How to handle elevation changes?
It is a good idea to arrive early to Colorado and spend a day or two at elevation. Our riding days have us at higher elevation than some folks might be used to. Each day, drink more water than you normally do and at night, less alcohol than you normally do.
Will a support truck be following us?
Yes. Our support truck will be carrying everything we need to set up camp in the wilderness. We will also have room for your gear if you don’t want to carry it on your bike.
*Note: Support truck will follow us as long as we get at least 6 People
How do I need to pack my bike?
Pack lightly, efficiently, and in a way that encourages proper bike performance. Feel free to consult with us before the tour about how to pack your bike. We also suggest daily packing of snacks, water, and clothing for layering to adjust for the conditions.
What protection do I need for my bike?
We recommend the following at the minimum:
Note: Not having these items does not mean you can’t come on the tour. It just means your bike may get damaged and the protection we recommend is for major working components.
- Skid Plate
- Crash Bars
- Headlight guard
- Radiator Guards
What tires do I need for my bike?
We recommend at least a 50/50 tire and even better is a more dirt or off-road focused tire. We will be riding through some technical sections that are more comfortable with a more off road focused tire.
How many people are in the riding group?
We limit our groups to 10 people
How do we handle extreme weather?
We will ride in most weather conditions. However, our guides are well equipped to make the best decision for the group regarding trail and weather conditions and may re-route the riding day.
What should I pack?
For You:
Clothes: Proper riding gear is a must! If you have any questions about riding gear and clothing, feel free to contact us and we can cover this in more detail. In general, people tend to over pack clothing items. Besides riding gear (including a helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, and boots), you will need layers for frequent weather changes. Consider packing a separate set of comfortable clothes/shoes to wear at camp while we are lounging.
For your Bike:
If you have a good set of tools it is not a bad idea to bring them; some people like to be self-sufficient. If you don’t have any or want to save room we should have enough tools to fix or repair most bikes on the fly.
Colorado BDR Itinerary:
- Meetup Day Sunday August 21st after 4:00 pm 30 miles North of Fort Collins, CO. Exact meet up location will be shared upon booking. We will camp at this location and have dinner as part of the tour on this night.
- If you drove in with your bike in your truck or on a trailer, we will have a place for you to store them for the duration of the tour.
- We will ride from North to South on the Colorado BDR starting in Fort Collins, CO and ending in the Ouray/Telluride area of Colorado.
- Exact tour itinerary will be shared upon booking and is subject to change based on weather and/or seasonal road closings.
W38M Colorado BDR
5 Day 6 Night Camping BDR- Professional Instruction
- Professional Guide Service
- Fully Stocked Support Truck
- Hot Showers & Bathrooms
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Fully Stocked Beverage Cooler Including Alcohol
- Specific GPS Track Route
- West38Moto Gift Bag
- Motorcycle- Bring your own or rent
- Fuel for your Motorcycle
- Camping Equipment