MSF AdventureBike RiderCourse Review: Off-Road ADV Training

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Putting in some serious training aboard the 1190 Adventure R—the MSF ADVRC school keeps advanced riders in check with body position. (@pamlieback/)

A while back, my kid saw me getting into my green Klim Baja 4 suit and called me the Halo rider, meaning the sci-fi video game character. Whenever we’d see an adventure motorcycle ridden by someone in full gear, he’d say, “Dad, there’s another Halo character riding those weird-looking bikes.”

As we know, those weird-looking bikes are adventure bikes, motorcycles that maximize their utility and range, going easily from dirt to asphalt. That said, the highlight of these adventure bikes is actually taking them off-road, and while the bikes themselves may be more than capable in dirt, many of their riders have never been off pavement. Others have experience off-road on dirt bikes but have never taken a heavier machine off-road. Others have decades of road riding and are maybe transitioning to adventure bikes but are uncertain about loss of traction in the dirt.

Jeff Ufberg, a certified MSF ADVRC instructor, explains what the students will experience. (@pamlieback/)

Just as more OEMs are launching more adventure motorcycles, more organizations are offering more and more instruction. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), founded in 1973, is the granddaddy of moto safety, and has introduced thousands of beginners to safe motorcycling. Their AdventureBike RiderCourse (ADVRC) is a basic rider instruction for the dirt, a single-day course directed at the newbie adventure rider, introducing the fundamental skills for riding motorcycles off-road.

These courses are taught by accredited MSF ADVRC trainers across the country. As a Pennsylvania resident, I attended the ADVRC offered by The Dirt Bike Academy based out of East Stroudsburg, where founder Jeff Ufberg practices his serious teaching skills. Ufberg has taught dirt bike programs for kids at Camp Canadensis since 2012, passing his off-road skills on to more than 500 young riders a summer.

The Dirt Bike Academy’s Ufberg shows the students one of the sitting drills from aboard his Husqvarna Norden 901. (@pamlieback/)

I’m not a beginner, exactly; I’ve completed advanced schooling with Jimmy Lewis, Jim Hyde, and a two-day class at the BMW Performance Center. But although you hone your fundamentals at these schools, the overall beginner-level focus riding training for absolute newbies is missing. The AdventureBike RiderCourse changes this and then some.

Schooled From The Dirt Bike Academy MSF ADVRC

Before hitting the dirt, students meet in a conference room on an abandoned golf course that serves as the training grounds. With hills and sand patches, a former golf course is perfect for this type of rider training.

The other three students were from various riding backgrounds; only one had any serious off-road training. Ufberg says class size is kept small, to allow one-on-one training as needed. Class capacity is only eight riders, and each rider must bring their own bike equipped with tires capable of off-road riding. For training, even a 90 on-road/10 off-road tire would work, but the grippier the tire off-road the better.

Putting the drills together while sitting. Posture is everything. (@pamlieback/)

Ufberg is a well-spoken East Coaster with a relaxed joke-forward attitude. His training style adds some discipline to his demeanor, which creates a loose but focused atmosphere for the ADVRC course. He opened with his thoughts on the “why” of adventure riding.

“ADV riding provides unique experiences that can be effectively managed with forethought, skill, and a safety-minded attitude,” Ufberg said. “The MSF AdventureBike RiderCourse is designed for experienced riders looking to take their adventure off-road and will teach the fundamentals of riding on unpaved roads and trails. While the spirit of adventure can take many forms, the essence of adventure riding will take you on a journey that combines long distances filled with paved and unpaved roads. When you sign up, you’ll learn the techniques and best practices that differentiate safely riding on and off-road, so you’re prepared for adventure.”

The coach observes. Can you stop for more than three seconds? (@pamlieback/)

By “you,” Ufberg means those with little to no experience off-road. But following a day of training on the basics, I’d also recommend this course to ADV riders of all skill levels as a refresher course for the fundamentals. Those who participate in constant advanced training can get stuck within the granular details and forget their fundamentals.

All ADVRC schools have standardized class instruction. I parked my KTM 1190 Adventure R on the training grounds alongside the other three riders’ machines, a KTM 890 Adventure R, KTM 1290 Super Adventure, and Royal Enfield Himalayan; many of these beginning riders were jumping into the ADV world with both feet. Ufberg provided introductory insight:

• <b>The differences with riding off-road</b>: Ufberg provided an overview of riding off-road versus on road, including standing up off-road to carry weight lower on the bike, which increases stability and control of the motorcycle; not using countersteering taught for street riding and instead using bodyweight on either side to lean the bike into the turn for traction (counterweighting), and how different the use of controls are for braking and accelerating versus the street.
• <b>Riding gea</b>r: The emphasis here was on off-road boots, which must be sturdier to protect feet/legs; gear that’s protective yet allows for more movement; and ADV-style helmets equipped with visors, like motocross helmets, and goggles.
• <b>Getting an ADV bike ready</b>: The standard T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection was presented here: inspecting Tires and wheels, Controls, Lights and electronics, Oil and other fluids, Chassis, and Stands. Naturally this should occur before every ride.

Ufberg shows how you look through a turn while relaxing the muscles before any standing. (@pamlieback/)

• <b>Suspension setup</b>: Ufberg discussed how suspension setup is different for off-road riding, emphasizing more sag, or the amount of suspension that compresses the weight of the entire bike and rider.
• <b>Ground clearance</b>: Off-road riding naturally requires more of this, resulting in a taller seat height. Shorter riders need to understand that most adventure bikes will have a higher ground clearance than typical streetbikes, and they should prepare to train for stopping with one foot only.
• <b>Wheels and tires</b>: Ufberg finished the introduction by talking about wheel and tire choices. Most bikes now come with tubeless tires either on spoked or cast wheels, which makes repairing punctures that occur off-road often much easier to address. He also discussed the tires available such as DOT-legal knobby tires, which can help riding off and on the road. Today’s 50/50 tires are more than capable of aggressive riding off and on the road. And these tires are absolutely sportbike quality on the street for most riders.

The class listens to their certified MSF ADVRC leader. This was the only shade to be had during the 90-degree day in East Stroudsburg. (@pamlieback/)

Following the intro, we began working on riding drills. Ufberg set up cones, altering them for each of the following drills, on a flat, grassy field that provided a wide range of vision. The first few drills focused on sitting techniques, including:

• Straight-line riding posture.
• Proper posture for turning.
• Straight-line acceleration and braking, with some stopping to see how long they could balance the bike without putting a foot down.

Look where you want to go and counterbalance that motorcycle. (@pamlieback/)

The rest of the afternoon was spent standing, repeating the above drills, but also covering:

• Rear-wheel steering with either the brake or breaking traction with the throttle.
• Loads of training that requires using the friction zone of the clutch, a must for off-road riding.
• Stopping while standing; seeing how long you can keep the bike stopped before throttling out.
• Crossing over obstacles, using 2x4s to stand in for logs or rocks.
• Riding up and down hills with proper weight transfer, and riding across hills with an emphasis on properly counterweighting the bike while the bike itself is leaned into the hill.

One of the final drills involved riding between two cones about 2 feet apart, approaching a line of cones, locking up the rear wheel to slide and avoid that line, then coming back onto the same line by using the throttle to slide and go through another set of cones 2 feet apart.

Another fundamental I forgot until practicing was keeping the clutch in after clearing an obstacle such as a log across the trail. The goal is to “loft,” not wheelie, the front tire, just enough to get over the object; then pull the clutch in so the rear wheel rolls over the object. If the clutch isn’t pulled in while staying on the throttle, that object can move or be kicked out by the rear, upsetting the chassis and sending you flying.

The author practices counterbalancing and looking where he wants to go, fundamentals which will always make the largest impact on riding skill and safety. (@pamlieback/)

Ufberg also discussed risk management, explaining techniques for riding in loose gravel, sand, and mud, around rocks, and through ruts.

The emphasis on proper mindset was reiterated throughout the course, which ran about seven hours with an hour break for lunch. A typical class will run anywhere from five to seven hours. During lunch, schooling on the proper mindset continued, with Ufberg emphasizing what the MSF ADVRC calls the Four Ps: Plan, Practice, Provision, and Pack.

Ufberg points at something as the author countersteers a 520-plus-pound bike. (@pamlieback/)

These help ADV riders prep for successful adventure rides and help prevent things like repeating risky behavior that results in a crash. A few examples of them are as follows:

• <b>Plan</b>: know your riding limits, the weather, and how long you’ll be riding. Also, ensure you understand route information, including where you can get things like fuel, water, food, lodging, and medical treatments along the way.
• <b>Practice</b>: What’s schooling worth if you don’t practice? Ufberg stressed this, also including not only working on riding skills by replicating the drills during the course, but working on personal fitness, mental preparation, and other practices, such as doing the drills with a full load before long trips, so you won’t be hit with the unexpected.

Practicing drills and making immediate friends, which are always discovered at these types of schools. (@pamlieback/)

• <b>Provisions</b>: Are your tires good, and if not, where can you get a replacement on a longer trip? Also, ensure you have the proper tools, zip-ties, navigational equipment, paper maps in case GPS units fail, riding gear, first aid, and satellite location trackers.
• <b>Pack</b>: Ufberg explained how to pack a bike by keeping the weight low and balanced, luggage secure, and adjusting the suspension for heavier loads. Another emphasis was about keeping your phone with you via jacket or pants instead of the bike’s luggage. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way—twice. Both were crashes where my bike dropped down steep embankments, and I couldn’t hit up anyone for help. Thankfully I wasn’t injured because things can get downright deadly.

An important, useful, and fun technique: Get in loose and throttle out. (@pamlieback/)

Following the class, I asked Ufberg about his goals when teaching the ADVRC course. “My expected outcomes are that riders will leave with the confidence and understanding of how to operate their ADV properly and safely,” Ufberg said, “and most importantly understand the concepts behind the techniques, as there is always work to be done.”

It’s true: There is always work to be done by all riders. That’s why practice and constant learning are necessary for successful riding. And successful means both skilled and safe. Even for experienced riders, the ADVRC offers value and indeed a few fundamentals we all naturally forget about as we work on improving advanced riding skills.

There’s always room for fun. (@pamlieback/)

The MSF is offering its AdventureBike RiderCourse currently at MSF-accredited organizations in 12 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. ADVRC locations are expected to grow annually, and the MSF expects to have more than 100 ADVRC-certified coaches by 2023. For additional information, visit AdventureBike RiderCourse.

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