1st Gear Motorcycle School & Training

Great school! They go over all the important details of riding, having taken the course and rides this past year helped me pass my road test today.

I attended the Coquitlam branch. I learned how to ride a motorcycle from scratch and got my full license in a month! Some highlights (not limited to)

- Tons of motorcycles to learn riding with on the lot
- Knowledgeable and super friendly staff
- Tons of tips around riding, safety, gear/motorcycle shopping
- Fast response via email

PS. The umbrella is Mel's, not Lee's!

The training material (especially the videos) was very organized, it was very easy to follow for someone like me who just started learning motorcycles.

Thanks everyone for helping me with the Motorcycle Skills Test (MST) Prep Course. I was able to complete the Motorcycle skills assessment in the first attempt.

Special thanks to my instructor Mat for providing the feedback throughout the course and correcting the mistakes.

If you are a beginner like me or experienced rider, I highly suggest 1st Gear Motorcycle School & Training.

I signed my daughter up for their lessons. They have given her a lot of confidence and the knowledge to be a safe driver.

Great instructors. They might yell at you, but they'll makes sure you pass the MST and get some good skills for driving in the real world.

I hated the idea of waiting 5 weeks to do my ICBC exam so i signed up to this to save time.

Even though i've been riding for over a decade, i was surprised to find how useful the course was as a refresher but also a blast away of bad habits formed over the years.

Adam, Ted and Kiefer are all excellent educators who hold your feet to the fire and make sure you are safe and hitting their high expectations. They do this with humour, love and sobering warnings about why their expect high.

I thought i'd blah blah blah through the course, but found it insightful, challenging and fun.

Better than booking a test and shooting in the dark as to what they're looking for.

Money well spent. Fun days in the sun too.

Professional instructors who happen to be awesome human beings! I really appreciate everything that you, guys, did for me. Especially Mel, who saw my anxiety and helped me not only to learn how to ride a motorcycle, but also to overcome my fears. 1st gear is the best choice!

Melanie and Adrian were awesome instructors. They emphasized rider safety and awareness while still managing to make the lessons fun. They gave me the knowledge and confidence to go from never been on a motorcycle, to passing the MST. Thanks guys! -Jonas

Great experience. Great class great instructors. Extremely supportive. Lee and Todd great instructors, never talk down on anyone. Special shout out to Noah for taking time to give me 1-on-1 time to get me out of my head when I was doing the MST practice runs and not piecing it together. Looking forward to my Road Rides as part of the Dedicated Rider package.

Ted was an amazing instructor, pointed out everything I was doing wrong and helped my pass my MST first try. His experience and expertise definitely shows.

Great experience with 1st Gear Motorcycle School. I had Ed and Ted for the lot training. They are super friendly, knowledgeable and supportive. I was so nervous on Day 1 and they made me feel at ease.
I had the road rides after the lot training with Lionel, Patrick, Mel and Lee. Everyone is awesome. I had a fun ride cruising Tri-cities. What they teach for ICBC test prep is on point. They really facilitate you well throughout the whole process of getting your motorcycle license.
Thank you all!

- Claire

I did the "Complete Rider" course this summer/fall and couldn't be happier with the instruction and support from 1st Gear. I got to learn from and ride with many different instructors and each had unique perspectives and lessons to share. I also got to ride a variety of different bikes that really helped me determine which style I am most comfortable with. The lessons, the road rides and road test prep were all great - I'd do it again! Thanks to everyone at 1st Gear, it was a really great experience!

I had a great experience with this school. They made the whole process of getting my license easy and as stress free as possible. The instructors have a lot of experience. Lee, Ed, Ted, Lionel, Mel, and Patrick had lots of great insight and instruction. I actually had my motorcycle license several years ago in another country, but I was self taught with bad habits, and rusty. This course was an excellent refresher, and the experienced instructors ironed out my bad habits. Highly recommended. They have a great selection of bikes to learn on as well.

Highly recommend this riding school! Huge shoutout to adam, kiefer, and kathy for making the classes so enjoyable

Great experience with these guys! Ted is great source of knowledge and very friendly. I would recommend to sign up for midweek course. There were only 3 of us, so we get a private lesson experience. The instructor goes above and beyond to make sure everyone passes MST. Thank you First Gear!

Melanie and Patrick are great instructors. Very funny and accommodating, and at the same time emphasizing the important bits. The curriculum is easy to digest and techniques are demonstrated beforehand. Everything is done in incremental baby steps so you don't feel overwhelmed. Additional techniques are also taught that aren't in ICBC's book that are critical for having on the road. 10/10 would recommend, even if you don't plan on riding on the street it's a fun time.

I had a private lesson with Ted today. His straight forward, no BS, approach, was refreshing, and much appreciated on my end. I haven't been on a street bike for the better part of two decades, under Ted's instruction, I was able to shake off the rust, and quickly get back into it. I would recommend this place to some one brand new to motorcycling, or someone that needs to brush up on their previous experience. I view this as money well spent, without question!

Thank you Lee and 1st gear team for helping me get my class 6. I attended the class in 2021 but was not able to book my ICBC road test until 2022. I redo my MST test with and The fact they allow me to go for a test prep ride after a whole year later was awesome. I can recommend these guys s enough. Class was fun and very informative.

This program is awesome, all of the instructors are so down to earth and funny. They make it very enjoyable and comfortable to learn to ride. If anyone wants to learn to ride I'd definitely recommend this school and will be referring anyone I know who wants to learn to them as well. So glad I chose this school.

I'm 47, been procrastinating for 30 years to get my motorcycle license. I had dirt bikes as a teenager, I knew I'd remember how to ride a motorcycle, but being older and wiser (hehe) I knew I could benefit immensely from proper training. All the instructors we're awesome. Lee runs a tight ship, well organized. I just bought my first motorcycle last week and can still hear TED yelling at me to do things better, to pay attention, to stop looking down etc. It may seem harsh while training, but for me, it works. You end up wanting to hear him say something nice: P Thanks again Ted and crew. Fully recommend.

I'm a 20 plus years rider from Brazil. When I moved to Canada, I had to redo my motorcycle license, and I had LIONEL from 1st gear help me with my MST. He was not only very knowledgeable, but he taught me the minutia of the exam and what to expect. Less than 2 hours after our session, I was at ICBC getting my new driving statement. Not only do I recommend this school, but my wife is also getting her MST done soon, hopefully we can retain Lionel's services again.

Great training even if you have some experience on or off road. They take the time to show how it's done and are patient. Glad I chose them over others.

Andrew S

Ted was a fantastic instructor. I opted for private lessons and he took the time to fully and thoroughly explain all the necessary skills and drills required. He was attentive and really helped me master the skills always with a big smile and encouraging words! St gear as a school was excellent start to finish. The course content was easy to follow and understand and I feel like I am a safer and more skilled rider as a result.

Hats off to Ted and the team at 1st gear. I would highly recommend. Even though today was a scorcher I leaned a lot and had fun along the way.

If you get Ted as an instructor keep your ears open, he's got decades of riding and driving anything with wheels under his belt and he truly wants to teach you to be safe and skilled.

I will return to 1st gear for some sort of further education in the future.

If you're going to ride I fully recommend 1st gear!

I did the 3 day class, as well as a private lesson with Ted. Beyond amazing. Everybody was very professional, took safety seriously, and gave a great mix of advice, constructive-criticism, and encouragement. Highly recommend!

The online and classroom portion with Lee was great. The online portion was straight forward and very easy to understand and easy to navigate on the website. Ted was a great instructor during the hands-on portion! He may yell at you a lot, not to be mean, but it's because he wants to prepare you on being a safe rider on the road, and to not develop any bad habits. From someone who has zero experience in riding a motorcycle, Ted made it easy for me to learn and catch on pretty quick. He explained and demonstrated very clearly and was open to whatever questions that was thrown at him. He gave constructive feedback after each exercise and was very encouraging throughout. I was lucky to be in a smaller group, so it almost felt like a private session and Ted made the environment very comfortable and fun. Thanks Ted!

Took the weekend training for MST and found the staff super helpful, knowledgeable, and experts in this field. They are well organized with very little down time (off bike).
I will recommend them to anyone to all.

I had a great experience at 1st gear. Extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff and It was a great environment to learn in. I feel 100% confident to ride on the street now. Thank you specifically to Christoper, Lee, Kiefer, Wei and Lionel which were the instructors that taught my class for making the expirence even more enjoyable.

Top notch instructors, top notch school.overall amazing experience. I came in as a new rider, and I am feeling super confident about riding a motorcycle now. Loved how they dove right into the very basics, and progression was easy to follow. Definitely recommend!

Great course - Chris & Ted we're an absolute pleasure to learn from. All staff is very friendly.

My experience with 1st Gear Motorcycle Training was first-class! I could not be more satisfied. It was a great introduction to motorcycle operation, focusing on creating good habits with respect to technical ability and defensive driving.

Teaching is not something that everyone can do well, but our instructors, Chris and Ted (and Carol, during the classroom component), went above and beyond. They were dialed in and paying attention the whole time, keenly observing us, providing understandable and actionable feedback. Not only did they help us meet the required standards of safety, but they also made it fun and challenged us to not settle for good enough. They turned what would have been a miserable two days in the rain into an awesome experience.

I would heartily recommend 1st Gear to anyone interesting considering getting into motorcycle riding safely and confidently.

Fantastic course! If you’re even THINKING about getting your motorcycle license, make room in your budget for this. The instructors that I worked with are all great (not naming names, but they know who they are). I really felt like I walked away with the skills, knowledge, and habits to prepare me for the road and keep me alive out there.

Regarding the hands-on part of the course, they did a great job of handling a variety of learning speeds. It never felt like they were giving up on the people who were struggling or unfairly spending less time with those who caught on quicker (although admittedly I was more middle-of-the-pack, so that’s a second hand observation). Their criticism and feedback was constructive, and what could have seemed like harsh delivery never felt mean thanks to their sense of humour and how excitedly they celebrated your victories (especially if you were struggling with a certain skill or bad habit for a while).

1st gear in Coquitlam was an excellent choice. Ted and Christopher were awesome! It is clear that they both really care about making you a safer rider, all while having fun at the same time.

Great bunch of instructors. Highly recommend this course for beginners and experienced riders will learn from this also. I had a little bit of experience in the younger years and thought that I would know some of the stuff being taught, but I had a lot to learn and I still have a lot to learn. You can never know enough skills for riding, you're always learning if you allow it to happen.

Adam is an amazing instructor. I had zero motorcycle experience going into the course and by the end I was able to pass the MSA all thanks to him. He really cares for his students and really stresses safety.

This was a great experience with excellent instruction. Lee and his team of instructors are very knowledgeable and made sure all students get the skills to move to the next level. I highly recommend using 1st gear for all wanting to learn the skills required for safe riding!

Shoutout to my instructor Lionel, he is kind & professional. He is always on time, and will set you up with proper gear & bike that you are comfortable with. Would highly recommend this school. Thanks Lionel.

This school doesn't teach just how to ride but they also prove that you have learned how to ride, it's very good option for new rider as well as experienced riders who want to break their bad habit about riding, this school has
Large parking lot to practice, very well managed school. Lee and his staff is awesome.