1st Gear Motorcycle School & Training

Awesome school to learn to ride with. Lee and Matt were excellent teachers, very patient and down to earth. The road ride was especially fun. Highly recommend it for anyone learning to ride!

These guys really know what they’re doing. The first part, where you learn and take the MSA, they really help you learn how to pass, but also go beyond the MSA and teach you good everyday habits that’ll be useful when you’re out on the road. I went into this course being super nervous, but I had a ton of fun and learned a lot and now I can’t wait to get my own bike and get out on the road. Can’t recommend these guys highly enough.

Honestly… this is the school to learn from. If you’re looking at other programs/locations I sincerely urge you to stop your search and sign up with them right now. They are the best guys I have ever met. Richmond instructors are super chill, down to earth and most importantly patient. They take the time to explain everything to you, they show you demos (we love a good demo) and they make learning so fun. Huge shout out to Mat, Todd and uncle Ted for helping me pass my MSA, Lionel and Lee for being awesome instructors in the classroom and on the roads. Sign up in Richmond I promise you won’t regret it. They taught me how to ride in 2 days. If a tiny 5 4 chick can do it so can you!

Great experience and tons of learning! Lionel, Ted and Mat were great instructors and I’d highly recommend this MST for new or experienced riders

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.
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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!

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!

I came here to leave the review so Todd can get paid. JK:)

Honestly, great course content especially training new riders how to react, what to do in emergency situations, and how to brake safely. They actually make you practice emergency stops

If you are coming with some previous rider experience without formal training like me, you may be in for a big surprise. I quickly realized how many bad habits I had developed over the years. It is harder to unlearn old habits, go back to the basics and learn new ones. I now know what are the things I need to continue working on. Please go into the course keeping in mind that the aim is not to pass the MSA but to become a good rider for your safety and others’ on the road.

If you are a new rider - Congratulations! Lionel and his wonderful team will set you on the right path and most importantly you will have a great time! Good luck!

I’m not a biker but live near and walk my dog by daily and I just want to say what a class act this crew is. They are so quiet, tidy and respectful in the neighbourhood that the only reason I know they are there is because I don’t hear cars doing donuts every day. Keep up the great work guys.

I signed up with 1st gear and passed my MST. The instructos in Richmond Todd and Tim were hard to please but they were great. They are doing their job and they are excellent at it. They do everything possible to make sure you are ready to ride not just once but for a long long time in this Lower Mainland car jungle. I definitely recommend this school. I am thankful what I learned. Two thumbs up! Keep up the great work.

These guys are here to get you safely on the roads, tip - practice, learn the shift & gears via YouTube or a friend as it can be tough for people with no experience, don’t get discouraged although they are tough, again they are trying to get you on the road safely. Shout out to Ted & Kiefer!

Don't waste your money here! Terrible management and administration! I paid for a package and tried to book group ride since Feb. Always late or NO response to email and voicemail! Lots of creative reasons to cancel rides or even same day cancelation, quotes as follow: 1. "This ride will be cancelled due to the weather" 2. "my instructor is no longer avaliable for this afternoon's ride due to an emergency" 3. "Tomorrow Road Ride at 1pm is cancelled due to signups" 4. "due to the long weekend and weather, this Road Experience will be rescheduled " 5. "this Road Experience is cancelled due to a low signup count. " 6. "We are changing the date and time of this weekend's ride in Richmond due to staffing and weather conditions. " They don't go out rain or shine! They take your money and lie!

It has been an amazing experience all through the course. Very happy that I took the full course at 1st Gear Motorcycle School. The instructors were very experienced and provided excellent coaching. I had Ted for the MSA and the Road Rides. He is highly experienced at the same time, a tough no-nonsence guy, and rightly so. Safety is Ted #1 priority, and he grills it into you. I can not thank Ted enough for instilling in me the skills required to be riding safe and yet enjoy my motorcycle rides. THANK YOU, Ted, and 1st Gear for your service to motorcycle riders. You are the best.

First step is to sign up with them. You'll not regret it. The only regret I had was waiting so long before taking it seriously that I wanted to ride. The course is awesome. 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 started with zero experience with riding motorcycles. In 2.5 months from taking their in-class course, I was able to get my full Class 6 license. I would recommend First Gear to ANYONE looking to get into the world of 2 wheels. The instructors are experienced, professional and such great teachers who have so much passion for motorcycling. They teach you all you need to know to pass the ICBC road test but more importantly, to be a safe rider on the road! Thanks First Gear!

Honestly I never review anything. However, if you’re on the fence of joining, it’s 100 percent worth it. Lionel and the staff are awesome. I feel as if I’m 10x the rider I was before. Don’t think, just join!

First Gears motorcycle course is definitely reliable, in-depth, and fun. Every instructor was down to earth yet informative with every situation presented. Highly recommend this class to anyone who is interested in motorcycles.

Just finished the 3 day course. The instructors are awesome. Thank you so much Chris, Matt, Brian, Ben and Lionel. Your instructions and demonstration are extremely clear and fruitful. I have zero experience in riding and I am able to pass the MSA in the first attempt! You can't go wrong with these guys. You will be impressed.

I had no experience with motorcycles so I enrolled in the Safety Rider course (Full Course, MST Test, Road Ride Prep, and Road Ride). I'm so grateful that I did because they comprehensively taught me all of the basics and safety fundamentals that I needed to feel confident and comfortable with getting ready to ride on the road. A big shout out to Chris and Mat during the MST prep course for making the lessons memorable, fun, and making sure every student received the appropriate amount of attention. Another big shout out to Mat during the Road PREP. He was super friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. As my first time with a motorcycle on the road, I felt very confident that he was ensuring the safety of the group, and making sure we had the right skills to proceed on our learning journey. Couldn't have asked for better instructors!

I took the motorcycle training course with Lee and Christopher, and had an amazing experience. They took me from never being on a bike of any kind to easily and confidently passing the mst test in two days. The instructos were patient, motivavating and detailed making sure they had enough time for everyone who needed it.
They were also very accomodating when I let my license expire and needed to retake the mst test. They got me in immediately for a retest and were the same encouraging, amusing instructors I had the pleasure to learn from the previous year.
I always reccomend 1st gear to anyone I know wanting to learn how to ride!

I took this course last year and went on to pass my road test with ease. I am now recommending this course to two other friends. 1st gear all the way!

I'm stoked that I learned to ride at first gear! The instructors & owner were super helpful and informative. If you're struggling with something they will make sure to take extra time with you until you figure it out. I really liked that they don't just focus on the MSA, they teach you a ton of real world scenarios and how to appropriately react. 10/10 would recommend if you're new to motorcycles and want your liscence. Don't be discouraged if it's raining during you're course! I'm now greatful I learned in the rain because I feel comfortable riding in pour weather!

Really glad that I did road safety test & mst there. Christopher and Ted are amazing as instructors but also friends. Really felt they care about my little life and I appreciate it. My friend told me he found a driving school which let him passed the mst after 2 hours of instructions, I envied him but now I don't. I spent 16 hours on the whole course and I don't feel every minutes are necessary.

Took the 1st Gear weekend course last summer and passed my road test on the first try. Really happy with the training and the program they offered. The instruction is practical and focused. Instructors are straight forward and encouraging. There's lots of time on the bikes. The road rides and practice road test are great offerings that made a difference to my confidence on the bike and my readiness for the road test. Shout out to Mel, Ted and Leel. Thanks very much!

Great school, learned a lot, Ted and Chris put on a great class. They also have great deals on beginner gear through the geargear website. A+. Ps. Don't look down.

I attended first gear on April 6th, 10th and 11th and right from the class room portion I knew this was the best choice for mototcycle lessons. Carol taught the classroom portion of the 3 day course and the way she explained things was very clear and easy to comprehend. On the training lot days Christopher and Matt were the instructors and they did an unbelievable job at teaches us how to ride a mototcycle and explaining the basic ins and outs of riding. The amount of knowledge you get for is way more than what they charge you for. If I could given more than 5 stars I would, I'm definitely going to recommend this school to anyone that wants to get into

Had a great experience at 1st Gear learning how to ride. Carol and Brian were excellent instructors who not only have a deep understanding of riding but also know how to convey that experience to new riders in a patient, organized manner. I haven't taken lessons at other local schools to compare, but I don't think you can go wrong with these guys. Highly recommended.

The safety course with 1st Gear was awesome, they went above and beyond with the training which made it a lot easier and less stressful when it came to taking the MSA test. A great group of trainers it was worth every dime, would 100% recommend this course to anyone looking to get into riding! They also do advanced training and other courses, practice road tests etc, do yourself a favour and register with 1st Gear you won’t regret it!

Carol, Christopher and Canic, thank you for your patience, dedication and making class an enjoyable, fun experience. Best decision i ever made was signing up for the course.

Excellent instructors to help prepare you for the real road. A riding school is much needed and this school is highly recommended.

What can I say.all the few hundred 5-star-review says everything.

Canic, Ben and Lee are our instructors, super nice guys, positive energy. Can’t wait for my road rides.

Strongly recommend their course, course fee you paid will probably save much more on $ wise, also could save your life and health in the future. You will never get the same systematic training from your dad, uncle or friends.

I did the weekend course. The first part of the course was classroom. We first touched a real bike Saturday at 10am. One of our instructors, Canic, said by the end of the day you'll be ready for the MSA.

I didn't believe that, especially since the first hour on the bikes few of the students looked like we had any clue what we were doing.

But he was right. The theory and practical instruction is on point and by the end of the first practical day you'll be confident riding in a parking lot. You'll still be anxious with low speed maneuvers, but you'll have all the fundamentals you need.

The road rides included in the course are a must do. You'll gain so much confidence after your first ride and you'll be ready to start riding the roads on your own bike. The instructors on the road rides are also great - if is your first ride you'll push outside of your comfort zone but you'll never feel unsafe.

Can't recommend 1st gear enough - entire experience was very positive.

Definitely recommend taking this course. The instructors, Canic and Lionel, are awesome! They set the tone for a great learning environment.
Super impressed with the instruction, information, and how much detail they go into. I had a great time and will be telling anyone thinking of riding to sign up for this course!

Great experience and the best way to learn to ride a motorcycle. They really emphasize on teaching how to ride safely. I would definitively recommend it to anyone.

Amazing riding school! The instructors are approachable, knowledgeable, and very friendly. Chris, Carol, and Ben did an amazing job. 1st Gear also have a wide selection of motorcycles to try. I couldn't be any happier with 1st Gear. I highly recommend this school and their program. They will give you the tools and know-how to be successful on the road. Cheers!

Great school, tons of fun! Was part of a 16 person class, very friendly classmates.

Canic, Chris and Lionel were our instructors and they were all superb. Got yelled at, but I deserved it especially for almost running Lionel over. He was still all smiles afterwards.

The course is packed with safe riding info, and I actually learned a lot more than I expected to. There's a wide variety of motorcycles to learn on as well.

Highly recommend this school! Can't wait to book my road rides with 1st Gear. PS: Put sunblock on for the training lot days!

Great experience, good atmosphere and learning environment. Overall all the coaches are really nice and helpful. They were attentive and responsive to all the students' needs. Christopher was exceptionally supportive, helped me up after I fell off the bike. He's also every patient, emphasized on the parts I couldn't do right and got me ready for my MSA.

Canic, Lionel and Christopher were awesome instructors that made the course fun, interactive and engaging. I really liked the traffic simulation we did because it truly revealed what our strengths and weaknesses were. I recommend this school to anybody looking to get into riding.

Went to 1st Gear last summer and had Adam who was just awesome and really made sure to hammer in the fundamentals of being a new rider. 1st gear was able to book me a slot for the road test while ICBC was fully booked during COVID. Super easy process and quick responses. Overall would recommend to anyone looking to start riding as my personal experience was great from start to finish.

Took a private lesson with Canic and had interactions with Lionel as well. Nothing but good things to say about both of them. I've never rode a motorcycle before and now I feel confident hopping on my bike and taking it out. Never felt rushed during the lesson and overall was just a great experience. Definitely worth the money and helps you learn the best practices right from the start.

The instructors are very kind and wholesome. They will break up all the portiond of the MST and drill them while providing real time advisory. If you get roasted, no hard feelings, you probably deserved it. They are there to help you succeed.

Very friendly and helpful staff.
No regrets taking classes with these guys.
The owners and instructors are well respected in the biking community and they all take the time to pass on all the knowledge they can.
100% recommend!

I took a practice road test at 1st Gear with Carol, who is an outstanding coach. She was extremely knowledgeable, competent and helpful in preparing me for my road test later that week. I passed my ICBC road test on the first try. Their bikes and gear are great. I highly recommend this school for any new or returning riders.

Just completed the course on the weekend as It was well worth it, highly recommended for new riders a must, build confidence learn safety strategies and techniques lots of fun as well the instructors were great.

It was a great program and I'm glad that I took it.
I learned so much in one weekend, and it was unbelievable.the class was fun and the instructor Lionel is great.
He's very patient and has so much passion for motorcycle.
It's much more about passing the MST, and it build a solid foundation for every new rider

I just completed the weekend motorcycle training course and it was excellent. Instructors Carole, Canic and Lionel were very thorough and helpful. I had only been on a motorcycle twice in my life previous to the course and felt very confident upon completion. I Highly recommend going to 1st Gear for your motorcycle training.

I went from having never ridden a motorcycle to passing my mst over the course of a weekend. Great instructors and a great course.

Adam and Lionel were amazing in the teaching process and making it a fun and rewarding experience. I will be aiming to take the advanced class in the future!

I have been riding for a while and it was time for me to refresh and be evaluated by professionals, this is why I took the Advanced Rider Training. The instructor Adam Grainger was able to kindly highlight my bad habits and bring out the best in me almost instantly. Although I still have to work at being as agile as I would like to be, I can honestly say that I am a better, safer and more comfident rider as a result of those two days.and starting to have even more fun on my bike now! The training was very educational and rather intense although we had many (much needed) breaks. Adam is very animated and funny so he keeps his people super chilled. He is a true pro at handling bikes and he will show you how. The key is to do everything he tells you to do.not always easy but always possible! Kathy his sweet wife assist him with the students. This course is worth every penny and if you keep on practicing may someday save your life.

I was blown away by how engaging, fun, and helpful this course was. They let me try different bikes and gave tips to each rider individually on what they needed to work on. They offer lots of on bike time and the classroom work is full discussion and opportunities to talk about gear, bikes, and techniques. Thank you Adam and Lionel for an awesome weekend, cannot wait for the road rides next spring!

I was lucky enough to have read Lee's book before signing up for the beginner course. My experience is not immense but I do feel comfortable on a bike. His book is warm, intelligently written and filled with loads of information that any rider will use and apply to everyday riding. This is exactly what I was looking for and I was not disappointed in the least - the learning environment was fantastic with knowledgeable but most of all EXPERIENCED riders as instructors. Lionel, Carol and Adam are great people and their dedication to safety was evident throughout the class. I have and will highly recommend 1st Gear to anyone wishing to gain key skills, confidence and most of all situational awareness while on a motorcycle. Or as Lionel said regularly - "The only way to really enhance your personal safety while riding is to assume that no one can see you. That way you begin with mindset of riding defensively throughout your journey and arrive safely. " Going forward, I intend to enroll in the Advanced Rider Training class. I expect to come away with the same feeling of confidence while gaining pertinent, applicable knowledge for staying safe and having fun on my bike.

1st Gear Motorcycle is an awesome training school. Instructors are very knowledgeable at training and teaching students. They have a variety of motorcycles that students can try out. It was an awesome course. Additionally, before an actual ICBC class 6 road test, it is a great idea to do practice road tests with 1st Gear Motorcycle. They really helped me out. An instructor will go through what I did right and wrong. I passed my ICBC class 6 road test in one try. Good thing I went with 1st Gear Motorcycle!

I joined the school about two months ago and just passed my road test yesterday. I had such a great experience with the school that it’s hard to overstate it. The staff is super nice, helpful, and caring and their course is a clean path to start from scratch and get a full license. I got a lot of value for what I paid. Motorcycle license in BC has three steps, knowledge test, skills test, road test. When you pass your knowledge test, the school is then with you every step of the way to the full license. I registered for the extended weekend course in Coquitlam for about 1000CAD. The course started with a 3 hours theory session on Thursday evening. Then Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Half of Saturday went for another 3 hours theory session. The rest of Saturday and Sunday went for practical motorcycle training in the school’s parking lot. They started with basics and controls. Then we slowly pushed the bikes with the engine off. Then first gear, second and different maneuvers one by one. The exercises are well planned so that they are engaging enough for both someone who has some skills riding a bike or someone who is starting from scratch. The exercises are also accompanied by fun games to become even more engaging. The training was rather intensive. I was super tired at the end of each day, even though I knew how to ride a bike from my home country. Late Sunday we started practicing for the ICBC skills test, and the last two hours of the day were dedicated to taking the test from each student one by one. As a bonus, the owner of the school brought out their new Can-Am bikes and let us ride them around the parking lot! The theory course was also super helpful for me. Because I knew how to ride a bike but more importantly I wanted to learn how to stay safe and avoid accidents. The theory sessions taught me a lot about safety on the road and the most common crash scenarios. If you pass the test on Sunday, you can legally ride a bike from the next day. After the Sunday class, the school offers road rides and also practice road tests. Two road rides are already included in regular registration, but the extended course offers two extra road rides and also a practice road test. Road rides are fun. There are usually one or two leaders, one rides in front and the other one at the end of the group. Usually about 10 bikes riding in staggered formation in Coquitlam or Richmond for about 2-3 hours. The practice road test is about 1 hour 1-on-1 session on the road. You ride in your own way and the instructor behind you tells you your mistakes over the radio. I found it very useful. I would not have passed the road test without this. The school also helped me booking the road test. I went from nothing to a full license without buying any motorcycle gear or a bike. Everything was provided by the school, even for my road test. I also accidentally broke one mirror of one of their good bikes, and the owner was so nice about it that I couldn’t believe it. Overall, I had such a great experience with the school and totally recommend it to others.

My comments: booking road rides and practice road tests could be more organized and centralized. I had to send an email to an address for booking one and I remember not getting a response back for a few days. Not a big hurdle though.

Edit:

I've been working with 1st Gear on scheduling Road Rides and I just wanted to come back and add a quick note: 1st Gear has been extremely accommodating and flexible with scheduling issues - any time I've reached out and changed dates within reason, they have been very understanding and accommodating. Of course- you can't abuse their kindness for no reason or just for kicks, but I thought this was valuable in the way they conduct their business!

Original:

1st Gear is an amazing school for learning the basics of motorcycles! This is somewhat of a late review as I took their Learn to Ride course over Aug 3-5, but it's late because I took a lot of extra time to actually pass the MST.

I had Lionel, Adam & Nicola as my instructors. They genuinely want you to succeed and care about your safety on a motorcycle. We went through a variety of circuit exercises and you practice everything relevant to ICBC testing, and additional skills needed to be out riding on the road. The amount of information that was drilled in to our heads in just 2.5 days (equal to 1.5 on the training lot and 1 in the classroom) was monumental.

The instructors will yell at you a LOT because they want you to get rid of bad or dangerous habits as soon as possible. They are also trying to give instructions over a loud running motorcycle and a full faced helmet. You CANNOT take this personally or you will never get over the emotional aspect of learning or riding. That being said, they also praise you and encourage you like no tomorrow when you do well. Adam seems like a threatening guy, but as long as you show you are trying to learn and are following the rules, he really goes out of his way to help you where you need it. He also yells a LOT. Did I say that about the instructors already?

As mentioned, I didn't pass the MST during my course dates and had to reattempt a couple times. The school is very accommodating and will stay with you until you pass. They are honest about how far off or how close you are to passing the MST, and what you need to work on. I had the pleasure of meeting Lee during retesting, who is one of the owners of 1st Gear, and he was extremely nice about retesting and encouraging me not to give up! I had requested a CBR125 for my latest retest and Lee really did leave a CBR125 for me which I passed the MST on with flying colors!

If you are thinking of learning how to ride a motorcycle and/or are looking at schools, don't hesitate to sign up with 1st Gear. I was so impressed with the test support that they give you and how much they care about your well-being and safety. As Adam says, "at the end of the day, I don't care about the machine you ride. They're replaceable. I care about you guys, my students". It was one of the most physically and mentally challenging weekends I'd had in a while, but for sure 1st Gear is 10/10 recommend.

I want to preface this review by admitting that I am a very nervous person and also have never held any type of drivers license before now.

I was very anxious about this course and was fully confident that I would probably have a bit of fun but ultimately wouldn't be very good at riding. Melanie and Lee were fantastic at building up everyone's confidence and the pacing of the course never left me bored or feeling like I was being left behind. Lee and Melanie were so patient and considerate to the different experience levels in the class, offering 1 on 1 time when needed (usually for me) and keeping the rest of the class busy with practice so I never felt like I was holding anyone back. It was very obvious that motorcycling is a passion for these two instructors and that passion was contagious and instrumental in pushing everyone and myself to the next lesson. Once we started cornering at speed and shifting gears you could tell everyone in the class had caught the riding bug and was hooked. The instructors prepared us for the MST test with exercises, games, and drills but the thing I appreciated the most was how they shared personal experiences of close calls and trained us on how to avoid those situations and what to do if we find ourselves caught out. The practice we did on those situations fills me with confidence that if I ever find myself in a similar scenario I won't panic but the knowledge and muscle memory I developed during the course will keep me out of harms way.

To any anxious would-be riders out there who are on the fence about whether this is possible to achieve, take the class. You won't find more nurturing and supportive instructors than Melanie and Lee. They made me feel like I belong out on the road on 2 wheels.

Had a great time with the MST course in August.

I had two great instructors in Richmond, they were both really awesome and had a lot of wisdom to offer. I learned a lot and it was all very safety-oriented which I think is important to learn early. They have a good variety of bikes to try out. I thought I would like a more classic style motorcycle but as it turns out I really like the sport bike feel. Definitely will help me make the right decision when I buy my first bike.

Thanks to their great teaching, I passed my MST at the end of the course and have developed valuable skills and habits from the get-go.

Great experience. Having never ridden a motorcycle before this was a perfect place to start. The instructors were great, Adam spent some extra time with me when I struggled with a particular skill. 10/10 would recommend

A big thanks to all the people at 1st gear. I went through their class and have just passed my road test. Thanks for all the tips and pointers! These guys know their stuff and are all very experienced and accomplished riders.

A good school to get feedback that could help save your life and others': instructors Lionel Grannis & Carol Fedor gave me clear+timely feedback during lot training and after motorcycle skills test.ps supportive classmates

This is legit, couldn’t be anymore happier. They want you to succeed! Took the beginner class, going to be coming back for the advanced next spring!

I was nervous about taking this course because I had no experience on a bike at all, but I'm really glad I picked this school and would recommend 1st Gear to anyone with even a small interest in motorcycles. I can't say enough good things about this school. Lionel was incredible - extremely patient (very important in my case), supportive, funny, and above all practical. He will teach you both how to pass the licensing test AND how to ride out in the real world. He was also very flexible with scheduling and attentive to each student's individual needs, and was somehow able to make even the classroom instruction interesting! Thank you so much Lionel - can't wait to get my first bike now!

I went to the Coquitlam branch and I was taught by Mel and Lee and they're both such lovely people and really easy to learn from. They put a lot of effort into paying attention to your mistakes and helping you correct them
10/10 recommend:)

Lee and Randi are amazing instructors, took me from 0 experience to becoming a confident rider! Great fun along the way:)

Great school, knowledgeable instructors and perfect experience! Would recommend to anyone looking for best possible experience learning to ride a motorcycle.

Absolutley recommend and highly encourage 1st Gear. The head instructor and staff - lionel and carol, are outstanding and passionate proffesionals dedicated to teaching you the highest of standards whilst making sure your having fun and retaining all the info. Super chillaxed yet fascinating and informative, lots of practice time, a MUST HAVE for anyone whos serious about obtaining a full liscense with confidence. Loved the experience will be back for more training!

You're crazy to get on a motorcycle without this course. Learned a lot from great instructors AND had fun.

This course was an incredible experience in all ways. Mel and Lee are excellent and patient teachers and the environment is supportive and respectful.

Everyone on the road should experience this

Great course, great people! Lee and Mel were awesome. Learned a great deal and had alot of fun as well. I look forward to improving my riding with them in the future!

This review is a little late, but I've just been having so much fun riding my motorcycle after learning to ride at 1st Gear.

They are fantastic! Very friendly and helpful instructors that make learning to ride safe, easy, and fun. I was concerned that being a bit on the shorter side (5' 4"), but once I started learning I gained so much confidence.

Just 2 months from passing the course and I'm already fully licensed! I would definitely recommend taking lessons here:)