terrain rating levels

When it comes to evaluating our tours' difficulty and assessing your ability to ride them, we have adopted the Bret Tkacs system as a reference. Bret is one of the most experienced trainers in the business.  

All our tours are rated using this system to provide the best assessment for the rider to select the right ride.  

novice

  • Smooth gravel or hard-packed dirt roads 

  • Gentle curves, minimal obstacles 

  • Water crossings less than 2 inches deep 

  • Modest inclines or declines (road-like grades) 

  • Any motorcycle can ride here comfortably 

Basic

  • Maintained dirt or gravel with mild washboard, ruts, or shallow potholes 

  • Small hills or loose sections 

  • Slow-moving water crossings less than 4-inches deep 

  • Obstacles/Ledges less than 4-inches high 

  • Loose rock or gravel less than 3 inches deep 

  • Patches of soft gravel, shallow sand, or surface mud 

  • Confidence needed for balance, but minimal risk 

intermediate

  • Unmaintained forest/service roads, rockier two-track 

  • Loose gravel, larger ruts, water crossings (shallow) 

  • Soft gravel deeper than 2-inches 

  • Short sections of soft sand (less than 100 ft. long) 

  • Water hazards with mud base or loose rocks 

  • Water crossings up to 6-inches deep 

  • Obstacles up to 6-inches 

  • Requires standing on pegs, throttle control, and choosing lines 

novice indicators

You are likely a Novice rider if: 

  • Standing → You prefer sitting in technical terrain, or rarely stand when needed. 

  • Fatigue → You find off-road riding exhausting or feel stiff the whole ride. 

  • Speed Control → You rely only on throttle for speed (not clutch/rear brake for DCT bikes). 

  • Braking → You avoid or feel uncomfortable using the front brake off-road. 

  • Balance → You paddle-walk through gravel, sand, mud, or loose rock. 

advanced

  • Steep climbs/descents, rocky ledges, deep ruts, or larger water crossings 

  • Exposed narrow shelf roads 

  • Technical surfaces: baby-head rocks, mud, sand 

  • Sections of loose rocks larger than 5-inches 

  • Long sections of soft sand (beyond 100 feet) 

  • Narrow, wet, single-track ruts 

  • Water crossings with loose base or rocks 

  • Fast flowing water crossings greater than 7-inches 

  • Bikes may tip or sustain minor damage if skills lapse 

  • Strong off-road skills essential 

expert

  • Expert-only terrain (often designed for dirt bikes, not ADV machines) 

  • Large boulders, deep sand, technical switchbacks, major obstacles 

  • High chance of bike damage, rider fatigue, or crashes 

  • Requires excellent technique, teamwork, and recovery skills 

self-assessment

Designed for ADV bikes (650–1290cc) — often loaded with luggage and protective mods. 
Skill is about control and decision-making, not how many miles you’ve ridden. 

Four-Step Self-Check 

  1. Establish Your Baseline → Compare fatigue/focus against a normal street ride. 

  1. Match the Terrain → Choose the Novice–Expert level you expect. 

  1. Rate Your Skill for That Level of Terrain: 

  1. Rookie – Frequent falls, heavy fatigue, bike damage, can’t multitask. 

  1. Transitional – Few falls, manageable fatigue, riding clean, multitasking OK. 

  1. Proficient – No falls, low fatigue, smooth control, confident multitasking. 

  1. Adjust with Humility → Completing a trail ≠ mastery. Progress is gradual, especially on loaded ADV bikes. 

⚠️ Speed is not the measure. Skilled riders often move slower, with control and precision. 

interested in us dreaming up your ride with your buddies?

Check out Custom rides