L1 May 2-3, 2026
ADV & Dual Sport Riding Clinic hosted by Street Track n' Trail
May 2-3, 2026
Join Kane Wagner and Tom Macconnell from Appalachian ADV for a two day beginner to intermediate ADV Riding Clinic. Riding Clinics will only have 8-10 riders and 2 USMCA Certified Riding Coaches! Participants must bring their own bikes. We keep the rider to coach ratio low in order to semi-customize your experience and to help build a temporary team of riders.
The riding clinic will include basic ADV bike set-up, theory and drills, and real-world riding tests. The cost of the clinic will also include Kane's Homemade Granola Bars, bottled water, the ability to camp at STnT on Friday & Saturday nights (all forms of rustic camping with 110v power to charge electronics), and Truck/Trailer parking on-site. Hotels and other lodging options are available within minutes of STnT in Meadville or Conneaut Lake (you can leave your bike/trailer on site overnight). The Cove Motel is a mom-n-pop favorite of previous Clinic Riders with The Goat Bar & Grill across the street for those not wanting a rustic camp.
The Level 1 course is designed for Beginner to Intermediate, Clutch Capable riders that are looking to gain experience and basic skills for dirt and gravel roads. Clutch Capable refers to the rider having experience and comfort with basic operation of the motorcycle. This course is ideal for returning riders, street riders new to ADV, riders looking to brush up on skills & techniques, riders looking for new or different techniques, and riders looking for real-time feedback & coaching. The Level 1 Clinic is not “off road” training but uses basic off road techniques to help improve overall non-pavement riding and build confidence within the rider and in their bike.
The Saturday session will include a slew of drills, confidence course, and the grass track on the STnT grounds. In the first session we start with bike set up and ergonomics then build upon each aspect from bike lifting techniques through bike balance, friction zone, body positioning, braking drills, steering techniques, maintaining and breaking traction, line selection and tire placement, managing and negotiating obstacles (ruts, rocks, loose gravel, small logs, potholes, hill climb and hill climb recovery, mud, etc.).
For the Sunday session we will run an ADV loop designed to test riders and provide real world experience with the Coaches. The second session takes us into the woods on pavement, dirt/gravel roads, and some off-road style tracks that help build on the skills & drills from the previous session. Trees, rocks, ruts and other natural features replace the cones. The controlled environment at Base Camp is replaced by a semi-controlled environment when we hit the road. We review how to interpret terrain features that have been weathered and run through by other off-road vehicles. The loop will cover terrain in the local area and will include a gas/lunch stop.
Please bring plenty of fluids (hydration pack or bottle holster attached to motorcycle), snacks to maintain energy (particularly for Sunday's session), and appropriate riding gear (i.e. riding boots, riding pants and jacket with armor, helmet, gloves, weather-appropriate layers/rain gear). Your motorcycle should be current on all maintenance requirements and it is highly recommended that participants also have fairly fresh ADV tires, skid plates, and other crash protection on the bikes. Tires should be a minimum 50/50 but we highly recommend more aggressive tires! Not all 50/50's are the same, tread pattern including gap spacing and depth make a huge difference in tire performance! We recommend a fairly fresh tire with defined knobblies that are similar in nature to the MOTOZ Tractionator series. Contact [email protected] with any specific questions about tire selection. Check out our FAQs for Appalachian ADV Events, The Tire Conundrum for help in tire selection and the Appalachian ADV Community Podcast - ADV & Dual Sport Riding Clinics with Kane & Tom.
Our goal is to push your limits and get you out of your comfort zone a bit to help build confidence in your machine and your own skills. We keep the clinic's rider to coach ratio small in order to semi-customize your experience and to help build a temporary team of riders. We are all there to help pick up your bike and your spirits when the bike inevitably takes a closer look at the ground. This ADV Ride Clinic is intended to familiarize riders with the theory, physics, and skills necessary to ride ADV & Dual Sport bikes on gravel and dirt surfaces. We do not expect riders to master every drill at the conclusion of the course but to have a solid foundation, recognition of weak spots, and the ability to take these theories and drills home allowing continued practice to build upon the riders' skills.
Saturday Schedule:
- Check-In and Meet-n-Greet will occur at STnT at 8:00 am
- The morning session will run through 11:30
- Lunch will be from 11:30-12:30
- The afternoon session will be from 12:30 to approximately 4:00 pm
Sunday Schedule:
- Riders' Meeting will occur at 8:00 am
- Lunch/gas stop available along the way
- Ride end approximately 3:00 pm
Kane is the owner of Appalachian ADV and a Certified Riding Coach with the US Motorcycle Coaching Association. Tom Macconnell is also a Certified Riding Coach through USMCA. All USMCA Certified Coaches uphold the USMCA's Values and Code of Conduct, pass a background check, and hold certifications in abuse prevention, CPR/First Aid, concussion protocol, heat illness & cardiac arrest training.
Kane is also Wilderness First Aid Certified through Survival Med. The 2-year certification uses an industry-standard 16-hour Wilderness First Aid course with Hands-on Practical Skills that is accepted by National Park Service, National Association for Search & Rescue, USDA Forest Service, Boy Scout troops and many other governments, non-profits, organizations & businesses.
"Out of all of the trainers I've worked with, Kane Wagner is the absolute best coach! His feedback and classes are so personalized and wonderful! He's a treasure to the ADV community!" -Scott from Akron, Ohio
"I really enjoyed Saturday's clinic and got a lot out of it. I appreciate your expertise, your patient teaching style, and your attention to detail in helping me and the others. It was just the right degree of difficulty for me, everything I did was a challenge but nothing was so overwhelming that it felt way over my head. It was good to get out of my comfort zone and I feel a lot more confident now, especially after the group ride at the end. Really a good group of guys too. I will definitely recommend your clinics to others." Jim from Brunswick, Ohio
"[The] Clinic was absolutely superb. Kane is an amazing teacher. (I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go.) But the group was also so helpful. Everytime I fell/got stuck, all of [them] came rushing in to help." -Sony from Suwanee, Georgia
"I appreciate the classes you teach. You cater to who you have, encourage taking risks but never push, and let people grow." -Josh from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
"What an awesome weekend! You are a great instructor with much knowledge! What great courage you gave me to try new things. 'I knew I didn’t know a lot but I didn’t know I didn’t know that much.' Can’t wait for your level 2 class!!!!" -Dave from Cross Plains, Wisconsin
"You're doing a really good thing for the beginners of, not just Adventure, but riding as a whole. You were very organized and covered everything you need to know." - Cody from Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania
"What a great time. Being new to the ADV world and having a Harley-Davidson Pan America, Kane showed me what this bike is capable of. I learned tons of techniques and gained confidence in handling off road obstacles." -Matt from Cleveland, Ohio
"Kane Wagner is a wonderful ADV riding instructor. His clinics are so helpful to learn and apply the basic skills needed to take your riding adventures to the next level." -Tambra from Titusville, Pennsylvania
"Very good course! I got into ADV riding 3 years ago but haven’t tested my skills like I did this weekend. Highly recommended if you want to learn some new practice drills to sharpen your off-road riding ability and improve confidence. No classroom, you’re learning while on your bike all day, which was perfect for me." -Dan from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
"Would definitely recommend the clinic I have been off-road on dirt bikes all my life and Kane taught me some things... on my Honda CB500X Rally Raid." -Steven from Boardman, Ohio
Clinic Riders will be emailed more information prior to the session including discount codes from some of our sponsors including:
Motoz Tires USA - The Official Tire of Appalachian ADV
Gryphon Moto - The Official Riding Gear of Appalachian ADV
OBR ADV Gear - The Official Moto Luggage of Appalachian ADV
Barkbuster Handguards - The Official Tire of Appalachian ADV
Have Fun, Take Chances - Appalachian ADV's Main Motto (article linked)
Experience Gained is Wisdom Earned - Appalachian ADV's Clinic Battle Cry. You can't get better without doing it and putting in the time. We are here to help build experience through sharing techniques and skill assessments.
Let's Make It Wierd! - Kane's infamous twist on training... helping riders gain comfort in their skills and their bike through riding wierd in a controlled environment so that when it inevitably gets weird in the real world the rider will not panic (or at least panic less) to help aid in making it to the other side unscathed.
Participants must be at least 16 with a motorcycle endorsed drivers license or a motorcycle temporary instruction permit. Riders should be proficient at operating a clutch and have some general experience operating a motorcycle. This Clinic is not designed to instruct a rider that has no experience operating a motorcycle. If this is what you are looking for, it is recommended to check out the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic Rider Course or similar. Participants are responsible to carry appropriate insurance for their motorcycle. Street-legal Motorcycle registration must also be current for the applicable state of residence.
Street Track n' Trail