I have had several friends who have taken this class, and they have rave reviews about both Al and Teri. With that being said, I was so excited to take this class and couldn't wait to get my license and start my motorcycle riding adventure. Book work prior to the course was just whatever, nothing anyone can do about that, it is a necessary evil and clearly written by a person in a cubicle somewhere in the suburbs. Still super excited so I pressed on, anxiously optimistic about the two days that lay ahead of me. Then I arrived at the facility. No complaints there or about the bikes, everything was just as expected. When we arrived we were met by both Dave and Jim (our instructors, not Al and Teri.) Slightly bummed, but still anxious as we started the class. My hope was that it wouldn't make a difference who was teaching and I must say, I was wrong. I also will add, this is probably the difference in an owner embracing their business and guy just needing extra cash for motorcycle parts. (Daves words, not mine) Jim and Dave introduced themselves, and spent the majority of the time explaining their motor cop experience, and the thousands and thousands of hours of riding. Not one mention of their teaching expertise or their desire to save lives. Just how there was a need for buying motorcycle parts that were expensive so that's why they were there. Jim was great, stated he was a retired motorcycle cop, and managed to speak to people as if he wasn't a cop. Dave however thinks he's still a cop or maybe better yet a marine corps D.I. He did not have the person skill set one needs to be able to create an environment where I want to ask questions, and I want to learn. For example, the attitude of the instruction did not make for a conducive learning environment. Dave on more than one occasion cursed at students (i.e "pick up your feet and fucking ride the bike!!!") Perhaps he had forgotten that I'd never ridden a bike. At one point a student had asked for the ability to practice a little during lunch, and this was probably based on the panic and pressure the instructors made about the riding test. (again not real condusive to learning) Dave stated in his best hard ass cop tone "No, you're gonna practice so much your damn arm is going to fall off!!!" (again not really conducive to learning) a better message perhaps would have been to talk about liability or perhaps wanting to make sure you got quality practice under his guidance, not threats of physical harm based on the activities that were the training. At the end of the day, I passed. But I didn't get the answers I needed, I didn't get the open training platform that welcomed questions or concerns, I got a drill Sargents rendition of a motorcycle class. And because of that I will not be getting my license anytime soon. I honestly felt I'd be walking away with the confidence and ability to ride. Instead I left frustrated and disappointed. I won't be sending my children or family here unless I can validate that the instructors will be that of a caring and passionate platform. (The reason I chose this class to begin with.) I believe Al and Teri are amazing. I certainly wish they would have been there, perhaps my experience would have been a better one. This is sad that ownership doesn't have the staff they need to deliver the same level of passion that they come to the table with. For the price, and the instruction, I'd say it's a terrible value. But as I mentioned, my friends that know Al & Teri assure me this was a one off. Good luck, this is just one person's opinion, but perception is reality; I wish it wasn't in this case. I wanted the class to be great, it fell pretty short. read more

Please read the full review. I'm leaving this review, because it was an amazing experience for me. I'd like to speak for my whole class. We all passed. We all supported each other through it all. The instructors Jim and Dave were professional, polite, experienced and genuinely wanted us all to succeed. These guys have so many years of experience and knowledge to share about riding and baseball. The skills I learned gave me the confidence to take my first street ride. I rode dirt bikes off and on since I was a kid, I'm now 47, I didn't trust being in the street with cars. That's gone, my confidence after two days is unbelievable, in my opinion. I made my DMV appointment for the day are my classes. I'm a licensed motorcyclist now and took my first solo street ride this morning 6/21/24. In short, this is the school I will send family, friends, coworkers, shoot anyone who asks or inquires about motorcycle training. It's worth every penny and they could charge more for what I have gained from Silverstate Motorcycle Academy! A big thank you to my instructors and Teri for all she did. Her communication , guidance , flexibility and helping me get into one of the classes. Don't hesitate to reach out and live forever on two wheels. Cheers and much success to all who go to the academy. P.S. honk those horns! On test day you'll understand this. read more

Silverstate Motorcycle Academy - This is my dual sport Big Bertha 2003 KTM 625 SXC !I just parked it after my first ever solo street ride as a licensed motorcyclist. - Driving Schools Near Me - Silver Springs, Nevada

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I just recently retired and had a dream of riding. I looked up Silverstate Motorcycle Academy not by recommendation but by proximity to where I live. I was immediately contacted by Teri via phone and booked the 2 day Basic Rider Course 6 weeks out. Teri did a great job in communicating leading up to my class. Prior to attending, I took a short online course which is required. The training course is located in Silver Springs near the airport. My class contained 6 new riders. The classroom and non riding instruction was held in a small well ventilated warehouse. The riding course was adjacent to the warehouse and was in great condition. The motorcycles used in the training were well maintained. A little background about me, I rode my first motorcycle back in the late 1980's and had no formal training. I tried to learn with a friend and only consisted with a few rides and I never rode again. I can honestly say I went into this training as a newbie. The training was great. I found both Teri and Al down to earth and very approachable as instructors. Both have extensive and impressive motorcycling backgrounds. They were both great in instilling confidence with great coaching. If you have an open ear and willingness to learn, you'll come out of this training a better rider. They give you a great foundation to practice with. If you're taking this class in the summer months, I highly recommend you hydrate properly. Teri and Al provide lots of water but you need to hydrate 1-2 days prior to the start of the class. I highly recommend this business!!! read more

Teri & Al at Silver State Motorcycle Academy (SMA) are absolutely fantastic instructors & business owners. I had taken an MSF course previously with another institution in the past, and this was honestly a night & day difference. Where the prior class had little instruction and was hardly any fun (felt like detention), this class felt like educational recess! Safety, fun & learning are their priorities, which resulted in the best possible learning & performance I could've possibly experienced. I've taken now the MSF Basic Rider Course with Teri, and the elective Dirt course with Al, and both have their unique strengths in teaching. They definitely know their stuff, and by the time you're done with their class, you will too. Book your class ASAP, as they fill up quickly (and for good reason). It's worth every dollar, mile & minute of your time!! I could not possibly recommend Teri & Al any higher! SMA earns a A+ / 5-Star FOR THE WIN!!! read more

I took this class August 1 and 2. Teri and Al are absolutely amazing. Teri does the majority of the class coordination and she is so kind to talk to. She works with you and your schedule to get you into a class. Al's teaching style is very real and the examples they both give are great in relating to real world scenarios as you work around the track on the asphalt. They really want you to succeed and work hard to make you do so by understanding the instructions, the bike and the cone layouts. They're very thorough and know the curriculum well. They're great at complying with the current COVID standards too. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend their class. If you're in Reno like I am, it's SO WORTH the drive to Silver Springs. My only complaint was the too hot weather but Teri and Al made sure there was plenty of water bottles and breaks in the shade to allow us to cool off. They even provided a hose off their RV/toy hauler to wet down our own bandannas to keep around our necks. read more

Teri and Al are one of a kind! Seriously the picture perfect married couple and genuine individuals looking out for their students best interests. I took this class based off of all the great reviews and honestly my experience surpassed what I had expected! Al and Teri really pushed me to my limits in a safe environment and made me a much better rider and equipped me with the tools and skills necessary to keep me safe on the road and in traffic! I can't thank them enough for their coaching/mentoring! They both have a lifetime of riding under their belts and their personality's and positive reinforcing really make you feel like you can accomplish anything! read more

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This review is SO late and I apologize for that. Was logging in to give a different positive review and saw I hadn't finished this one. I took my motorcycle licence class at SMA in July 2019(!) and it was so so fun and helpful. I'm on my second bike since then and motorcycling has become a major outlet in my life - it really is the "throttle therapy" Teri and Al promise. I can't recommend their courses highly enough. They take safety seriously without losing any of the fun or excitement inherent to motorcycling, and have their teaching skills refined to an absolute science. Do it. read more

This is the place to register for your motorcycle lesson because the teachers are simply awesome. They are upbeat and it is obvious they love teaching. They are interesting, friendly, receptive and positive people. They truly have their students best interest in mind. They keep the bikes in excellent running condition and everyone has a good time. I had a blast. read more

Recently I was looking for a motorcycle course in the Reno area and was unable to find one that was open during winter months. While speaking to some friends I received a great recommendation to try the Silver State Motorcycle Academy. I contacted them and spoke to Teri and as luck would have it there was an opening in the coming weeks class. I attended the two day class and had a great time. Teri handled the majority of the classroom instruction while Al, her husband, handled the practical portion. Both did an outstanding job and truly cared about the student's success. I would highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to learn to ride or just get better at their technical skills. Bottom line: Awesome People, Awesome Course!!!! On a side Note I attempted to contact the instructor for the TMCC course but had to leave a message. It's been a month and still have received a call back....... read more

If you are looking for a place to take a motorcycle riders course (MSF)... Stop reading, go to the web site http://www.silverstatemotorcycleacademy.com, and sign up. They are that good. And I am including the more than 1 hour time for me to get there on my weekend from Tahoe/Carson City! When trying to learn anything new, or learn something from someone who has a lot to teach, it's very important to get an instructor who can relate to not only the material, but able to communicate it at a variety of levels depending on the students current knowledge, learning curve and capabilities. We can imagine or experience teachers who are out of touch w/ students. Teachers who operate at their pace. Teachers who ignore the needs of the students. Al and Teri are not those kind of people When you go to class, you're in a small intimate setting. We are talking two instructors and 6 students. This allows a lot of one-on-one time in addition to allowing the instructors to help understand the needs of the students, focus in, and give guidance that is explicit to the needs of that person. You are not run through, you do not feel rushed and you do not worry (much) if you don't get it - Al and Teri will help you get through it! If you are a experienced rider, looking for cheaper insurance, or wanting to get your MSF certificate because dealers and manufacturers have some nice incentives (e.g. BMW has a $500 incentive for clothing), take the class. Al has decades of experience and can relate to all kinds of riders. You will relate and immediately feel comfortable. If you're a gal, getting dragged into something you're unsure about because your boyfriend thinks it would be cool, Teri will help put your mind at ease. The bikes are low, you start out easy, you have plenty of encouragement from a woman who can relate to what you're going through. You will have a blast. If you're a guy just starting out, but don't want to look like a moron, don't worry - you won't. You're in a basic rider course with other folks who are feeling unsure and there are no expectations that you (being a guy) should pick this up. Rest assured, you will pick it up because the instructors are good. And you'll have fun doing it! Bring the right gear! They have helmets (full face, great quality, clean [look new!]) of all kinds of sizes, so you don't have to worry about that. If you have a question about helmets (Shoei, Arai, full face versus skull cap) just ask as they have plenty of new riders with the same type of questions but probably too shy or unsure about asking. Gloves, boots that cover your ankles, glasses, and a lunch. For many looking at a MSF course for the first time, they're afraid of dropping the bike, of wiping out or of unsure about the power of these things called 'motorcycles'. Don't worry, you start of VERY easy (power walking where you give it just a little clutch and go) and the bikes are set low enough that anyone can flat foot it. The course is structured like the MSF course for NV. You have two days of riding & classroom work, where the classroom work is watching the videos, working together on the booklet and talking. What is great is the talking is about motorcycle riding and when you pay attention, the test answers are cleverly interspersed as dialogue. Makes taking the test very nice as you simply remembered what Al was talking about yesterday and it clicks! The riding... now that's where it is at! You are at an airport, not the busiest, but when a P-51 Mustang flies in, it's awesome! So you have plenty of room on the tarmac but you do want to dress appropriately and bring layers and sun glasses. Here's the bad. 1. It's far, at least for me. It took a bit more than an hour to get there from Tahoe - but definitely well worth it! Use the address and copy & paste it into maps.google.com or search for SPZ 2. The course is good only for Nevada. If you're a NV resident, you're fine as you can simply take the card (once you pass the test) to the DMV and they'll hole-punch your license and in a few days (4 for me, same picture and address) you'll have an updated endorsement. I would love my CA friends to take this course with these folks, but they'd have to figure out a way to get past the CA DMV (they're loss, not mine!) Ultimately and again, if you're looking for a MSF course to learn how to ride a bike (BRC [ Basic Rider Course], want to learn how to ride a bike better (ERC [Experienced Rider Course]) these are the folks you want to teach you! Totally and completely a fan!!! read more

This academy is taught by Al and Teri McElroy. I would highly recommend this academy to anyone that wants a quality rider education. The husband an wife team has many year of rider experience, that they bring into their instructional teaching. They also provide you with tool that you can use when you start on your motorcycle riding journey. The class room experience is very personal since they keep the class size small. if you don't have any motorcycle riding experience or you have some experience and you want to sharpen your rider skills. i would recommend that you sign up today, you will not regret it. read more

Have you ever hear your friends talk about an awesome MSF course that was fun, they learned a ton, and passing the test was a breeze because of how thorough the instruction was? Well this is that place! The instructors are super chill and it was as close to one on one training as you can get. Every time you got a maneuver right they would be just as excited as you where! I went in with years of teaching myself how to ride and all the bad habits that come with learning the hard way. They immediately seen where i was struggling and corrected it. Motorcycles are these peoples lives and i really got the impression that they just wanted to share that with me. read more

The people behind Silver State Motorcycle Academy are a class act. Attending any educational based program usually results in boring lectures taken straight from the textbook. This team is dynamic in ensuring you have a great time while you learn even the most mundane concepts of motorcycle safety. During the hands on training, the instructors make sure all of the boring stuff get put to use on the pavement -- which ends up making all the boring stuff fun! If you find yourself not understanding, or your body not responding properly, the instructors come prepared with the experience and wisdom to translate into the proper technique. They will spend the extra time with you to make sure you have every change to succeed. One thing I appreciated was their concern for the safety of everyone in the course. Unfortunately for one of our members, the stress of learning was a little overwhelming. Rather than endanger our group, the staff made the tough decision to pull the rider from the program. They offered the rider compassion rather than anger. These are real people. You will enjoy the smaller class size because you will have more hands on time. Everyone is extremely experienced and you will walk away knowing that when you hit the streets you have been given the best information for a safe journey. Outstanding bang for the buck! Great job SSMA! read more

Al and Teri are about the funnest teachers in the world. These two really love what they do and it shows in the way they teach the class. I was an experienced rider taking the basic course to get my license and still learned a ton. They always put the safety of everyone first and foremost. These guys ROCK!! So if you want to learn how to ride a motorcycle then give em a call. you will not regret it. read more

Absolutely great class for young & older beginner or experienced riders, 2 day process. Both written & skill tests. Al & Teri are great instructors, very knowledgeable, relaxed, and great sense of humor. Very patient with new riders & willing to answer any questions you may have. Price is more than reasonable (Can find another course for cheaper, but pay the difference & make the drive to Silver Springs!!). Well worth every penny. Step by step learning process. Highly recommend! read more

My class with silver state motorcycle academy was an amazing experience!! Teri was extremely upbeat and encouraging. Al took special time with me to help correct my "bad habits". The skills I learned with them helped me overcome my anxiety after a crash. They provided me with a Long range of skills that helped build my confidence and make me a much better rider. The class was smaller, only 5 people, so had more time to practice and better coaching. The classes fill up fast so book ASAP! Thank you Teri and Al! read more

I had previously taken the MSF basic rider course and failed the skills test. Al and Teri provided quality instruction that was a able to achieve a perfect score. They are excellent and friendly and I highly recommend them. read more

This was an outstanding way to spend two days learning the safe way to ride a motorcycle. Teri is a gifted teacher and a very interesting character (in a very good way). Patrick M pretty much nails the positives. With regard to distance and not being good in California, it didn't matter to me. I had to drive 3 hours to get there and it was worth it. And even if you have to take the California test, you'll ace it, no problem. If you live in northern Nevada or Eastern California and you want to learn for the first time, brush up or unlearn bad habits, go see Teri at Silver State Academy. read more

One of the best investment a motorcycle rider can make. Teri is such a wonderful person, her energy is amazing and super nice. I have been riding for a while and was surprised to find even more skill needed to be safer rider while out on the street. Two days of extreme fun and serious learning. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to have anything to do with motorcycle. http://www.silverstatemotorcycleacademy.com/ read more

The class was awesome, al and teri are great people and instructors, looking forward to paying them a visit when im on my new bike, would reccomend for all skill levels beginner to experienced read more