It seems like people are quick to leave bad reviews, but rarely take the time to post good ones. Looking through the negative comments, most of them come from folks who either failed or did not finish the course. Full transparency: I failed my first time around. Notice the keyword I. I failed because I lacked confidence and did not follow directions properly. I missed passing by a single point. Did I huff and puff? No. Was I disappointed? Absolutely. But I would much rather fail knowing I am not ready than pass and be a hazard on the road. At the end of the day, when Ian signs off on you, it is because he trusts you to be safe for yourself and everyone around you. I took the course a second time, swallowed my fear, built up my confidence, and passed. As for people complaining about Ian cussing, I call total BS. I barely heard him swear. Even if he did, so what? We are all adults over 18. We hear four letter words in movies, music, and daily life, so why get offended during motorcycle training? Ian is not there to make friends with you. He is there to make sure you are safe and capable of passing. Just listen to what Ian and the rest of the instructors teach you. Even if you do not take this particular class (which I highly recommend), for any MSF course you take, you still have to listen and follow through. Their job is to help you pass, but you still have to meet the legal standards. He does not make up those rules, but he will make sure you stay safe out there. Thank you so much to Ian, Tyler, and Marshall. Five stars all the way! read more

I absolutely think these guys are awesome Marshall and Ian taught this old dog new tricks and are excellent teachers. I have not rode a bike in years and wanted to take the course to freshen up my skills I learned over and beyond what I needed to pass my course. Thank you SouthWest!! read more

Took the beginners course with my husband in May 2018. I only had one problem with the course: Ian. He was okay in the classroom but his demeanor on the course was lacking in professionalism. He had no reservation yelling and swearing (including lots of f-bombs) at the riders anytime instructions weren't followed precisely. I came to learn through practice but any deviation was treated like a personal insult to him. Perhaps he had personal issues at the time but that doesn't excuse his behavior. I broke my left lateral tibia (leg) on the 2nd day. Ian has no medical expertise yet told me that it was just a sprain and to resume riding. Good thing I knew better. Oddly, the bright side was that I didn't have to complete the 2nd day with him yelling and cursing at me. I told Ian about my broken leg when I returned to pick up my husband. I also contacted the owner a few days later but other than a short game of phone tag (we never spoke) there was no reaching out to me in follow-up. My leg is now healed, summer's heat has passed, and I am going to look for a different school. Based on other positive reviews, this school deserves a bit of your consideration. If you choose to use them I recommend that you call to see which instructor will be teaching your class. Reschedule if it's Ian. I typically only like to add positive reviews but I feel that my experience should be shared. read more

I highly recommend this place! It's all common sence. If you study while taking the Basic riding course... you will pass the final exam. If you pay attention when they explain what you have to do while driving the motorcycles, you will pass the driving evaluation. It's that easy!!! I'd also like to point out that I bought my gear today and they asked me at "cycle gear" if I had taken the course yet and I said yes I have. I showed them my completion card , so they gave me a 15% discount for my first purchase. Y'all definitely need to go there and save some money!!! read more

Southwest Motorcycle Training - Driving Schools Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This is my second MSF basic course I have taken in 7 years. The material covered is very good, that is because it is a MSF course. The instructor, Ian Munce, is very brash and arrogant. I do not recommend spending your money with these guys. Explore other options. Called on Monday 16:30 to pay for class on Wednesday, said I was to receive a text message with a log-in to complete a 3-5 hour class. Waited 6 hours to receive my text at 22:00. I was expecting to have the material earlier and completed before my busy day on Tuesday. Not very efficient nor professional. My time is valuable. On day one, no greetings or verbal instructions were given to anyone upon entering. We all sat in silence for 20 minutes until our instructor, Ian, finally said "just waiting on you, its your class..." We then as a class read the directions on the TV and struggled to navigate the total cluster fuggle of a classroom it was. I mean say hello, introduce yourself and give your students direction. We are here to be instructed, not sit in awkward silence. When we finally got out to the bikes, one gentleman, who clearly has never been on a monocycle was having trouble with his helmet. Ian yelled at him that his helmet was on incorrectly, and then slapped his chin strap off. This was right before we got on our bikes, I could only imagine how having your instructor yell and slap your helmet would effect your confidence ridding a motorcycle. This is not the military. Over the next two days, Ian was making political and homophobic comments through out class. This is a basic riders course, not a political forum. MSF should be aware of this very unprofessional instructor. bottom line, MSF course material is great, horrible experience. read more

Ian and Chad are great tutors. Today was our (me and my husband's) day 1 of basic motor cycle training and I loved it. They constantly push you for the better and mind well! Ian will mock at you while he teaches. Great experience! Looking forward to day 2. read more

Southwest Motorcycle Training - Driving Schools Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I did the 2 day basic rider training with Ian and Chad. The class room was boring but Chad made it fun. The range exercises were cool and Ian and Chad did a great job showing and getting us there. One suggestion - Please mark the bikes so on day two everyone gets the same bike!!! (Ian is probably going to read this know it's me) read more

I would only recommend SW Motorcycle Training for experienced riders. If you haven't ridden before or like me, only puttered around in parking lots, I would take the course elsewhere. No doubt Ian is extremely knowledgeable and experienced, but he teaches the course like he's trying to thin the herd. He moves fast with very little instruction or advice on how to approach each exercise which made the experienced riders happy. I didn't return for day 2 because on day 1 I felt too pressured to move faster on every exercise. I ended up at a H-D dealer rider academy and had no problems in their course. The H-D instructors prioritized safety and took time to offer advice after I went through each exercise. If I looked unsteady in a curve, they suggested slowing down for my next attempt until I was comfortable. In contrast, Ian would flap his arms like a chicken if I wasn't going fast enough. Didn't matter that I was in second gear going through a curve or passing 20mph in a straightaway. After talking to experienced riders, they agreed that a course like the one I experienced at SW Motorcycle Training is not for beginners. read more

I normally rate really high on Yelp but I have two issues with this school that cost it a little. The first is the lack of professionalism from Ian. We had a mom in our class and his language and manners were somewhat lacking to say the least. Secondly, the practice course has no restroom facilities and is really just a badly paved parking lot. We were encouraged to piss behind the cargo trailer which backs right up to the privacy fence of a neighbor. Loose gravel on the lot was the cause of more than one fall. Granted I went for the price and got what I paid for. Their site advertises $195 but the price is actually $200. I want to take the advanced course but I will probably take it somewhere else and pay the extra $50. read more

One of the worst experiences I've ever had. Ian the instructor from the very start was rude, arrogant, and one of the most condescending individuals I have EVER come across. The class comes packed with his snarky comments, eye-rolls, sexism and an over-all lack of professionalism. Once on the bikes he got progressively worse. I was in complete shock by the way I was being treated the only reason I stayed (as long as I did) was probably because of Marshal, who was with us for for a part of the course, I believe is the owner of this place, he seemed nice. Mid way, I was drained by Ian and his unpleasantness, I was extremely frustrated and in shock by him and tried to stay calm and professional to literally hold back my tears, I decided I had had enough of Ian and walked out from the course. I payed to get taught, not to get yelled at. read more

Completed my training today. The guys make the training easily understandable and fun. Put your ego aside, pay attention and go with the flow. read more

I went into the course expecting to be taught, but what I received was reading a script from a manual and a demonstration with the expectation of being perfect within minutes. I was very nervous and there was nothing done to help calm my nerves. There was no training on the side - just do what was demonstrated. I was yelled at and made to feel stupid. I have a master's degree so, I think I have proved I can learn if I am taught. The instructor, Ian Munce was very rude and arrogant. He yelled at us and did not instruct. I passed the written test with a 96% without any review of the online material - therefore I can learn and retain material. I would not recommend this course. Also, I was told by the owner: "we used to offer half price to retake the course, but we cannot afford that right now" to me this is bad business. read more

Highly Recommend!!!! The school is straight to the point of riding with serious fun! The instructors, Ian and Marshall are GREAT!!!!! The class is two days for $190 which includes riding time and classroom. My husband and I both when to there class and we would send anyone there way who wants to ride a motorcycle or scooter. read more

Great course. Learned a lot. The instructors Ian and Marshall were great. Very informative and very easy going. Answered all my questions and did a great job of coaching and encouraging. Listen to their advice and have a good time!!!! Highly recommended!!!!!!!! read more

Initially I made a mistake when I went for my M endorsement: simply put, I chose the wrong school (near Graham Central station, AVOID IT). After learning the level of fail from the instructors there, I did some research online and discovered this place....and wished a million times over that I'd gone here in the first place. Not only are the instructors highly experienced (my class was taught by Ian and Vince), but they help you learn so many things that will help you become a better rider. This isn't just *a* motorcycle school in San Antonio, this is *the* school. If you're not going here, you're not doing it right. read more

This place is great. The price was awesome, Darrin and Ian were awesome coaches. The buliding itself, a little scary at first but a great place to learn read more

This training class I participate 4/2016 was given by instructor Ian. He makes it intresting and fun at the same time you don't feel pressure at any time he is a listener if you have a question he will give you the right answer He also explains the course to the way you can understand everyone gets to participate in class. I recommend this course to everyone who is ready to drive a motorcycle . People stop taking advice in how to ride a motorcycle from friends and get teach the right way by an instructor. .. read more

I took the beginners course with no street riding experience. I was able to pass the written and range tests to get my certificate with out any issues. There were two instructors who were very knowledgeable and gave enough time to complete the book portions as well as the range exercises. Half of the first day was classroom and the rest of the day was spent on the range. The second day was the same but reversed with the range in the morning and classroom in the afternoon. If you complete your work and answer questions efficiently, you might get out earlier than expected. Lunch is 1 hour and usually around 11am. Do not show up late... you will either be kicked out or the butt of the instructors jokes for the remainder of the course. My class had 9 people which was a good size and still allowed the instructors to help out with everyone where they needed to improve. The classroom facility, range, and practice motorcycles were a little run down but don't let that dissuade you from the $190 price tag. It still provides the same level, if not better, than the courses that charge more. You still receive the certificate in the end if you pass. The motorcycles that we used were mostly 250cc Rebels and Eliminators with a 125cc thrown in there. They were easy to learn on and were more than capable of performing the required exercises. The rental helmets were half-face and the gloves were adequate. Bring your own gear if you don't want to be sweating in a helmet or gloves that 100 other people have sweated in. Make sure to read the required riding gear because if you don't have them, you will be kicked out or required to go buy your missing item(s) if the instructors are feeling nice. I brought a riding jacket with me but would recommend just a long sleeve shirt. I took the course at the end of Oct and it was still hot out on the range with the 78-80 degree temps. If you are offended easily or do not have a sense of humor, I would not recommend this course. The instructors are real motorcyclists and act like them. This made the course very enjoyable for me as they like to poke fun at the students to each lessons and keep everyone's interest. Like another reviewer said, keep an open mind and be ready to learn. If you go in there with a bad attitude or think that you already know how to ride, you are going to have a rough time. Ask questions and pay attention in the range exercises. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to ride a motorcycle or moped/scooter. read more

I took the basic rider course and it did the trick. My main reason for choosing this school was its weekday offering. Ian knows his stuff and had a lot of good tips. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was because of a lack of professionalism. Mainly, I'm not a fan of cursing. A professional should conduct themselves in a professional manner in speech as well as instruction. Not the end of the world but it cost them a star. read more