Meet the Instructors
Bret leads every class, so you train with him, not a substitute. These are the adventure motorcycle instructors beside him.
The Team
Every correction and exercise is fitted to the rider in front of them, with the psychology of the rider and the physics of the bike in mind.
Bret Tkacs
Lead Instructor
- Teaching riders since 1996, when he founded Puget Sound Safety, a Washington school that grew to train up to 4,000 riders a year.
- Teaching adventure riders since 2006.
- Degree in adult education: his courses are built on how adults learn and keep new skills.
- Author of Washington State DOL-authorized rider curricula, including Learn to Ride and Street Strategies.
- Designed the US Army Special Forces Motorcycle Mentor Training program.
- Has ridden in 49 countries, including Seattle to Ushuaia and Spain to South Africa.
Bret's work focuses on riding skills that hold up in the real world: where traction is limited, fatigue builds and small mistakes have real consequences. Most riders who train with him come from long road-riding backgrounds. They're comfortable on a motorcycle but know the dirt asks for different balance, vision and energy.
His instruction keeps coming back to the same ideas: use the forces on the bike instead of fighting them, rely on timing rather than strength, decide early so problems don't compound, and understand why a technique works so you can adapt it on your own.
The travel shapes the teaching. Bret has ridden five months from Seattle to Ushuaia and five months from Spain to South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, led groups through Nepal, Morocco and Tibet, and taught riders in India, Colombia and New Zealand. Long days, loaded bikes and decisions far from help are what he teaches for.
He has served as an expert witness in motorcycle cases since 2006, and his work has been relied on by US Special Operations forces, military units, federal and state agencies, and New Zealand's Accident Compensation Corporation. Expert witness and legal consulting
Rides: 2018 BMW R1200GS
Paul Solomonson
Instructor
- 16 years teaching riders.
- Known for clear, memorable explanations.
Paul's teaching complements Bret's. Where Bret tends toward the analytical, Paul translates complex ideas into simple language that riders remember long after the course. He'll encourage you, but he never pushes when you need to rest.
He is also a natural storyteller, with a story from the road for every lesson.
Rides: Honda Africa Twin 1100 DCT
Christina Tkacs
Registrations and Rider Support
- Also runs the website.
- Brings a smile to every class.
Christina is the team's "Q": she keeps everything running behind the scenes. She loves bringing the joy of adventure riding to every rider who wants more confidence off-road, and she has ridden in countries around the globe.
Rides: Yamaha Ténéré
Greg DiBernardo
Instructor, Georgia and Virginia
- Road racer, dirt rider and international adventure rider.
Greg's enthusiasm and coaching make him hard to forget, and most riders leave feeling they've made a friend for life.
Rides: Ducati DesertX
Nick Palmer
Idaho Support Rider
- Hundreds of thousands of miles in the saddle.
Nick rides with total confidence and coaches with patience: he lets riders work through a problem, then quietly offers exactly the advice they need.
Rides: BMW R1300GS
Train With This Team
- Bret Leads Every Class
- Small Groups Across the US
- Rated 5.0 From 120 WeTravel Reviews