No experience necessary

What’s an acceptable amount of money to pay for an ‘experience day’ nowadays? £200 will get you a day at Brands Hatch but add on the cost of getting there, lunch, fuel, the risk of using your own bike and of course no insurance you could be looking at £300+

Last week I took a trip to Yamaha’s Off-Road school based in Sussex. They have four locations across the UK inclueding Golding Barn Raceway near Brighton. The School is run by ex Motocross Champ Barry Johnson who’s there to get you up to speed and give you a few tips throughout the day. All you need to do is turn up, get kitted out, listen to the safety briefing and within 20 minutes you’re on a bike wobbling around the ‘initiation oval’. Once your nerves have settled and you’ve mastered some basic techniques then you’re let loose on the famous Golding Barn Raceway motocross track. You’ll get to ride Yamahas 250 and 450 Enduro bikes as well as full spec motocross bikes during the day.

For £185 you get the hire of the kit, the bikes, fuel, instruction and nearly a whole days riding on track and, weather you fall off or not, at the end of the day you can just walk away and go home. Whilst I was there I met a guy that had never sat on a bike in his life, his wife had bought this experience for him as a Christmas present and by the end of the day he was lapping faster some of the more “experienced road riders”. He was joined by me with my limited Off-Road experience and aside from a mixed bag of other riders an 11 year old boy and his dad, both riding around together learning the bikes and learning how to get some air.

I had a great day and aside from a very near miss caused by over confidence and tired arms on my part, I survived unscratched. I went home pumped with my disc full of pictures (courtesy of on the site photographers) and felt like I’d really achieved something.

No experience or licence necessary and for £185, it's worth checking them out here and if you want some other things to do Off-Road read this