Reviews

After years of riding single tracks on smaller machines, this adventure was the perfect opportunity to test my skills on a large adventure bike, the BMW GSA1250, off-road and to learn some new skills including navigation and choosing appropriate equipment.

The key to every successful road trip is the people you share the experience with. John, Jim, and Mark were incredible, combining their experience, guidance, and friendly support. Even when my battery failed during the ride, they resourcefully started up the machine and got me to a nearby dealership to change the battery, rejoining the group within 40 minutes!

The trip was well planned, with great roads, stunning views, beautiful weather, and fantastic company. The only thing I would change would be to use more aggressive tires than the Dunlop Trailmax Mission.

I’m looking forward to riding with the team again soon.

Thanks Eric, Leon and Mike. It was a challenging trip but everyone came together as a team. Noting more you can ask. Enjoyed riding with you all and looking forward to doing it again.

Adventure of a lifetime. My buddies and I just did the PA BDR X with John, Jim and Marc. What great trip. John was an incredible guide who meticulously planned the whole trip and every problem or issue that came up was easily solved by Emmaus. My buddies and I are still talking about the trip. I highly recommend Emmaus, especially if you don’t have experience doing BDR’s.

I had the best time on two wheels I have ever had in my 55 years! John had a great program for the group that accommodated each rider’s various level of ability. I don’t want to speak for all the participants, but I think every individual in our group felt that their skill set was taken up a couple notches after spending 4 days with John and his team (Jim and Mark).

John, Jim and Mark all made me feel welcome and relaxed right from the start. I had not ridden off-road in a very long time, but each day I was able to continue to build on the experience from day prior, as the easiest riding was on the first two days and most of the optional “expert” tracks came later.

The accommodations meet all expectations and everyone in the group got along very well. I don’t have any feedback in the way of recommendations other than don’t change much of anything as it was the perfect adventure tour for me. I hope to ride with John and his team again soon. Five Stars!

Returned for another John Ciribassi Special, as promised after last year's Endless Mountains ride. This ride is aptly named - the fall landscape and views are stunning. John did a great job to accommodate the riders' needs and abilities. And - John "flexed" the ride itinerary, to get the maximum riding in before a Saturday wash-out. We started one day sooner to get two great days of riding in beautiful weather. Lovely!!

Thanks Diane. Glad we got some decent riding in before the heavens opened. Hope we get to ride again in 2024.

This was such a great ride. Pennsylvania has such beautiful scenery, and much of it is only found on remote, unpaved roads. John seems to know them all, and on this ride we saw so much beauty that we could have spent the whole time taking pictures...but then there's the riding! John knows routes both easy and challenging, and will tailor the ride to the capabilities of his guests. It's also great coming back to one really nice motel every night, with a bar in the lobby and a great, inexpensive restaurant right across the parking lot. I hope I can do this again next year. Thank you, John!

Thanks Stephanie. Will be great to have you back next year. It was a pleasure. Have a great "off season".

This was my first tour with John. Unfortunately I overestimated my ability to ride off-road. My 55 years of riding did not include much off-road riding but the Trans Wisconsin Adv Trail was something I wanted to try. John was very patient and kept his speed down to match mine but quite honestly I was scared to death. After the first day we switched to pavement only and I had a great time. Wisconsin has some amazing roads and a lot to see while riding those roads. As soon as John starts to offer pavement-only tours I'll be sure to sign up. Thanks, John.

Thanks Randy. It was actually nice to get to explore some of Wisconsin's great back roads. Thanks for the opportunity. I'll have to think about that paved road only tour option. 🙂

Last week I finished the WYBDR and WYBDRX with John and Jim from Emmaus MotoTours. My husband and I did a BDR together and I FINISHED (both of which were on my bucket list)! This was my first BDR, and as a 67-year-old woman with a group of all men, I began the journey with significant trepidation. John and Jim established an atmosphere that was supportive and encouraging without being patronizing, while also tactfully managing some of the challenges for women riders (like potty stops).

Wyoming was magnificent. The BDR was a great combination of every riding challenge you can imagine...mountains, deserts, mud, water, deep sand, rocky climbs. The challenge sections offered some more significant challenge for more expert riders (I did 2), but overall, the BDR was appropriately difficult without being impossible for an intermediate rider.

John did a great job of organizing, finding quaint and comfortable accommodations in remote locations, and keeping us all on schedule. He also did some helpful coaching (I asked him to) and each day I saw improvement in my riding.

Jim was invaluable as the sweep, doing the hard work of picking up bikes, giving realistic expectations and helpful coaching, and keeping us all amused by his humorous remarks. He also patiently put up with my slightly slower progress (since I was riding a smaller bike than the guys due to my size).

This really was a trip of a lifetime for me. I pushed limits, surmounted challenges that I wasn't sure I could at the beginning of the trip, and most importantly, had SOOO much fun! I highly recommend Emmaus MotoTours!

Thanks Peggy. I truly enjoyed having you along and watch your progress everyday. But more than your riding, your positive and never say quit attitude was a highlight for me. You made things so much easier and pleasant for everyone.

I just completed the PA Wilds BDR-X With John's team and had an absolute blast. This was my first time completing any of the BDR routes, and I couldn't have asked for a better group to have done it with. John and BDR ambassador Marc made it a fun, encouraging and safe environment to push my riding boundaries comfortably and in a responsible manner. I am already looking forward to completing the MABDR with John & team next summer.

Thanks so much Derek. One of the things I really enjoy on tours is getting to watch riders grow in their skill set and enjoyment of riding. I loved watching you make the 310 handle thru some tough sections. Looking forward to the MABDR.

Such a blast. This was my first foray into the BDR world as a relatively new rider (two years) with not much off-road experience outside of the MSF Adventure Rider course. The course itself is an excellent first multi day trip to do and all the people on the tour quickly became a crew and it made the experience so much richer. John put together an excellent tour and guided me and the other newer riders through the course. He gave tips as we approached various scenarios, which aligned with the training I’d taken and served as a prompt to keep the right technique top of mind and made me willing to try a couple of expert sessions with success. He also found the right balance between structure to keep the group moving and flexibility, so that everyone could have the experience they wanted for the trip. We were also lucky to have Marc, a BDR ambassador, on the trip. He had a good story and offered a lot of insight into the BDR world. Highly recommend and I will definitely be doing another tour with Emmaus.

Thanks Scott. Always good to have another T7 on the ride. 🙂

Proud to be apart of the North East BDR trip with a great group of people! Hats off to both John and Jim for leading a fantastic trip that was complimentary to every riders skill and comfort level! John would take the guys who wanted to do the expert sections and Jim would take the guys who opted out.The relaxed atmosphere makes it feel as if you aren’t on a tour rather out riding with friends. Huge thank you to John and Jim for putting on such a great trip that ran like a well oiled machine no matter how many obstacles we were faced with. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to ride with such cool dudes.

Thanks Caleb. It was so great getting the opportunity to do the tougher sections with you, Don and Chris. Amazing what you were able to accomplish with just a front break. Awe inspiring.