Preparing for BRC...

[JDiz5]

So, my BRC is in a week. I just got an email reminding me about it and whatnot, and within it they say:

"MSS highly recommend students take a private lesson prior to taking the Basic RiderCourse in order to improve on their skill and limit the possibility of being counseled out. If a student is unable to meet the objectives of the exercise, they will be counselled out of the course, and will not receive a refund nor can they reschedule the course. Every students learns at their own pace, and this is why we recommend taking a private lesson to limit the possibility of being couseled out."

From threads that I've read on this forum it makes me think you don't need any private lessons, that the course is meant to teach those that don't have experience. I'm not sure whether this branch is really strict or if they just want you to spend more money and take private lessons with them.

[pohlcat01]

In Delaware you can get your permit by reading a book and passing a very short test. Then you can ride but not after dusk or before dawn.
I bought my bike used last summer and had the person drive it up to my house. I then just went around the neighborhood and practiced shifting up and down turning and smooth starts and stops. Then I moved up to swerving around things in the road like manhole covers, pot holes and patches. My neighborhood has very little trafic and I stayed off of main roads. Just use common sence and dont put yourself in a situation you can not get out of. (stay on the side roads)
I passed the driving part of the test after about a month or so of practice.
Here classes are done by the DMV and for residents it is only 50 bucks so the classes fill up early. I couldnt get in until this this May.(no classes during the winter)

I have rode over 1500 miles and plan on taking the novice class, then Advanced.

[jim schmidt]

What is MSS? Might they be the seller of the "private lesson?" Cause the BRC is designed for students who've never ridden before. Some students do get counseled out, but that's a small minority.

[JDiz5]

MSS is Motorcycle Safety School (they give the BRC an Advanced Rider Course, and private lessons) and yeah, they are the seller of the private lessons. Thanks, that's what I thought...I'm also pretty confident in my ability to learn quickly. And I just noticed they spelled counseled wrong both times in that paragraph.

[JDiz5]

Alright, so I just finished my BRC and I just wanted to write the ending to this in case other new riders had the same question and wanted to know the conclusion. I'll admit, the class was probably one of the most fun things I've ever done. Completely worth the $350 they make you pay in NY to take the course. I had no problem whatsoever picking up the controls of the bike, and I actually surpassed many people in the class that had been riding for over a year but never took the course. I'll owe that to three things: 1) Since I never rode before, I didn't have any bad habits going into the course, 2) I drive a manual transmission car and the clutch-work was very easy to learn with that knowledge, 3) I've been riding bicycles since I was 5 or 6 and I'll boast and say I'm a pretty damn good bicyclist (I'd say that just about anyone who successfully navigates a bicycle through midtown manhattan can claim that). So yeah, no bad habits, easy to pick up clutch-work, and being no stranger to balancing something with two wheels were things I had going for me. By the end of the first day, the instructors put me at the front of the other riders so I wouldn't have to slow down so much while doing the exercises.

I'd also like to note that I was in a class of 11 people. Including myself, 3 people had never ridden a motorcycle before, the other 8 had and some for over a year or two. Of the other two riders, I know one of them never drove manual transmission in a car so the concept of the clutch was brand new to him. Come his evaluation, he was able to do the box (pretty much two u-turns in a small area) and passed with flying colors. So if you're worried about taking the course and getting counseled out, don't! As long as you listen, try your best, and really want to learn the art of riding, then you have nothing to worry about, no matter what your experience is.

[pohlcat01]

Congrat on passing with flying colors!!

My class is in 2 weeks. I have been riding for less than a year so hopefully I don't have too many bad habits...

[kevin_stevens]

Originally Posted by JDiz5

MSS is Motorcycle Safety School (they give the BRC an Advanced Rider Course, and private lessons) and yeah, they are the seller of the private lessons. Thanks, that's what I thought...I'm also pretty confident in my ability to learn quickly. And I just noticed they spelled counseled wrong both times in that paragraph.

Boy, I'd send that letter in to the MSF head office. That seems like a real conflict of interest for the school that offers the MSF to then sell private lessons "to reduce the possibility of being counseled out". The BRC is *supposed* to be targeted for people without previous experience.

KeS

[pohlcat01]

Here in DE, from what I hear, the only way to get kicked out is to drop the bike. Otherwise they just dont pass you and you dont get your MC cert for your license.

[JDiz5]

Originally Posted by kevin_stevens

Boy, I'd send that letter in to the MSF head office. That seems like a real conflict of interest for the school that offers the MSF to then sell private lessons "to reduce the possibility of being counseled out". The BRC is *supposed* to be targeted for people without previous experience.

KeS

Eh, I wouldn't bother. When I first walked in the guy asked me if I had ridden a bike before and when I said no he responded, "Good, no bad habits that I need to break out of you. This course is designed for those who haven't ridden." Some of the people in the class had taken private lessons, and they were very happy that they did. The instructors were really great, I think they just some head/corporate person that wants to make more money, and I wouldn't want to cause problems for them for that. Though I don't really understand why they'd need private lessons when they claim to have a 92% passing rate (but maybe they owe that to the private lessons?). I don't know, I don't think it's much of a big deal...it scared me before the class, but once I was there I knew I didn't need it. Maybe I should send something directly to them and tell them to change to tone of the message?

[TurboTommy19]

I was just goanna post a thread askin this, glad I read yours...
Same situation I was in..

I just rode a bike for the first time yesterday, it's my buddy's 95or6 Honda Magna 750 with a bunch of work done (loud as hell)... He had me go up and down his street a few times and shift into second and then go to first and turn it around..
I did that fine, after about 10 minutes he hopped in my car and I followed him onto the road. We went around the block to a housing development in a big circle, I did a bunch of laps around there going both ways and made some turns through the road that cuts in between. After that he took me onto a little bit busier of a road and I did 2 laps around the neighborhood going through some intersections and whatnot...
I put a little over 10 miles on the bike..

Overall I feel I did great and the only thing I have to work on is turning from a stop, that was the only thing I couldn't get perfect...
I was hoping just that amount of experience alone would be enough to get me through the class.. I know they use smaller bikes (250's) so i figure it might even be a little easier.

You took it in NY for 350 so I'm assuming you took Tramas...I'm taking the class this month 21,22,23 Cant Wait!

[pohlcat01]

Just finished mine today. Wow those bikes were beat... Rained almost the entire time we were out on the course today. I really thought it would be harder to control when wet.