The Basic RiderCourse (BRC1)

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Everything you need to know about the BRC1 offered by The Riding Academy of NJ is on this page if you take the time to read it thoroughly. If you have trouble reading English, highlight the words on this page and use Google Translate to translate them into your native language.

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If riding a motorcycle is your dream, we can make your dream come true.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's (MSF) BRC1 is an easier and safer way to learn how to ride a motorcycle and get a motorcycle license. The BRC1 is an accelerated group lesson motorcycle safety training course based on a researched curriculum approved and sponsored by the NJ MVC. It is designed for those who;

1. Want to learn how to ride a motorcycle just for the fun of it, to see what it's like.

2. Want to learn how to ride a motorcycle and get a motorcycle license/endorsement.

3. Have some riding experience and want to get a motorcycle license/endorsement.

4. Already have a motorcycle license/endorsement and want a refresher before getting back on a motorcycle.

The BRC1 we offer is a 16-hour course that consists of two modules or parts; 

MODULE 1- You begin by first taking a 5-hour (average time) Pre-Course Assignment which is a self-paced interactive asynchronous online module (the MSF eP1x11 eCourse) that familiarizes you with some of the physical and non-physical skills needed to ride a motorcycle safely, which you do on your own, at your own pace. (The MSF eP1x11 eCourse must be completed before the first riding session of Module 2). We suggest spending an hour a day on the MSF eP1x11 eCourse until it is completed.

The link for the MSF eP1x11 eCourse, which allows you to take the MSF eP1x11 eCourse for free, is included in the confirmation email/tickets you will receive from Eventbrite (our registration platform) after registering for the course. (Item 3 under "Additional Information"). The link will also be in an email you will receive from The Riding Academy of NJ a few days after you register for the course. You can also click MSF eCourse to access the link. 

If you register additional people for a class, you will have to forward the confirmation email to them.

MODULE 2 - After completing Module 1, you take approximately 10 hours of practice riding (5 hours per day for two consecutive days) in a large, enclosed parking lot on one of our training motorcycles with other students taking the course. (12 is the maximum class size permitted). A list of the training motorcycles we use is below.

ORIENTATION SESSION - There will be a 1 1/2 hour remote/virtual/online Orientation Session at 6:00 PM on the Tuesday night before Module 2 is scheduled. This online session will prepare you for the riding sessions. It will cover the riding gear required for the riding exercises, questions about the MSF eP1x11 eCourse, the Indemnity Waivers that need to be signed before the first riding session, the riding exercises, the Knowledge Test, the Skill Test, making an appointment with the NJ MVC to get your motorcycle endorsement, and answer any questions you may have. The link to the Orientation Session will be sent in an email three days before the date of the scheduled Orientation Session. A reminder email will be sent one day before the date of the scheduled Orientation Session. THE ORIENTATION SESSION IS ONLINE DONE AT YOUR LOCATION (YOUR HOME, YOUR OFFICE, ETC.). This email and additional informative emails are sent as automated group emails by Eventbrite. 

If you are not getting the automated group emails, it could be for the following reasons;

a) One of your email addresses was incorrect on the Registration Order Form

b) Your Spam or Security settings are either sending the group automated emails to your Spam or Junk folder or deleting them. 

c) You may have unsubscribed from a marketing email from Eventbrite.

Here are a few suggestions since we can't forward the automated group emails;

1)  Add noreply@event.eventbrite.com to your email Contacts list. 

2) Check your "Filters and Blocked Addresses" email settings.

3) Send us a different email address and we will add it to the Eventbrite system so you receive the remaining automated group emails.

THE RIDING SESSIONS (Module 2)

You get hands-on training with two motorcycle safety instructors who are certified by the MSF & the NJ MVC. Module 2 consists of 14 riding exercises designed to help you develop and acquire the basic physical riding skills and the critical crash-avoidance riding skills. Each riding exercise builds upon the previous one (Progressive Skill Development). Some riding exercises are ridden as a group. Some are ridden individually. The total miles ridden after completing all the riding exercises is approximately 20 miles. 

You must take both riding sessions in their entirety, in sequence - Day 1 before Day 2. The riding sessions must also be taken on the two consecutive days of the class. You can't do Day 1 on the first day of a class and Day 2 on the second day of another class unless you pay the full course price for both classes.

You also can't miss or sit out a riding exercise. If you miss or sit out an exercise, for whatever reason, you can't continue with the remaining exercises. You will be dismissed from the class and receive a partial refund. You will have to pay the full price of the course to attend another class. See "Refunds" under the "Policies" page on this website to read our Refund Policy. 

There are 10 minute breaks after every 2 or 3 riding exercises. 

The practice riding exercises are held at our training location at Montclair State University which is parking Lot 60 located at 35 Clove Rd in Little Falls. The location is pinned on Google Maps - The Riding Academy of NJ.

We usually conduct two classes per week - an AM class and a PM class.

The practice riding exercises for the AM class (the letters AM are after the class # - Example; BRC1#246AM) normally run on Saturday from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM and finish up on Sunday from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM. 

The practice riding exercises for the PM class (the letters PM are after the class # - Example; BRC1#246PM) normally run on Saturday from 12:30 PM to 7:00 PM and finish up on Sunday from 12:30 PM to 7:00 PM. 

Classes are held rain or shine. If rain is in the forecast, bring rain gear (rain jacket, rain pants, waterproof shoes, waterproof gloves or wear latex gloves under your gloves) to keep you dry & prevent hypothermia on cold rainy days.

The Basic RiderCourse (BRC1) is a NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) -approved curriculum for entry-level motorcycle riders.

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THE MOTORCYCLE KNOWLEDGE TEST & SKILL/ROAD TEST ARE INCLUDED IN THE COURSE

The course also contains a Knowledge Test (25 multiple choice questions, which is different than the NJ MVC motorcycle written test) and the NJ MVC Motorcycle Road Test. 

The Knowledge Test, which replaces the NJ MVC motorcycle knowledge test, is given at the end of the course and is based on the information contained in Module 1. (Even if you took the Knowledge Test at the NJ MVC, you still have to take the MSF BRC1 course Knowledge Test). 

The Road Test, or Skill Test, which is basically the same as the NJ MVC motorcycle road test, is given after all the practice riding exercises have been completed. (What's on the Skill Test is listed below).

If you pass the course Knowledge Test and the course Skill Test, the NJ MVC allows us to give you paperwork that waives the NJ MVC motorcycle written permit test and the NJ MVC motorcycle road test. In other words, you don't have to take the NJ MVC written test and you don't have to take the NJ MVC road test. You do everything with us. THE PAPERWORK WE GIVE YOU IS NOT A MOTORCYCLE PERMIT. This paperwork is just a motorcycle License Waiver. It allows you to skip the NJ MVC written test & skip the NJ MVC road test. You will have to go to the NJ MVC with this paperwork to get a motorcycle endorsement put on your NJ Driver License.

So you can get your motorcycle license/endorsement with us in 16 hours without having to go to the NJ MVC to get a motorcycle permit, without having to take the NJ MVC motorcycle written test, and without having to go to the NJ MVC to take the NJ MVC road test. You do it all with us. It's that simple. You don't even need to have your own motorcycle to get your motorcycle license/endorsement. We provide the training motorcycles. (See below to find out which motorcycles we use for the training).

REQUIREMENTS TO TAKE THE BRC1

As stated in the previous paragraph, you do not need a motorcycle permit to attend this course. All you need is a valid Driver License. You do not qualify for the NJ MVC motorcycle License Waiver unless you have a valid NJ Driver License. (If you do not have a valid Driver License, you can take the course if you have a valid & current NJ motorcycle permit. However, you will not qualify for the motorcycle License Waiver. After completing the course, you will have to take the NJ MVC motorcycle road test on your own motorcycle at the NJ MVC). YOU NEED A NJ DRIVER LICENSE TO QUALIFY FOR THE MOTORCYCLE LICENSE WAIVER.  

If you have an out-of-State Driver License or an International Driver License, you will not qualify for the motorcycle License Waiver unless your State reciprocates the MSF BRC1 completion card or you move to NJ within 180 days after completing the BRC1 and get a NJ Driver License. (If you have an out-of-State Driver License, check with your State DMV to see if they will accept the MSF BRC1 completion card if you successfully complete the MSF BRC1 in another State. Some States will and some States won't. NY doesn't accept the MSF BRC1 completion card).

THE BRC1 IS MANDATORY IF YOU ARE UNDER AGE 18

You have to be at least 17 years old to get a motorcycle license in NJ. If you are 17 years old, you are now required by NJ law to take the BRC1 if you want to get a NJ motorcycle license/endorsement. Everything in the previous paragraph applies - you need to have a NJ Driver License to get the motorcycle License Waiver. In addition, since you are a minor, you will need written parental/legal guardian permission before taking the practice riding exercises (Module 2) of the course. A parent/legal guardian will also have to sign the Indemnity Waivers in our presence on Day 1 before the first riding exercise. 

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE MSF eP1x11 eCourse (Module 1)

As stated above, the MSF eP1x11 eCourse is the first part of the course and must be completed before the first riding session. If you have an issue with the MSF eP1x11 eCourse, we cannot help you. The MSF administers it. Email the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at msfsupport@msf-usa.org or call them at (949) 727-3227 x3158 Monday thru Friday between 8:00am - 4:30pm Pacific Time. Tell them your name and the username/email address that you are using to log in to the MSF eP1x11 eCourse.

• The MSF eP1x11 eCourse is video intensive. A strong, steady network connection on a personal computer or mobile device is required. Broadband connections work best.
• Current versions of Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are supported. For Internet Explorer, version 10 or higher is supported.
• Be sure JavaScript is enabled on your browser.
• The MSF eP1x11 eCourse is available in English and Spanish.
• When you complete the MSF eP1x11 eCourse, you will receive a Completion Certificate with a Completion Certificate ID#. Either print your Completion Certificate or take a picture of it. You will need the Completion Certificate ID# when you fill out the Indemnity Waivers which are sent by email a few days before Module 2. We send the Completion Certificate ID # to the NJ MVC. We can't issue you the motorcycle License Waiver unless we have your MSF eP1x11 eCourse Completion Certificate ID#.
• Save a copy of your eP1x11 eCourse Completion Certificate for future reference. You'll need it to take our other courses/clinics.
• As soon as you register for the BRC1, you will receive a confirmation email/tickets from Eventbrite (our registration platform) that includes a link to take the MSF eP1x11 eCourse for free. (You'll find it under "Additional Information", item #3)

You will learn; 

• What riding gear is best to wear
• How all the motorcycle controls work and how to use each one
• The four basic physical riding skills; taking off, turning, shifting, and stopping, and practice the correct way to perform all four skills on both riding days
• The three non-physical riding skills that will help you avoid a crash
• The safest way to start and shut off a motorcycle
• How to perform slow speed maneuvers and practice doing them
• How to stop quickly and safely in the shortest distance and practice doing it
• How to swerve to avoid a hazard and practice doing it
• How to develop situational awareness to avoid a crash
• How to use 2/4/12 to avoid a crash
• How to ride in rain and wind
• How to start off on a hill without stalling
• How your risk-taking level and your riding skill level can determine your chances of crashing
• Why motorcycles crash and the things you can do to avoid a crash

and much, much more. You'll learn things that your friends, relatives and YouTube don't and can't teach you.

For Module 1, you need a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone and an email address.

For the practice riding exercises (Module 2), you will need the following; 

1. Ride a Bicycle - you must demonstrate your ability to balance and ride a bicycle. (Ride the bicycle we have at MSU for a few yards).
2. Shoes - you must wear sturdy over-the-ankle shoes (leather preferred) to protect your ankles from injury. (Your ankle bone must be covered).
3. Pants - you must wear jeans or pants made with equivalent or sturdier material than jeans to protect your legs from injury. (No light material pants, leggings, sweatpants or holes in the pants).
4. Shirt/Jacket - you must wear a long sleeve garment (shirt, sweat shirt, jacket) to protect your torso and arms from injury. The more durable the material, the better the protection.
5. Gloves - you must wear full-fingered gloves (leather preferred) to protect your hands and fingers from injury.
6. Eye-protection - you must wear glasses, sunglasses, goggles, or a face-shield on your helmet to prevent something from getting in your eyes while riding the practice riding exercises.
7. Helmet - you must wear a DOT (Department of Transportation), Snell or ECE certified motorcycle helmet to protect your head from injury. (If you do not have your own helmet, you can rent one of our DOT full-face motorcycle helmets for a $5.00 fee when you register for the course).
8. Rain gear - If rain is in the forecast, we strongly recommend that you have a rain jacket, rain pants, waterproof shoes, waterproof gloves or latex gloves to wear under your gloves to keep you dry & prevent hypothermia on cold rainy days. If you are shivering, you will be dismissed from the class. We can't let you ride if you are shivering. (See "Refunds" on the "Policies" page of our website to read our Refund Policy).

• You will not be allowed to ride the practice riding exercises unless you can demonstrate your ability to balance and ride a bicycle. (If you can not ride the bicycle, you will be dismissed from the class. (See "Refunds" on the "Policies" page of our website to read our Refund Policy).

• You will not be allowed to ride the practice riding exercises unless you have items 2-7 listed above. (If you do not have items 2-7 listed above for the practice riding exercises, you will be dismissed from the class.(See "Refunds" on the "Policies" page of our website to read our Refund Policy).

TRAINING MOTORCYCLES

We provide the training motorcycles for free for the practice riding exercises (Module 2) unless you want to use your own 2-wheel motorcycle or scooter for the course that is registered & insured. If you ride your own motorcycle or scooter to MSU for the riding sessions, you must have a valid & current NJ motorcycle permit or a motorcycle license/endorsement. Otherwise, you can trailer the motorcycle to MSU or someone who has a NJ motorcycle permit or a motorcycle license/endorsement can ride it to MSU. MOTORCYCLES WITH LOUD PIPES (SOUND LEVEL EXCEEDS THE EPA DECIBEL RATING) ARE NOT ALLOWED AT MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY.

Our fleet of training motorcycles consists of several fuel injected motorcycles; the 125cc Honda Monkey, the 125cc Honda Grom, the 125cc Kawasaki Pro, the 125cc CMT Moto Papio, the 200cc Suzuki Van Van, the 250cc Yamaha XT, the 310cc BMW. These are considered to be the best motorcycles for novice training purposes. 

SCOOTER LICENSE

If you want to ride a scooter in NJ that is greater than 50cc, you need a restricted motorcycle license/endorsement. You can use your own scooter for the course as long as it is greater than 50 cc, registered & insured. If you ride your own scooter to MSU, you need a current & valid NJ motorcycle permit. If you don't have a current & valid NJ motorcycle permit, someone who has a current & valid NJ motorcycle permit or a motorcycle license/endorsement can ride the scooter to MSU or you can trailer it to MSU. 

If you don't have your own scooter, you can use our 125cc automatic Honda Navi. You'll have to reserve it for a small fee when you register for the course if it is available. We only have one in our training fleet. 

If you use your own scooter, or our Honda Navi, or your own 2-wheel electric motorcycle for the course and Skill Test, your motorcycle endorsement from the NJ MVC will include a restriction 5, which means you will not be able to ride a motorcycle that is larger than 500cc on public roads. 

There will be no cc restriction on your motorcycle license/endorsement if you use one of our clutch training motorcycles.

HEIGHT REQUIREMENT FOR USING OUR CLUTCH TRAINING MOTORCYCLES

Unless you have prior motorcycle riding experience, you must be able to place both of your feet on the ground when sitting on our training motorcycles. You should be at least 5 feet tall or have a 28 inch inseam. To make sure you can place both of your feet on the ground, stop by our training location on the weekend during a training session and sit on one of our training motorcycles before registering for one of our BRC1 classes. If you cannot place both of your feet on the ground, you will not be allowed to ride the practice riding exercises of the course (Module 2) with us for safety reasons. If you cannot place both of your feet on the ground during the practice riding exercises, you will be dismissed from the class. (See "Refunds" on the "Policies" page of our website to read our Refund Policy).

YOU MUST BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WELL IN ENGLISH IN ORDER TO ATTEND THIS COURSE

We teach the BRC 1 in English only. On 3/1/25, President Trump declared English the official language of the United States. It is critical, for safety reasons, that you are able to understand the instructions given by our instructors and they are able to understand you. If you don't understand and speak English well, you must have someone with you during the practice riding exercises of the course (Module 2) to translate for you. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to ride the practice riding exercises of the course (Module 2). You will be dismissed from the class. (See "Refunds" on the "Policies" page of our website to read our Refund Policy). 

You will also need someone with you to translate the Knowledge Test.

HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENTS

The hearing-impaired can get a Driver License and a motorcycle license/endorsement, If you are hearing-impaired, contact the NJ Motorcycle Safety Education Program (NJMSEP) to set up a BRC1 class that will accommodate the needs of the hearing-impaired. Their email address is mvcmotorcyclesafetyprogram@mvc.nj.gov.

Many of our students have never driven a clutch vehicle before. Some don't even know what a clutch is. Almost all motorcycles these days have a clutch. You need the clutch to take off, stop and shift gears. The BRC1 assumes you have no prior riding or clutch experience. You will learn how to use a motorcycle clutch and throttle & shift gears in the BRC1. However, some people have difficulty getting the coordination needed for using the clutch and throttle & for shifting. Some are nervous or anxious. If you have difficulty developing the coordination needed to use the clutch and throttle & for shifting, you may be counseled out of the class. (See "Counseled Out" on the Refund Policy page of our website).

If you have no clutch or shifting experience, or had a bad experience using a clutch or shifting gears, the following will help prepare you for the BRC1.

1) Take the Introductory Motorcycle Experience (IME) Clutch Practice Session before taking the BRC1 and get some practice using the clutch and throttle & shifting. Taking an IME increases your chances of successfully completing the BRC1. Click here for more information about the IME.

2) We created some tutorial YouTube videos on our YouTube Channel for taking off, shifting, turning, stopping, avoiding an intersection crash, avoiding a curve crash. They are posted on the Home page of our website and on the Riding Tips page of our website. Click here to go to to the Riding Tips page on our website to watch them.

Our price for the BRC1 course is $375.

Certain Discounts/Rebates Are Available. We are the only motorcycle safety training school in NJ that offers discounts/rebates after completing the course.

1) MSU Rebate - If you are a current full-time undergraduate student, faculty member or Staff member at Montclair State University, you will receive a $100 rebate after completing the course. Show your MSU ID card on the first riding day of the class to be eligible for the rebate. The rebate will be refunded on your credit card after completing the course. Before we issue the rebate, we submit the name of the student requesting the rebate to MSU and they let us know if the student is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student.

2) College Rebate - If you are a current full-time undergraduate college student, you will receive a $75 rebate after completing the course. Show your college ID card on the first riding day of the class to to be eligible for the rebate. The rebate will be refunded on your credit card after completing the course. 

3) First Responder & Military Rebate - If you are active or retired military, an active or retired state, county or local police officer, an active or retired firefighter, or an active or retired EMT, you will receive a 10% rebate of the course price after completing the course. We appreciate our first responders and those in the military who put their lives on the line to protect others. Show your first responder ID card, or military ID card on the first riding day of the class to to be eligible for the rebate. The rebate will be refunded on your credit card after completing the course. 

4) Family Rebate - If you attend the class on the same dates with an immediate family member (husband, wife, parent, child, brother, sister), you will receive a 20% rebate of the course price for each family member after completing the course. The rebate will be refunded on your credit card after all family members have completed the course. 

5) Repeat Rebate - If you successfully completed the BRC1 and you want or need to repeat it, for whatever reason, you will receive a $100 rebate after completing the course. Show your MSF BRC1 completion card on the first riding day of the class to receive the rebate. The rebate will be refunded on your credit card after completing the course.

6) Military Personnel who have taken the course on base in another State or country - If you took the course on a military base in another State or country, you will have to take the course again in NJ to get the NJ MVC motorcycle License Waiver. If you take the course again with us, we will give you a $100 rebate. Just show us your MSF completion card on the first day of the riding sessions. The rebate will be refunded on your credit card after completing the course.

Only one rebate can be applied. Rebates cannot be combined or mixed. Rebates can only be made to your original payment method. Rebates do not apply to Gift Certificates.

Click here to go to our Course Schedule page on our website and select the open BRC1 class you want to attend. Registration is online only. We accept all major credit cards & PayPal. BRC1 classes are offered only on weekends from mid-March to the end of October. Click here to READ OUR REFUND POLICY BEFORE YOU SIGN-UP FOR A CLASS SO YOU KNOW YOUR OPTIONS ABOUT REFUNDS, SWITCHING CLASSES, NOT BEING ABLE TO ATTEND A CLASS YOU SIGNED-UP FOR, DROPPING OUT OF A CLASS, ARRIVING LATE FOR A CLASS, BEING DISMISSED FROM A CLASS, ETC.. 

WAITLIST

Because of our reputation, there is an extremely high demand for our classes. Our classes sell out very quickly. We sell out our classes before any other motorcycle safety training school in the State. If a class is sold out, you can get on the Waiting List for that class. Just go through the process of registering for the class, even though it is sold out. It will tell you there are no seats left and ask you if you want to "Join Waitlist". Join the Waitlist. If we get a cancellation for that class, Eventbrite will send an email to the first person on the Waitlist that a seat is open in the class. That person has 24 hours/one day to register for the class. If the person doesn't register for the class after the 24 hours/one day, another email is automatically sent by Eventbrite to the next person on the Waitlist. You can sign-up to be on the Waitlist for several classes. There is no Waitlist for future classes. There are only Waitlists for the Sold Out classes posted on the Course Schedule page of our website.