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Basic RiderCourseSM (BRC)

Have you wanted to ride a motorcycle but don't know how to get started? Do you ride now but want to polish your basic riding skills? If so, the Basic RiderCourseSM (BRC) is for you!

The BRC is a multimedia training program designed to teach and improve your street riding skills and strategies. The course is scheduled for 22 hours that includes classroom instruction, text materials, hands-on riding practice, and a motorcycle (200 to 250 cc) for each student's use. Included as part of the course are:

  • 10 hours of on-cycle instruction
  • 5 hours of classroom instruction
  • Use of motorcycle and helmet
  • Course textbooks

What the BRC Will Do for You

To meet the challenge of motorcycling, a rider needs skill and knowledge. The BRC will give you the physical skills to make your motorcycle perform like an extension of yourself and the knowledge to apply those skills appropriately.

You will practice and develop the four fundamental riding skills:

  • Straight-line riding
  • Turning
  • Shifting
  • Stopping

Then, you will expand these basic skills into street-riding skills:

  • Advanced turning techniques
  • Maximum braking techniques
  • Swerving

You will also learn and practice the mental skills needed to develop:

  • Street-riding strategies
  • The ability to deal with special situations
  • Rider responsibility

Increasing these skills through training and practice will increase your riding enjoyment and decrease your chance of a mishap. Through the BRC, you may also be eligible to receive a discount on your motorcycle insurance after completing the course.

What other benefits are there?

The riding and written portion of the Illinois motorcycle license test are waived for successful Basic Rider Course graduates who are 18 or older.

Discounts on insurance, parts, and accessories may be available to course graduates.

If you are 16 or 17 years old and pass the Basic RiderCourseSM, you may apply for a driver's license for full size motorcycles (16- and 17-year-olds must take both written and riding portions of the SOS test).

What Gear You Need to Bring:

  • A ¾ or full face, DOT approved helmet (you may use one of our ¾ helmets if you wish), if you choose to use your own helmet it will have to be visually inspected by a RiderCoach before you will be allowed to wear it
  • Eye protection, for our purposes sunglasses or regular prescription glasses are sufficient, we do have a small number of “snap-on” face shields at each of our locations
  • Long sleeved jacket or shirt, keep in mind how the temperature may change during your course
  • Full fingered gloves, leather preferred, an open back discouraged but acceptable
  • Long pants of denim or other heavy material, in good repair e.g. no holes, bell bottoms should be avoided
  • Over the ankle (ankle bone MUST be completely covered) footwear, a low heel is best, work/hiking/cowboy type boots or leather/heavy synthetic material high-tops are acceptable, cloth/canvas gym shoes or Uggs type boots will not be allowed