In a constant effort to improve the overall results for the Basic Rider Course (BRC), the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has updated the curriculum for their entry-level rider training. The first major change is that the MSF Basic eCourse is now a required part of the class. Available since 2013, the eCourse was previously optional but will now be a requisite part of the BRC. The main reason mandating the eCourse is to free up more classroom time during the actual course to concentrate on rider decision making, risk management, hazard recognition, and self assessment.

The on-bike portion of the BRC also gets some changes. Though the overall time on track remains about the same, the concentrations have been shifted towards basic motor skills, cornering maneuvers, traffic situations, and emergency responses while the skills test at the end has been modified to more closely align with state license tests.

The Basic Rider Course Handbook has been overhauled too. It’s now 76 pages in length, printed in color, and boasts substantially more content on cornering, finding escape paths, and personal evaluation. These changes mark the fifth edition of the BRC curriculum in the MSF’s 41-year history. Dr. Ray Ochs, MSF’s Vice-President of training systems, says, “Each iteration has been a student-focused improvement based on extensive research by the MSF and other organizations concerned about motorcycle safety and learning. With the updated BRC, riders can now experience more depth and breadth than has ever been available in an MSF novice course.”

The new curriculum is now available for adoption by MSF training facilities across the country. For more info on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or to enroll in one of their Basic or Advanced Rider Courses, go to: www.msf-usa.org.

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