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BRC Experience
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January 29, 2009 at 5:59 am #2501PhilUpParticipant
I thought I would post some thoughts about my BRC experience.
I had never been on a motorcycle before the course. During the first couple of actual riding exercises, I felt like an idiot. I never fell or crashed, but I was wobbly as hell. I was thinking to myself, “Man, I need a new hobby because I am going to fail this.”
But the amazing happened. After awhile, I started to get it and began to relax and enjoy myself rather than worry so much about staying upright. Over the course of two days, I definitely could feel myself improving with each exercise. I do not think I am ready for the street yet, but the class helped me realize that I will get better with practice and experience.
We all learn and figure things out differently, but as a total neophyte, I have no idea how I would have learned to ride by myself without seriously injuring myself or destroying property. Christ, I wouldn’t even know how to start the thing correctly. The class was great for a beginner like me. I fully recommend that anyone who is just starting out with no experience make taking the class their first priority. One of the students was a total beginner like me, but she had already purchased all her gear and a brand new bike. She dropped herself out of the class during the first few hours of riding because once on the bike, she felt it wasn’t for her. Man, I felt bad for her.
Take the course!
January 29, 2009 at 6:26 am #16095megaspazParticipantbuy her bike for cheap… and her gear if it fits… ;-P
January 29, 2009 at 3:01 pm #16097Clay DowlingParticipantThat stuff is going to be real cheap now.
I bought my bike before taking the class too. But a friend had taught me how to ride on his beater bike, so I already knew I liked it, just needed to get some skills.
January 29, 2009 at 4:09 pm #16099briderdtParticipantI had a very extensive background riding and racing bicycles on the road, so I already had a good “radar” for hazards of traffic unique to vehicles that can disappear into the background. So really I only had to concentrate on the actual riding.
Before I bought anything, I checked out every book on riding from the local library (actually scoured the entire county library system). I found Hough’s books the best, along with “the Complete Idiot’s Guide”. With that, and sitting on a bunch of bikes, I bought my SV and then registered for the MSF class a month out. I did a lot of parking lot practice (the parking lot is only a half-block away on residential roads) and a couple forays out on public roads before the class.
My class was a little different in that I think there was only one person who hadn’t been on a bike ever, but even that person did well. The one thing that happened most was that once the instructors stopped talking when we were riding (read: during the test), people forgot to look through the turns. The figure-8 was kind of humorous to watch, as people would go into it trying to control speed with tht throttle intead of the clutch, and look at the ground about 12″ in front of the front wheel… WRONG! I’m glad there weren’t any cars we had to turn between…
One girl dropped the bike on a ghost-stand (she forgot to put the side stand down when getting off the bike), and unfortunately it was during the test, so she had to be taken out of the rotation. That was the only drop in the class.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can even see myself becoming an instructor at some later time when I don’t have kids schedules to deal with. I’ll be taking the ERC probably a year from now, and the sport bike class as well.
January 29, 2009 at 4:24 pm #16100Clay DowlingParticipantI found the class moderately stressful. I was very tired at the end of each day. But since I knew I already liked riding, and I needed the skills, I didn’t pay it much mind. Besides, actually being on the bikes was very enjoyable.
January 29, 2009 at 6:37 pm #16105DaggerParticipantBefore I took the BRC I found a guy that gave private lessons on a Rebel 250.. So I went and had an hour lesson.. I hadn’t ridden a bike in almost 25 years. But I figured that I had rode enough as a kid that it would come back to me quick.. In the first 10 minutes of my lesson the guy asked me if I had ever ridden a bicycle in my life.. That’s how shaky and unbalanced I was.. By the end of the hour I was back to being pretty comfortable on a bike again.. In the beginning I think a lot of it was my nerves.. Wondering if I’d remember how or not.. Plus the 250 was kinda small for me and finding my balance was a lot different than on a dirt bike.
After that I took the BRC and didn’t stress it at all.. Did great on all the exercises (except for the damn figure 8 box) and when it came to the final exam I stressed out again.. Completely blew it on the 8 box.. But did good enough on everything else that I passed..
After the class I started riding my bike on the side streets around my house.. Getting used to starting, stopping and turning.. After that I started taking it on longer rides around town, then finally started commuting to work..
A lil bit of fear in you is a good thing.. It keeps ya safe and alert.. Just don’t let it get the best of ya and you’ll be fine..
Dagger
January 29, 2009 at 7:45 pm #16110eonParticipantI think the key to the BRC is to relax and try and enjoy yourself. If you worry about the test you start to stress over little things and it almost becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I beat myself up in the beginning as I seemed to struggle at times but I just reminded myself this was supposed to be fun. By focusing on the task at hand and taking pleasure from making small steps I did well enough to ace every test apart from the effin’ figure 8
January 29, 2009 at 8:29 pm #16113chaiyaParticipantThe class was a bit stressful for me. I had only been passenger a few times before, and I don’t normally drive a manual transmission car. More than half of my class rode their own bikes to class, had been riding for some time, but just needed to get their licenses. The result was that my class moved pretty fast (relative to the other class on the range that day.) We got out an hour early both days. We finished testing before the other group even started. I was just getting stressed out that I wasn’t picking things up as fast as everyone else in my class seemed to be… and wanted a little more time to practice each drill. Overall I really liked the class and had a lot of fun…it was just over to quickly.
I picked up my bike from some girl who bought it and then decided riding wasn’t for her…she put on less than 100 miles in the year she had the bike (she only rode to move it for street cleaning)… I got a great price on it
January 29, 2009 at 10:05 pm #16120DaggerParticipantYeah.. That was about my only complaint as well.. The class I was in was mostly good riders, so when I came to something that I wasn’t as good at (ie. the figure 8 box) we jammed right through it and ended up finishing early both days. It would have been nice to use that extra hour for more practice. I understand that for some the class is only a means to get their license, but for some it’s how they learn to be better riders. The 3 people that ended up failing the class probably would have passed if the instructors had given them their full time of practice and instruction that they paid for.
January 29, 2009 at 11:12 pm #16125PhilUpParticipantI agree that you need to get to the point where you can relax. In the beginning I was having trouble keeping my upper body relaxed and loose while keeping my lower body tight, gripping the bike with my knees.
I do agree that I wish there was time during the course for some more practice of the drills or exercises. Even though there were more experienced riders in my group, we all had our individual concerns or weak points and more practice might have been useful in ironing them out. I guess that’s what the parking lot is for though.
January 30, 2009 at 12:17 am #16129Jon D.ParticipantWhen I was in the military , in order to get a base sticker(parking sticker that allowed you to park on the base) you had to take the motorcycle safety course. We were already liscensed riders and I had the great dis-pleasure of taking it on the back of my Yamaha XS1100. To add insult, our instructor would go through everything on a full dress Harley just to let us know it was possible. What I took away with me was a much better understanding of what my bike and I were capable of. After years of riding I still learned a great deal and will be going through it again ,prior to getting back to riding again. The safety course is great for all riders new and old. I was nervous as others have said but in the end ,all paid off. By the way, the cones are a pain, I don’t care how much riding you have done.Especially on a Big Bike, when you have never done anything like it before. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
January 30, 2009 at 2:18 am #16133kirkParticipantI loved my class. The instructors were great and they took their time with all of us. I had never even been on a bike but I felt so confident at the end of the class. I rode every single day up and down my street. I think the neighbors were getting tired of hearing me ride up and down for 6 weeks. I still remember the first time I took my bike out on a street with traffic. Exhilarating! It’s been about two years now that I’ve been riding and I still enjoy every ride like it was my first. Can’t wait for warmer weather so I can ride every day!
January 30, 2009 at 3:20 am #16135MunchParticipantMy only complaint about MSF was the dang’d use of cones. I understand fully the need for them but there’s alot more attention paid to looking while turning and other skills brought forth when there’s a solid and sizable obstacle there. I found myself on some of the exercises feeling more closed in for some reason due to not being able to properly judge your space. A sweeping turn is easier when you can very plainly see that there’s a shoulder to your right and maybe 4 lanes of traffic or a mountain side to the left. Some of it also had to do with the quick rundowns our instructors gave us and the mind boggling over lapping pattern lines on the course…mixed in with 1 or 2 cones representing “turn here” or “stop here”.
My best score was the quick stop. I came in hot and heavy and beat their recommended distance by 5 feet or so. Afterward the instructor asked why I came in as fast as I did… honestly, they kept focusing on being in second gear before getting to the cones…. I wanted to make sure I was. That and well…. how many looked at the cones to make sure you didn’t get marked for pre breaking?January 30, 2009 at 1:58 pm #16142ranetteParticipantI took my class last November and looked at it both as a chance to learn and also as my last chance to ride for at least the next 5 months. In spite of the very chilly NYC weather I enjoyed it thoroughly and learned quite a bit. I had absolutely no stress, but that was probably due to the fact that I had logged a substantial number of miles during the summer and fall and the fact that I already had my Vermont endorsement, so failing, though it might have been a blow to my ego wouldn’t have meant anything to me, hence absolutely no pressure.
Of the 12 people in our class 10 passed. Taking a look at a few people on day one I would have figured that there was no way a few would even come close but most of them really pulled it together. One of the guys, a character I’ll never forget, and the only one to drop a bike in class, I guess pulled a Gentleman’s C; to tell you the truth I’m pretty happy he won’t be riding on the US mainland. I can’t imagine that the rider/coaches, one of whom was a pretty imposing former NYC cop, would have graded him easier, I guess he just managed to show enough competence to pass(or maybe they just couldn’t bear the thought of him coming back to take the course again?).
I’m pretty sure that I had more miles under my belt than anyone else in the class and felt like I was the strongest rider. However when it came time for the test the only person to not have any points deducted had never been on a motorcycle before the class. As for me, I aced everything except, to echo EON “Effin Figure 8’s”
January 30, 2009 at 2:23 pm #16143Clay DowlingParticipantBut not so bad on my Magna. A lot of that I attribute to the smoother throttle response than the little Kawasaki 125 they had me riding. Come spring I’m going out to the high school’s driver training lot and going through all of the exercises again. It’s as good an excuse as any to fool around on the bike.
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