BRC for New Riders

Taking the BRC can be intimidating, especially for students with zero experience. This is some general advice to first-time riders based on the most common advice/coaching I’ve given to students.

A lot of students get nervous learning a new physical skill in front of others. 99.9% of the time the other students are just as nervous as you; they’re not paying attention to what you’re doing and won’t judge you for making mistakes. I promise they’re all making mistakes, too.

There’s no way that you can go from being a total novice to being a proficient rider in two days. The goal of the BRC isn’t to make you a skilled rider, it’s to help you build confidence and a solid enough foundation to continue practicing safely on your own. We certainly don’t expect perfection, and setting reasonable expectations for yourself can take a lot of the pressure away.

The first few times you learn a new skill you’ll need to think about each step, but the goal is to get to a point where our brain handles the individual steps autonomously (without conscious thought). After a few practice runs to familiarize yourself with the individual steps, try to focus more on the path of travel and situational awareness.

Seems obvious, but this is a common source of confusion on the range. Review them ahead of time and pay attention as your RiderCoach reviews them on Saturday morning. While they’re all important, I’ve bolded the rules that you should pay special attention to as a new rider:

1. Do not practice without RiderCoach permission.
2. Always wear all your protective gear when seated on the motorcycle, even when the engine is off.*
3. Know the location of the engine cut-off switch and how to use it.
4. Keep the clutch lever covered during early skill development (especially the first few exercises). This is because
   a quick squeeze of the lever will remove engine power from the rear wheel. Always be prepared to reach and
   squeeze it.
5. If you start to accelerate out of control, squeeze in the clutch lever and apply the brakes.
6. Be ready to roll off the throttle to use the front brake lever. Keep your fingers around the throttle with your wrist flat
   to help with handlebar and throttle control.
7. Keep a time-and-space safety margin; check front, sides, and rear before moving out.
8. Yield to other riders as necessary.
9. Use courtesy and cooperation when sharing the range.
10. Do not pass other riders unless directed to do so.
11. If you have a problem, move out of the path of travel if you can, and stop. A RiderCoach will assist you.
12. Stop smoothly in position if you see or hear a group stop signal.
13. If you get behind in an exercise, do not hurry your actions to catch up. Take your time.
14. If you have a tip-over, do not pick up the motorcycle. Be sure the engine is off. A RiderCoach will help.
15. If you do not understand an exercise or become too uncomfortable to ride it safely, let a RiderCoach know.

While we don’t have an explicit rule about cell phones, make sure to leave it on silent and only check your phone during breaks — missing an instruction doesn’t just lead to your confusion, it can cause safety problems on the range.