Motorcycle Safety Education: Basic Rider Course (BRC) 

This Course is Physically Demanding!! 

This Basic Rider Course (BRC) for beginners teaches the basic skills needed to operate a motorcycle in traffic. Students must be able to balance and ride a bicycle to take this course. BRC graduates receive an exemption from the NC DMV riding exam when applying for a motorcycle license.

The first half of the course familiarizes students with the location and operation of the controls. Students then practice riding on small motorcycles to demonstrate that they have the strength, balance, and coordination to perform straight-line riding, shifting, turning, and stopping exercises.  

The second half of the course introduces students to street riding strategies needed when sharing the road with other vehicles. Particular emphasis is placed on those skills that have been found lacking in motorcyclists who have had accidents. Those skills include emergency braking, swerving, and proper cornering techniques. 

What to Expect

Students must take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic eCourse (ONLINE) PRIOR to the in-person class. This is a highly interactive 5-hr. online program that provides riders of all skill levels with the basics of motorcycling. 

You will receive an email the week before your class with log-in instructions to take the e-course before your class start date. Email ltwhite@johnstoncc.edu if you have not received it.

Students are required to complete the MSF e-course and email a copy of the certificate of completion at least 3 days before the class start date to prevent being dropped from the BRC. No refunds or transfers will be issued if the MSF e-course has not been completed and/or emailed 3 days before the class start date.

Please note that the Basic eCourse alone is NOT accepted as a license waiver by any state's department of motor vehicles, or as a license to ride a motorcycle or as a learner's permit. 

• A driver's license is required to take the course.
• Must be 16 years of age or older to enroll. Students under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian accompany the rider at the start of the first day of class and sign a consent waiver for the rider to operate a motorcycle.
• No prior motorcycle and or knowledge are needed for the BRC course.
• A motorcycle endorsement or permit is not required for the BRC course.
• All exercises are conducted on the protected range.
• Motorcycles, helmets, and training manuals are provided for the BRC course.
• Students must wear an approved helmet, over-the-ankle footwear, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, full fingered gloves, and protective eyewear at all times while training.

The Basic Rider Course uses a building block principle of learning and each exercise/classroom segment builds on the previous one. Therefore, it is imperative that students attend all portions of the class in the proper sequence. Students will not be permitted to skip or make up a missed session. 

Attendance is mandatory at all sessions. Students who are late for a class will not be permitted to join the class in progress and/or make up the missed information at a later time.

No refunds will be issued for students who do not attend the BRC, or who arrive late. Students who successfully pass the BRC will receive an exemption from the NC DMV riding exam when applying for a motorcycle license, and documentation with post-training instructions.

Estimated Course Cost and Location

Location:
Johnston Community College
245 College Road
Smithfield, NC 27577
Elsee Building Room A115

• Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Registration fee: $205 per student
• IMPORTANT NOTE!! Our courses are run through the Self-Supporting divisions of the Continuing Education Programs. This means that your registration fee will not be refunded if you fail to show up for class, or if you fail to complete the course. The Basic Rider Course is conducted at a pace that results in successful completion for most novice riders. However, if you experience significant difficulty or become a safety risk to yourself or others, you will not be permitted to continue to ride. 

Per JCC policy, Community Programs are offered as self-supporting courses and are not eligible for a refund as these programs are funded by registration fees collected.

All Continuing Education classes/instructors provided are subject to change due to specific circumstances and low enrollment may result in class cancellation. Course sections may be added or removed from the schedule. Students are eligible for a 100% refund if the class is canceled by the College.

For more information contact:

LaShawndra White
Director of Community Programs & Cleveland Campus 
ltwhite@johnstoncc.edu
(919) 464-2404