Who here has to pay for MSF classes, and how much?

[tejkowskit]

At my recent MSF experienced rider course the instructors were talking about the fees some have to pay to take a MSF course. They had said most states require students to pay quite a bit of money; some upwards of $200!

I was honestly surprised by this as Illinois offers the course for free (they said IL is one of two state who offer for free). There is a $20 place holder fee, but it is fully refundable (or, as most do, including myself, donate the $20 to the organization). This goes for any of the courses offered; not just the BRC. I thought to myself, "wow, this screwed up state of IL is actually doing something right!" Hopefully they don't catch on. They're so broke they'll squeeze us for everything.

It made me curious to see who has to pay, how much you are required to pay, and what state you live in.

I know there are some instructors on the site with an abundance of knowledge about the organization so hopefully they'll chime in. :thumbup:

 

[2007Fizzer]

In PA the BRC, BRC2 and ARC are all free to PA residents!

 

[oaks]

Maryland: anywhere from $100 to $345 depending on the course and location.

BRC at the local community college cost me $305 in 2010. ~$50 more at Harley dealers. Only $175 at the Motor Vehicle Administration state-run classes, but openings there are hard to come by.

Training Courses & Fees

 

[Erci]

NJ: $295 for BRC (it does vary slightly from school to school.. I think ~250 is the cheapest).

There used to be a free program in NJ not too long ago. The state had 2 sites. The program went bankrupt in few short years.

The states which offer BRC for free.. it's not *really* free. Everyone pays for it. It's typically rolled into car / motorcycle registration (certain % goes towards rider education).

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Some courses, you use their bike, (private company) so the cost is going to be more. Last I heard, they were riding like 500cc bikes..

If your new, probably well worth the extra $, to use/drop their bike vs an FZ which costs considerable more than what their using (probably have some sort of crash bars installed, tip overs, etc)

 

[Erci]

Some courses, you use their bike, (private company) so the cost is going to be more. Last I heard, they were riding like 500cc bikes..

If your new, probably well worth the extra $, to use/drop their bike vs an FZ which costs considerable more than what their using (probably have some sort of crash bars installed, tip overs, etc)

Good point.. technically the manual says BRC can be taken on student's own bike. In my school, we provide the bikes, helmets and eye protection.

 

[tejkowskit]

In PA the BRC, BRC2 and ARC are all free to PA residents!

No reason not to take it :rockon:

The states which offer BRC for free.. it's not *really* free. Everyone pays for it. It's typically rolled into car / motorcycle registration (certain % goes towards rider education).

They did bring this up, but we would still be paying those fees regardless. I wonder if the cost of registration and license plate renewal is higher in the states which offer the free class. Still seems better than paying over $200, though.

Some courses, you use their bike, (private company) so the cost is going to be more. Last I heard, they were riding like 500cc bikes..

If your new, probably well worth the extra $, to use/drop their bike vs an FZ which costs considerable more than what their using (probably have some sort of crash bars installed, tip overs, etc)

If it were not free here I would still take the class. The money is well spent, goes to a good organization, and I would rather drop theirs!

 

[tejkowskit]

Good point.. technically the manual says BRC can be taken on student's own bike. In my school, we provide the bikes, helmets and eye protection.

All of the BRC's in IL provide the cycles and helmets.

 

[The_Paragon]

The MSF here in Wisconsin was put on through our Tech Colleges.

Cost was $240 or so, and we used their bikes. It was a mix of TW200's, Nighhawk 250's, and Rebel 250's.

 

[OneCheekRider]

I'm from Chicago and did the free MSF course 10yrs ago (has it really been 10 years??). I donated my $20 placeholder and bought a few t-shirts to support the program. While I graduated at top of my class (not saying much), and I thought most lessons were common sense, I still found it extremely beneficial. My teacher showed me some gear he crashed in at 25mph which was probably the biggest lesson of all and ATGATT has literally saved my skin on more than one occasion.

I live in Boston now and my girlfriend has expressed interest in riding. I immediately said, let's get you signed up at a MSF course! Here in MA, we're looking at $300+ depending on location! Holy smokes! She was almost immediately turned off and said she'll just get her permit and have me teach her. While I've given much instruction at the track and think I'd give a very good, in depth basic lessons, I still think the $300 MSF course is worth it as I'm sure there's really basic things I would miss and having the opportunity to ride (and potentially drop) the provided bikes would be great prior to purchasing her own. She might get an early bday/xmas present in the form of an MSF course...

It does worry me how many people out there have the same mindset and say screw that $300+ course and don't have someone to advise them on gear and some of the basics before hitting the open road.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Down here, my friends son took the course in approx 2008 on their bike.

They, after you pass, give a certificate, you then go down to the D/L division and get the motorcylce endorsement added to your regular drivers licence.

 

[Erci]

Down here, my friends son took the course in approx 2008 on their bike.

They, after you pass, give a certificate, you then go down to the D/L division and get the motorcylce endorsement added to your regular drivers licence.

Another thing about FL worth noting: MSF BRC is required now. Cannot get motorcycle license without it.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Another thing about FL worth noting: MSF BRC is required now. Cannot get motorcycle license without it.

Yepper, been that way for awhile.

You could get MC permits before the class (I believe they were free and un-limited) but that may have changed. So technically, you can get road experiance before even taking a class...

 

[tejkowskit]

The MSF here in Wisconsin was put on through our Tech Colleges.

Cost was $240 or so, and we used their bikes. It was a mix of TW200's, Nighhawk 250's, and Rebel 250's.

We use tw 200, ttr 225, and nighthawk 250.

It does worry me how many people out there have the same mindset and say screw that $300+ course and don't have someone to advise them on gear and some of the basics before hitting the open road.

Yes! They will teach you things that may one day save your skin..or even life! My life is worth way more than $300!

Down here, my friends son took the course in approx 2008 on their bike.

They, after you pass, give a certificate, you then go down to the D/L division and get the motorcylce endorsement added to your regular drivers licence.

Sounds like IL. 16-18 years old need the BRC (requires parents to sign awaiver) AND take the riding test at the DMV. Over 18 is one or the other. I took the BRC at age 17 and when I turned 18 took my completion card to the DMV (good for 2 years) and got my M endorsement

Another thing about FL worth noting: MSF BRC is required now. Cannot get motorcycle license without it.

This is great! More states should follow this.

 

[rumblestrip]

You do have to pay here, but the price is very reasonable, if you ask me. The BRC in VA is a little under $120, if I remember correctly. They provide bikes and helmets...I remember riding a Rebel 250 for mine. The real bonus here is that if you pass the BRC, you basically hand the DMV a slip of paper and pay for your new license. From what I hear, the DMV test is much more difficult for starters, not to mention you're not getting any safety instruction. So, taking the BRC is kind of a no-brainer, if you ask me. BRC2/ERC was about $68 and a lot of fun. Rain free, to boot!

EDIT: Poking around a bit more on the sites the Virginia DMV lists, it seems that the price may vary from place to place. The Charlottesville/Albemarle prices (Central VA area) are what I paid, and totally worth it.

 

[aclayonb]

Army covers it. It's a requirement to have BRC and on some posts - ARC. Since they are requirements, the Govt foots the bill. It has to be cheaper than letting all these yahoo's loose on liter bikes after being deployed for 14 months.

Supposedly, the Jason Pridmore's Star course is either free or very cheap to military groups as well. Haven't tried this one, only heard of it.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

There are some states, I'm sure the fee for the class has been discounted since the programs are being subsidized, most likely through motorcycle registration and you may not be aware of it.

In the case for the state of Nevada, the BRC can be as little as $100. The reason why it's only $100 because every motorcycle registered in the state, which is annually, must automatically pay $6 towards motorcycle safety which goes towards subsiding the various classes if taken at a site that is administered by the state. Of course if a rider elects to take the BRC from a private organization, such as the Rider Edge Program offered by Harely, or other private schools, then you are not utilizing the subsidy and paying much, much more.

 

[long101]

At my recent MSF experienced rider course the instructors were talking about the fees some have to pay to take a MSF course. They had said most states require students to pay quite a bit of money; some upwards of $200!

I was honestly surprised by this as Illinois offers the course for free (they said IL is one of two state who offer for free). There is a $20 place holder fee, but it is fully refundable (or, as most do, including myself, donate the $20 to the organization). This goes for any of the courses offered; not just the BRC. I thought to myself, "wow, this screwed up state of IL is actually doing something right!" Hopefully they don't catch on. They're so broke they'll squeeze us for everything.

It made me curious to see who has to pay, how much you are required to pay, and what state you live in.

I know there are some instructors on the site with an abundance of knowledge about the organization so hopefully they'll chime in. :thumbup:

I'm in IL too, and I took a private course for $350-400. From what I remember the state courses fill up very quickly, so you might miss an entire season of riding.

 

[lytehouse]

I took the BRC thru Abate of Colorado.....prices have gone up since 2007 though:

ABATE of Colorado

And I was the only woman in the class...not counting our instructor

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I took the BRC thru Abate of Colorado.....prices have gone up since 2007 though:

ABATE of Colorado

And I was the only woman in the class...not counting our instructor

Check this out, I had a class where there were ten females and only two male students. Pictured were the women who passed, unfortunately one female rider did not successfully pass her skills evaluation so she is not pictured. At the time, we also had a lot of female Rider Coaches, surprised that they weren't teaching this class.