Vroom vroom - BRC teaches corner-stone motorcycle skills

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Whitney S. Lambert
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The motorcycle Basic Rider's Course, a two and a half-day class, teaches servicemembers and Department of Defense civilians to safely operate a bike. 

When Airmen return from a deployment, some are purchasing motorcycles instead of expensive cars increasing the number of students enrolling in the course. The 4th Fighter Wing Safety Office offered 43 classes between October 2008 - June 2009, with a total of 157 students. Out of the 157 students 145 people passed the course. 

The first thing students learn is motorcycle familiarization where they identify parts, review signals, manipulate handlebars, throttle, front brake level, rolling the bike while in neutral and proper dismount.

To graduate students have to pass four skill evaluations and a written test. Instructors grade skill evaluations by error, meaning a student will lose one to five points if they did not display the proper techniques. Once a person loses 21 points they automatically fail. For the 50 question written test a student must score 80 percent or higher. This course is mandatory for all Air Combat Command servicemembers and Department of Defense civilians to ride a motorcycle on and off base. 

For more information about the course or to sign up, call 919-722-4471 or https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/ASPs/CoP/OpenCoP.asp?Filter=OO-SE-AC-02.