HARRISBURG — With the approach of warmer temperatures and the motorcycle riding season in Pennsylvania, PennDOT urges riders of all ages to prepare by taking a free motorcycle training course. The courses are available to Pennsylvania residents through the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP).

Free courses for novice through seasoned riders are offered at numerous locations to residents who have a motorcycle learner’s permit or license. All training courses are conducted on a riding range, under the supervision of certified instructors.

For inexperienced riders seeking a license for the first time, PAMSP offers a five-day, 15-hour licensing course called the Basic Rider Course (BRC). This course consists of five hours of in-class instruction and 10 hours of practical riding, provides training for new riders and gives experienced riders the opportunity to polish their skills and correct any unsafe riding habits they may have developed. Students taking the BRC are provided with a motorcycle and helmet; however, students are responsible for providing all other protective gear. Act 84 of 2012 put into place the requirement that all permit holders under the age of 18 successfully complete the BRC in order to receive their motorcycle license.

More experienced riders may take a one-day, six-hour licensing course – the Basic Rider Course 2 (BRC2). The course is also recommended for skilled riders who want to refresh their safety knowledge and hone their on-road skills. Students taking the BRC2 must provide their own motorcycle and protective gear.

The Advanced Rider Course (ARC) is a one-day training session modeled after a military training course, which offers licensed motorcyclists a chance to enhance their safety skills through a minimum of 3.5 hours of classroom instruction and 4.5 hours of practical riding experience designed to enhance riding attitude and awareness. Participants in the advanced course are required to use their own motorcycle.

Rounding out the PAMSP training courses is the 3-Wheeled Motorcycle Basic Rider Course (3WBRC), a 12-hour course comprised of four hours of classroom instruction and eight hours of practical riding. Students must provide their own three-wheeled motorcycle and protective gear.

Motorcycle learner’s permit holders who successfully complete the BRC, BRC2 or the 3WBRC will be issued a motorcycle license. Those who successfully pass the 3WBRC on a three-wheeled motorcycle will be issued a motorcycle license with a “9” restriction, meaning they are prohibited from operating a two-wheeled motorcycle.

For more information or to enroll in a course, visit www.pamsp.com or call 1-800-845-9533.

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For Abington Journal

Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.