The class is the same across the country except Oregon. The reason it's free is that the state is stealing the $5 that is tacked onto every motorcycle license renewal to give only a few hundered riders a free class instead of reducing the cost of the class by at least $50 to EVERYONE that takes the class in NJ. So feel good that it's free because it's not, it's costing all of us some $$. I don't mind the $5. I do mind the state grabbing the money to run a class costing several times the going rate. It's like the $700 hammer you hear about.
Depending on your ins. carrier they MAY give you some discount. In NJ, if you take the ERC, they MUST give you a discount on your car ins. (bike carriers might not) and can take pts off your lic. because the ERC is considered a Defensive Driver Course.
www.renj.com