Photo by Brendan Henry
Cory Caldwell-Ensing gives the Shaka sign (hang loose) while promoting safe motorcycle skills.

By Brendan Henry
The Surveyor

2022 saw the highest recorded motorcyclist deaths in Colorado at 149 with an additional 36 fatalities recorded from Jan. 1 to July 31. Motorcycle instructor Cory Caldwell-Ensing makes it his mission to bring in as many current and future motorcyclists as possible to curb the high number of accidents plaguing the state.

Caldwell-Ensing grew up in Berthoud but ventured to Florida, where he found his love of riding motorcycles. According to Caldwell-Ensing, Florida has a pretty wild and somewhat reckless bike scene, which he admits to partaking in during his younger years.

“I’ve had my time when I was starting out to go fast and be kind of reckless and stupid and I was able to mature and get away from that,” Caldwell-Ensing said.

This maturity shows as Caldwell-Ensing is now working as a contracted instructor with different groups such as Colorado’s State Patrol-sponsored Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST), Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and Total Control. With a little over a decade of riding experience, Caldwell-Ensing makes it his goal to not only teach as many riders as possible different ways of staying safe on their bikes but to also start up his own school to reach as many people as possible.

Courses range from beginner, intermediate and advanced for all ranges of riding skills. Students get access to training bikes and beginners typically receive a two-day course that covers balance and all of the controls, and then students are tested on basic skills to receive an endorsement.

Caldwell-Ensing has a YouTube channel simply called “Instructor Cory” that he uses in an attempt to bridge the gap between prospective riders practicing in a parking lot and riding on streets occupied by other vehicles. Using a camera on his helmet, Caldwell-Ensing gives the viewer a first-person view to demonstrate different tips to ride safely and build mental strategies to avoid accidents.

Too many people go into riding motorcycles with a romanticized view, as Caldwell-Ensing has observed.

“As an instructor, for me personally, it’s tough because I like seeing people get excited about motorcycles, but I’m always like, from the minute they walk in, I’m trying to hammer (home) the dangers of it because it’s really easy to get killed,” Caldwell-Ensing said.

Motorcycle deaths are no joke and with this year’s numbers on-pace to break last year’s death toll, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has begun a “Wish You Were Here” campaign that intends to both give respect and remembrance to those that have lost their lives on motorcycles while also attempting to hit home that riding safe is extremely important.
Seeing people riding around without any gear, especially helmets, is concerning to Caldwell-Ensing. As an instructor, he wants to see everyone protected and wishes that there were more inexpensive or free avenues for riders to get protective gear. Caldwell-Ensing also pointed out that without any state law requiring helmets (only eyewear), that goal for more riders in gear is unlikely to come to complete fruition.

Moving from Florida to Pennsylvania and then moving right outside of Berthoud to help his mother recover from a hip replacement, Caldwell-Ensing continues to perfect his riding skills so he can help others in the surrounding area to perfect theirs. Potential for motorcycle instruction in Berthoud is a possibility in Caldwell-Ensing’s opinion, as he says it only takes a decently sized parking lot and some paint or chalk lines. Regardless, Caldwell-Ensing wants people to get their training.

“I’m really trying to get my own channel and brand going so to speak, so that way I could just like, show up with (my motorcycle), meet somebody somewhere, and just provide training and like give them less excuses not to get training, you know,” Caldwell-Ensing said. “I’ll come to you. I’ll drive two hours to you and teach you and supply everything. Just get the training, you know, one way or another.”