Rick Loge has been living on the edge for a long time. He’s one of those guys who seeks out thrills — perhaps not intentionally, but it just works out that way. 

In some ways, he’s like the 80-year-old motorcycle rider he trained as part of our Office of Traffic Safety’s Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center in the 1980s. Loge is not an Evil Knievel type, but he’s close. He’s dedicated to completing a goal, even if it carries some risk. That’s one way he’s like the 80-year-old in his class: She had a lifelong goal of getting her license, even though the last motorcycle she had ridden was a 1938 Indian hand shifter.

Loge earned his living as a high school physical education teacher, but that did not stop him from taking risks. He was in his mid-20s, fresh out of college when he started as a motorcycle rider coach. And he was already a high diver doing shows across North America, including Shakopee’s Valleyfair.

When Loge was 13, his cousin rammed the minibike they were on into a hay wagon. He kept riding bikes himself anyway, which says a lot about his disposition.

What’s more telling about his personality is that he practices defensive driving techniques and the “what if” approach in most everything he does. Loge explains this way of thinking as expecting problems and doing things to prevent them, like covering the clutch and braking in high-risk situations. 

“I want people to know how to be a good rider, to have good habits.” Beginner students tend to be better students, he said. They do not have unsafe habits they have learned over 20 to 30 years. 

“It’s important riders are always in control of the motorcycle,” he said. Loge made it clear it’s critical to be in control while cornering (driving around curves). A rider needs to know how and when to apply pressure on the handlebars versus letting the motorcycle go where it wants to go. 

One of Loge’s remaining goals is to provide motorcycle rider training for his three grandkids, ranging in ages from 11 to 15. 

He said, “I’d tell them to keep their head and eyes up — keep looking at where they want to go. That might sound simple but is very important as a rider.”

Loge said he’s seen a lot over the past 40 years as a rider coach. One of the most bizarre was when a student accidentally popped a wheelie (the front tire rising in the air) when she released the handlebar clutch too quickly. Her foot flew up by the handlebars, getting wedged against the throttle, and the bike started moving forward fast.

Loge said he chased the student and the motorcycle on the course. “I still have the vision of our eyes locking while her head rested on the rear fender.” She was finally able to pull her foot down before the bike slowed and then tipped over. “It wasn’t something I’d want a student to experience, but it was a huge lesson for everyone in the class on what not to do.”

The things Loge has seen and experienced make him an incredible rider coach. And they make him well worth listening to — especially when he says defensive driving is essential. “It’s important to play the ‘what if’ game in your head.”

The smartest thing riders can do is to take a rider course every few years to hone their skills, even after riding for decades. 

No matter your skill level, if you’re a rider, ask yourself if you’re worth a refresher training course that will help keep you safe. We’re willing to bet the people you love would say yes. 

Find and sign up for rider training courses near you.