Being a motorcycle mechanic

[80GS1000]

For all the professional, semi-pro and shadetree bike mechanics out there-

If you were to do it all over again, would you still be a motorcycle mechanic? What do you like about your job, and what don't you like? Was it hard to get your first job? Does formal training and certification like MMI make a difference in getting a job? Is it hard to make a living? What's the typical career path like? I really enjoy working on my bike and am considering going back to school to become a fulltime wrench.

Thanks for any information.

 

[NATEO]

im interested in any replies to this, as I am considering going to MMI or a similar school next fall....

 

[DieMonkeys]

+1

I'll be going to Wyotech (to become a Suzuki motorcycle technician) after I get a degree in business.

 

[chiphead]

I was highly involved in the service end of the business from @ 1971 until @1990. I don't regret a single second. I started out sweeping floors in a shop for free and ended up declining a job from Yamaha as a regional service rep. Enjoyed some really amazing years when we couldn't build enough bikes to meet the demand. Met a whole lot of good people and have some incredible memories. Also road my ass off and at times, froze my ass off. In my mind, you have to really love doing it to be successful. Otherwise you'll just be ****ed off most of the time. As you know, working on anything mechanical can be extremely frustrating. You need to have persistence to get through all the crap so you can enjoy the final result. You also need to realize the fact that you are taking other peoples lives in your hands. So pay attention and check and recheck, ride it, then recheck again. Be anal.
I hired a couple of people who went to one of the bike schools back in the late 70s early 80s. They sucked. It's the old catch 22. You need hands on experience to get a wrench position but you couldn't get a wrench gig without hands on experience. I'm sure the schools have improved and I'm think diemonkeys plan of getting a business degree first is a good idea. The market is way softer than it used to be. It's not an easy business. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may have to learn to wrench other things to stay alive (sleds, power equipment etc). Although I've been out of the loop for a while, I don't think you'll ever get rich doing it. The owners back in those days always seemed to drive the expensive cars and live in the fancy houses.
Good luck!

 

[Baatfam]

Back in '74-75 I worked in a Lotus dealership....started running parts/sweeping floors. Ended up as one of their best mechanics before the place went out of business.
I liked fixing things, I liked the cars, I liked the money...
I didn't like being dirty all the time, I didn't like all the customers and I never felt like working on my own stuff after a day at work...

After four years in the service I went to school and became an electronics technician....I still got to fix things, I still made good money, but I didn't get dirty and I didn't mind working on my own car/bike at the end of the day.

Times are different now....the mechanics that make money are schooled, factory trained and certified.
But they can make good money.

It's as good a living as anything, (OK, maybe not as good as being a pro golfer), just don't forget to look at the down sides...

Good luck,
Bob

 

[twistedwankel]

Not impressed with the Industry in FL

Not impressed with the Industry in FL

I moved to FL a year ago. My 81 bike has few occassional needs like brakes and engine tweeks. Recently it's first Stator failed and I had to learn how to trouble shoot and fix it myself.

Much to my disappointment EVERY single dealer in 50 miles of Tampa won't even touch a bike over 10 years old. All of the independents avoid them too. Maybe there is something to owning an old Harley?? At least a zillion people are glad to take your money there. Frequently too.

I'm getting too old for some of this wrenching stuff. Sad that the industry here in FL is only into maintaining newer stuff.

I suppose from their point the factory is god and profit is in the new stuff?

I would think there is a good market for a person who will take only the older stuff? There sure is alot of it around. No one would bitch if you took a month to fix it either.

Just a thought if you want to learn the "old" business too and live where there are alot of bikes.

 

[txironhead]

That's why I don't deal with dealerships (no pun intended.) When I lived in McAllen, there was a great mechanic that had no problems working on my VT700 (85) and even gave me a few used parts for it. I much prefer independent wrenches over dealerships (and their rates.)

As far as not becoming rich, maybe not, but the local HD techs at the dealership are getting $27 a wrench hour. That is, if the computer says a job will take 3 hours to do and they do it in 2, they get paid for 3. AND THEY CHARGE YOU FOR THREE, TOO! Yes, I've owned a harley (hence the handle), and NO, I'll never own another one unless it's given to me, then I'm selling it and buying an Intruder 1400. I'll keep the 750E and do something crazy with it.

If you're gonna go to school and get a cert, if you want it for the money or to gain experience work for a dealership for a few years, then maybe you'll have clientele and capitol for owning your own shop. That's how the local HD/Kawi dealership got started (brothers) and they're HUGE now.

My $0.02, you can keep the change.

 

[crag antler]

I moved to FL a year ago. My 81 bike has few occassional needs like brakes and engine tweeks. Recently it's first Stator failed and I had to learn how to trouble shoot and fix it myself.

Much to my disappointment EVERY single dealer in 50 miles of Tampa won't even touch a bike over 10 years old. All of the independents avoid them too. Maybe there is something to owning an old Harley?? At least a zillion people are glad to take your money there. Frequently too.

I'm getting too old for some of this wrenching stuff. Sad that the industry here in FL is only into maintaining newer stuff.

I suppose from their point the factory is god and profit is in the new stuff?

I would think there is a good market for a person who will take only the older stuff? There sure is alot of it around. No one would bitch if you took a month to fix it either.

Just a thought if you want to learn the "old" business too and live where there are alot of bikes.

I truly understand the FL view.
When I bought my KZ1000J in 1983, you could find dealers and shops eager to work on the bike.
When I sold her in 1984, few would.
With the age of our bikes, it is a true and painful fact that fewer and fewer people can/will work on our bikes.
I have ended up doing my own now.Slower and the return time isn't as quick but I know the quality of the work so......
If your were closer to the East Coast, I would send you the Franks Cycle in Melbourne. One of the old school wrenchers.

 

[jimcor]

Takes a lot of time to fix these old nails sometimes. So your shop has 4 hours running down wiring, repalcing stator and r/r and splicing burnt wiring. The bike owner was warned it could get expensive. He says go ahead and repair it, leaves a hundred dollar deposit. The bill comes out to $535. Bike owner gets to thinking, "I still need tires and the carbs cleaned, and I only paid $500 for the bike. Screw it, winters coming, gonna cut my losses, let the friggin' stealer keep it". Shop has to go thru the legal hassles of obtaining a mechanic's lien and who know what all, because the guy that brought it in has 'lost the title' and has deciced to be un co-operative. What's the shop left with? They can't recoup their time and parts from even taking possession of the bike. Cuz it's still an old nail that needs more work and parts that no one but an old bike nut wants.

Doesn't have to happen too often before you won't touch another old bike. Specially when there are so many new ones to fix.

 

[Dan Ruddock]

Being a Suzuki, Honda service tech at a new bike dealer here is what I recommend. Don't buy an old bike unless you have the skills to do 90% of the repairs yourself or if the bike is low mileage and mint. The problem we have with working on old bikes more than anything else is most are hacked up by people who don't know what they are doing and they end up being big losers for use. Like everybody else we go to work to make money and not to just keep old junk working. Dan

 

[Iceman71]

Just thought i'd throw my 2 cents worth in...I have been a mechanic for about 18 years now (class A, Heavy truck an Coach, Propane/Natural gas certified etc,etc...)..While I do agree with most of the posts I have read here, you have to look at all the aspects of your career move. I have had the good fortune to work in a variety of shops, for the local corner gas station (in my very early years) to one of the largest dealerships in southern Ontario, as well as starting out in the trade when points and carbs were the ticket, to being there for all the changes leading up to Sequential multi port fuel injection, distributorless ignition, on OBD II generation computers, multiplexing, etc. (suprisingly didn't seem to take that long...LOL)....sorry guys, I didn't get into bikes all that much.
Being an automotive technician (whether cars or bikes or trucks) is like getting married...
- it IS going to cost you a large fortune in the ways of countless tools and specialty items,
- it WILL be a never-ending learning experiance both in required education and finding solutions to constantly changing challenges,
- you WILL find it both extremely frustrating and rewarding at the same time,
- you most likely WON'T get rich doing it but can live comfortably,
- if you are good at what you do you WILL have all sorts of newly found friends with absolutely no money,
- and finally, depending on you, it WILL be hard on your body (ruined knees, back, shoulders, neck, etc.)

So please, to any who are considering a job in the trade, make sure it is ALL that you want before making the investment!

As for myself.....I had hoped to live to be a ripe old "mechanic" but unfortunately the body had other plans and, I guess, I just burned out-too many 12 hr days at the independant, to many customers that wanted it fixed right but expected it for next to nothing in cost, too many years of helping friends out who were down on their luck, and too many side jobs where I didn't see the vehicle until after 6 other hacks (I refuse to call them technicians) had screwed things up....I chose to get out while I still had my ethics,morals and scruples intact.
Sorry to be a downer (or realist as the case may be)...better luck to all

 

[jimcor]

- if you are good at what you do you WILL have all sorts of newly found friends with absolutely no money,

too many years of helping friends out who were down on their luck,

Sorry to be a downer (or realist as the case may be)...better luck to all

How come nobody understands when you do something for a living, your idea of doing it nights and weekends for free is not FUN?

"Hey man! Lookit these great new pads and shoes I just got for my pick-up. Can me and my girl come over and watch you put 'em on tonight? It's the only time I got off this week and I need the truck in the morning, and I'm broke cause me and sweetie are gonna spend the weekend on the lake. Can you start on it right away if I go get her and come back?"

 

[justin caise]

"Do what you love. The money will come" Indian Larry.

"I hate cars. I've been working on cars all my life, and now I hate 'em. That's why I'll never 'work' on bikes." My cousin Mike.

"Six of one and a half dozen of the other" Everyone and his brother.

 

[DieMonkeys]

I don't care about not making much money, I don't mind long hours, I want to do something I want to do.

Ever since I was a kid I always thought I'd get into computers. Only in the past couple of years of college did I realize it was my mother who wanted me to get into computers. I don't want to work with computers, I want to do something that involves my hands, and my head, not just typing something up.

I have always enjoyed putting things together and taking them apart. At my current job (hardware store) I'm the one who puts all the stuffs (grills, wagons, wheelbarrows, etc), together, and I love doing that. I thought about becoming a car mechanic for a while but my mother kept shooting that idea down.

Then I got deeply into motorcycles, and figured hey, why get a fixer-upper (and boy, did I get one) and work on it myself. Then I thought why not become a motorcycle mechanic? It'll allow me to work on something with my hands, take it apart, fix it, put it back together. Also, it's a growing trade, as motorcycles are becoming more popular, and I need to jump on this train before it's too late.

Then I figured why not get a business degree, go to Wyotech or some bike school and then come back to Charleston and open up a repair shop. I only know of two in the area (though I havn't really gone looking).

Then I got my bike, worked on the carbs and found peace of mind when I was done. When I got the new carbs and replaced the broken carb and then installed them, pushed the ignition and listened to the bike roar to life (momentarily) that sealed the deal.

I love working on my bike and would love to make a living doing this kind of thing.

It's that or stay at the hardware store forever, the manager did, he started when he was 15, never left, he just celebrated his 51st birthday...

 

[bwringer]

I completely understand why most mechanics won't touch older non-collectible bikes with problems. The advice above to stay away from buying and riding older bikes unless you plan to do all your own wrenching is the best I've heard all year.

If you honestly can't or won't wield a screwdriver, buy a new machine and pay for the extended warranty. Don't buy a cheap 25 year old bike and complain bitterly when it's not perfect.

Many of us would happily ride our elderly machines across the country, but only because we have already dealt intelligently and personally with a long list of known issues and potential problems. It's not always cheap or easy, and it doesn't make any financial sense, but we do it anyway. No one makes bikes like these anymore because they don't fit a defined lifestyle marketing segment.

Back to the topic, keep in mind that in most areas of the country, motorcycle and powersports mechanic work is very seasonal. One reason the quality of motorcycle work around here (Indiana) is so low is that the shops have to make do with high school kids, dopers, wastoids, and other unstable sorts who don't care that they will be laid off in October and that there's no health insurance. These people really don't think about or care if they leave out a cotter pin and get you killed.

The mechanics who know what they're doing are working down at the Ford or Honda dealer, making OK (not great) money, working in a heated garage with a steady stream of work, and getting benefits for their families. They might love motorcycles, but they have mortgages to pay and kids to send to college like everybody else.

It does take a large toll on your body -- it's hard to retire as a grunt mechanic, so hopefully you can move up into management, consulting, or working for a manufacturer before your blow up your shoulder torquing a hard-to-reach nut.

 

[Commodus]

For all the professional, semi-pro and shadetree bike mechanics out there-

If you were to do it all over again, would you still be a motorcycle mechanic? What do you like about your job, and what don't you like? Was it hard to get your first job? Does formal training and certification like MMI make a difference in getting a job? Is it hard to make a living? What's the typical career path like? I really enjoy working on my bike and am considering going back to school to become a fulltime wrench.

Thanks for any information.

Wow, I'm going through the exact same thing right now. I took a degree and was "looking forward" to a life spent in cubicles and middle management. In a flash of inspiration (during a caliper rebuild, actually) I realised that I don't really like people...I do like things though!

So I'm going back to school to be a machinist! I considered a motorcycle mechanic course, but to be honest they don't make very good money and have to put up with a lot of crap...I worked in a shop for about a year and got to see it first hand. Armed with that experience, I spent lots of time talking to machinists before I decided to jump into it. Although I do really, really like working on me bikes. I have two full restores to my credit already and have a third (a 1977 GT550, heavily modded) on the way.

So, I recommend doing everything you can to familiarize yourself with the 'real world' of a motorbike mechanic. The posts in this thread already must have given some insight. Also, make sure you do as much research as you can to see if there is a market for what you are training in.

Wow...your posts mirror some of my own posts made recently exactly.

 

[80GS1000]

Well, let me tell you about what I currently do.

I've been programming computers since I was 8. The first functional program I ever wrote that actually did something was a guessing game where you had to try to guess a randomly generated number between 1 and 100 until you got it right. I wrote that when I was 9.

Flash forward 21 years. I'm now a software and database developer for a publicly traded company. While I'm good at what I do, I just don't get the kicks out of it that I used to. Creating software just isn't as exciting or interesting as it used to be.

And I just recently (June of this year) bought a GS. I've discovered that working on bikes is every bit as technical and complicated as programming computers, but instead of some abstract data import routine working correctly when you're done, you actually get to ride your work! It's totally gratifying and exciting to work on something physically tangible.

Long term, I'd like to open a quick-service motorcycle shop where you could get your oil/filter/lube done and tires changed while you wait, kinda like Jiffy Lube, except for bikes. The local shops are all extremely backlogged in the summer - I had to set an appointment 3 weeks in advance to get a simple tuneup done on the GS when I first bought it. If I could have gone somewhere that could've changed the oil, filter, plugs, check my tire pressure and lubed/adjusted my chain in a half hour while I waited, I would've been all over that. But such a place doesn't exist....yet.

 

[Baatfam]

I don't care about not making much money, I don't mind long hours, I want to do something I want to do.

Then I got my bike, worked on the carbs and found peace of mind when I was done. When I got the new carbs and replaced the broken carb and then installed them, pushed the ignition and listened to the bike roar to life (momentarily) that sealed the deal.

I love working on my bike and would love to make a living doing this kind of thing.

Just don't let it spoil your love....
I loved working on my cars when young.
After I spent a couple of years working on other people's car for a living, it wasn't fun any more.
It turned it into work.
After that I only worked on my stuff when I was forced too....mostly when I couldn't afford to pay someone else to do it.
It only took about 20 years before I started turning wrenches for fun again....:lol:

Just a thought....

Bob

 

[na3po4]

I'd really like to learn more about how to work on bikes. The local technical school has a motorcycle mechanic program. They only have 2, very basic (oil change, plugs, filters) course offerings. I've taken both. I asked about even auditing the rest of the traditional program. They don't allow part timer's. You need to quit and take the program full time. Is there a decent distance learning program for motorcycle mechanics? My education has to date consisted of buying a 3rd bike, the factory manual, and trial and error. It has not been a very rewarding experience.

I have the money to pay for the education, I just can't afford the opportunity cost of quitting my full time job to learn full time.

Thanks