Anyone know if motorcycle mechanics make decent living?

[W30olds]

I've thought about going to school for this here at Dekalb tech. I've always like motorcycles and especially the Harley's. The program is a year long and has an internship program. I could work for somewhere like Honda, maybe Harley, Suzuki, ect....

Anyone here know someone who is a bike mechanic? If so do they make decent money? Any idea how much motorcycle mechanics make? I've been told they make as much as car mechanics, but not sure. I'd hate to go to the school and find out that the pay sucks worse than what I make now. Which isn't a ton.

Any input would be great. Thanks guys..........

Andy:rolleyes:

[HKroniK]

I was gonna go to MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute)...I think that's what it's called. You have to train specific to the brand. You want to work on honda, you train specifically for honda's. Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Harley, KTM, Husq....etc. There all like that. You can train for them all but its pretty expensive and it takes a long time. You'll make good money if your in the right area. I think you can also get certified on marine 2-cycle engines, like jet ski's. get certified in a few areas and get your own shop. Thats where the money is. Make sure it's a good location.

[HDR]

Locally, the typical motorcycle mechanic gets a lower hourly salary and a percentage of the shop's hourly labor rate.

That's the way its done here in NC...

With the popularity of HD's, the average HD mechanic is making good money today..

[DEMag]

Not good $$ in Motorcycle mechanics. Believe me, I used to be a mechanic at a Harley Davidson dealership, then worked for a private repair and custom shop building custom choppers. It is not a tough job if you have the knowledge. Thankfully, I am mechanically inclined and after 6 months of changing oil, tires, clutches, brakes, etc.. I was finally able to build bikes from scratch. The problem is the hours. You work anywhere from 8 to 12 hours a day, but for some reason, there is more work when you finish then when you started.:rolleyes: Harleys and American made choppers are not very reliable. They are always breaking down, or in need of new parts. On top of that, everyone always wants to customize their current ride more and more.

It is a stressful job. And usually, no matter what you do, its not good enough. There are no breaks either. In the winter, everyone has their bikes in getting winterized, or doing more custom work so that they are ready for Spring. In the Summer, the bikes are coming in for repairs because everyone is riding the hell out of them. The worst is the Police bikes. I was the guy at the shop who took care of the Police Department's maintenance. These cops beat on the bikes like nobody else! And they are always pushed to the top of the list when they come in for repair. They take months to pay their bills, which easily reach thousands$ monthly.

BUT...if you are good and smart enough, you can make money in bikes. Building custom choppers is the way to go. If you get a job at a dealership doing repairs, don't expect to make much money at all. But if you have a good imagination and can build mean bikes, then you'll be ok. Not many people can build that kind of bike though. I tried, but I could not. it takes too much dedication and too many hours of hard labor and stress. So I gave up all that and now I have a nice cozy desk job making more $ then I ever would have in bikes.:D

If there is something else you are good at, I would suggest doing that. Working on bikes is cool and its fun, but I personally did not find it to be rewarding enough. Especially when it came to money.

[coppertales]

at the local Kawasake shop about 6 years ago that started about 40,000. Getting too old and cranky to deal with it. Just like cars, too much computer stuff to go wrong.....chris3

[W30olds]

Well,

Maybe I'll finish up my Computer Networking diploma at college and go from there. Only lack a few more credits to be finished. I've considered going into the EMT/Fire program and working for the Fire Dept. I'm going to school for computers, but wanna try my luck at the fire dept. I'll always have the computer stuff to go back to when the economy get better. I'm just really tired of the Automotive crap. Need a change.

So you guys saying no money in being a bike technician?

Thanks guys,
Andy:D

[DEMag]

Well, I didnt say there is NO money in it. Its like anything else, if you are good enough, you'll make the big buck$. Look at Jesse James on the Discovery Channel. That dude makes MUCHO $$$$$$!! But thats because he knows what he's doing.

If I had to pick between computers and motorcycles, sadly I'd have to go with computers. Computers are the present and the future. Everything will rely on computers at some point. Why not get a head start?

[63DH8]

Originally posted by W30olds
Anyone know if motorcycle mechanics make decent living?


Start your own business. It pays better than if you work for someone else. However, you'll have more headaches. If you are good, you'll command your own prices.