Motorcycle Mechanic Institute ???

My humble opinion:

I think you should consider attending a 2-year technical college and get an associate degree in Automotive Technology. Technical colleges teach valuable job skills that you can use RIGHT AWAY to start earning a decent wage to support yourself, with the potential to earn much more. I also have an associate degree from a "traditional college", and learning history, biology, critical thinking, etc. are all well and good, and I made diverse friends and had good memories and all that, but employers don't care about your knowledge of famous explorers or photosynthesis, if you get my drift. They want to know "what can you DO?" With a technical college education, you'll be able to "do" a lot.

I came close to going to MMI also, but then I realized that motorcycles are a luxury and not a necessity like cars. No matter what the economy is doing, people still need their wheels. This is a vast country, mass transit is not an option for most people, and cars get more complex to diagnose every year, so rest assured that automotive technicians will have job security and high wages for a long time to come. 88% of America's workforce drives a vehicle to work, and they're all going to need service sooner or later.

I started out at a tire store with no experience at all in April of '03, doing tires and oil changes and working my way up. One of the mechanics there saw I had potential and helped me get a job at a large dealership in July. I started out there doing oil changes and tire rotations. After only about a month and a half, I became a helper for two master technicians after they saw how I worked. I highly recommend being someone's helper, because you learn so much more than how to work on stuff. You learn how to act like a true professional, how to handle unreasonable customers, how to handle difficult jobs that don't pay what they should, tips on buying tools, tips on life, etc. They aren't just my supervisors, they are my friends, and they ride too!

I work at the dealership full-time and go to tech college at night full-time. This quarter I'm taking Starting and Charging, Intro to Welding, and Engine Operation. My family says they hardly ever see me because I'm either at work or school, and when I'm home, I have my nose in a textbook or am online completing web-based manufacturer certification courses. I love it though, and at 22 years old, I finally feel like I've found my career.

What about the money, you ask? I know that a few of the guys at the dealership I work at make close to $100,000 a year, and one or two make a good bit more than that. The average is probably $50,000, I would guess. I don't make anywhere close to those figures yet, of course, but with time and training, I know I can get there.

Another benefit of learning a trade: side jobs! For example, your buddy needs a brake job on his car, and he can't afford to take it to the dealership. You can take your tools home with you Friday afternoon after work, do the side job Saturday morning, and pick up a little ca$h to fund your dirt biking hobby- that's what I do. As your skills develop and word gets out that you know what you're doing, you will be in high demand- from employers as well as friends and family.

Think about it and keep a positive attitude.

I wa looking into MMI as well but i was wondering what tution costs were there. Also, has anyone taken the Harley courses there? I was interested in those as i love bikes and i know that the money is definatly in Harleys.

I also want to go to a mechanical engineering school/motorcycle school so that i can fix and work on how to get the most power etc out of the machines that i love being around and riding. And if I end up getting in with honda etc i could actually make a differnce possibly designing something that can improve there product. as for now i am only 14 and i fix my bike trying to make it better in any ways that i can.

Jeremy you gonna be my mechanic??? Sounds good to me!

undefinedAbout the whole MMI thing. I had a rep come to the high school the other day and was saying how it is an Official mechanic school, and that no other school could say that. The guy had everyone in the class :worship: . . .it was wrong. To me official is just a word, I am 16 and I have learned all I know from mistakes, I had an RM 250 bored 80 thousandths, I fixed it and then my step dad sold it. I know that has nothing to do with MMI, but. . .I think just working on things, or learning from other people is just as good as a education in mechanics(for motorcycles & ATV's). Don't get me wrong, you learn a lot there and the right way to do it the first time, but its just like some one wrote a page or two back. . .you don't want to burn yourself out on mechanicing all the time. I absolutley love working on my friends bikes and quads. . .but I would never want to do it full time. Deisel Mechanics make better money, and it is a job you can love to hate, I have helped work on semi's since I was 14, nothing serious. . .but I can see where the money comes into play! Just. . .before you go and make up your mind think about what you love . . . haha

Think with your heart-NOT your head. . .remember that!

The best way to ruin a hobby you love is to do it for a living.

That being said, school teaches you to be an employee (with rare exceptions). Being an employee is the bottom of the food chain in the free enterprise system. To separate yourself from the masses you must at least be in your own business. Most people are not taught how to be in business for themselves (or even consider it as a possibility) because school doesn't teach people how to be in business. When people get dissatisfied with their lives they run back to school to shoot for something else on the bottom of the food chain.

What you need to do is to start reading... start with the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. Next, don't seek advice from someone who is not in life where you want to be(ie. teacher, professor, etc.), but someone who is successful and is willing to help you. That's what you call a mentor. All great men got that way through mentorship, not sitting in class rooms collecting credentials. (to be continued if you're really interested.)

If you think you know what you want to do with your life at 16 and that is working a job for 40 to 50 years, you'll have a very different perspective 10 years from now (or at least you should). Try shooting for financial independence instead...then you can design the life you really want instead of what you're allowed to have dictated by a pay check from a boss.

I tell ya I wanted to do the same thing until I looked around and I never saw a rich mechanic car or motorcycle plus I saw my friends get burned out working on everyone elses junk all day then when their stuff broke they didn't feel like working on it. This seems to be the norm but there are some who really love it but that is just it you have to REALLY love it not do it for the money because there is none unless you can get a parts/service manager job and then it ain't that much more there. So I work on my bikes and mine only I ended up going to college for Industrial Distribution and now I work outside sales for Applied Industrial Technologies which has its own set of headaches dealing with customers making up contracts but I control my hours and I control how much I make (salary plus commision) I get to wine and dine and I get the weekends off. I am not rying to discourage but do not get sucked in by what the commercials say.

woops! that did not work sorry.

"ALWAYS pay the Snap-On man.I've got such good credit with my Snap-On man I can buy anything I want on credit."

This is a bit off topic but a friend of mine recently came to me to help him. Because of the way Snap-On and Matco are structured plus my friends mistakes, I couldn't.

One thing to watch out for with credit to Snap-On or any other tool company ( Matco etc. ). They tend to Sometimes try and run the truck-man out of business and put in a replacement. Also, when you get turn over with some of those Snap-On folks they will occasionally defraud your credit. The way they do it is to say you recieved such and such when in fact you did not. That usually happens just before they leave whatever tool company they work for. And again, it is the exception, rather than the rule.

I have a personal friend who kept very bad records on what he received and what he did not. He basically had a line of credit and left it to his dealer to be honest. The driver/dealer defrauded him, said he spent all his credit and quit the company. Guess what? The driver/dealer is an independent contract. My friend is stuck now with over 6k in bills for stuff he never got. His recourse is against the driver and not against the company. Once he got to checking he found this particular driver did this to a lot of people.

Unfortunately with poor record keeping by my friend it makes his case difficult to defend. Add to that the independent contractor aspect and it is a real nightmare.

"Trust and Confirm" was President Reagan's motto when dealing with the Soviet Union. I recommend the same with your tool sellers. Keep great records, keep up with your credit account every (EVERY) month and let that driver/dealer know you are absolutely aware of what you have and what you don't. Friends sure, but good business practices sure also.

"The driver/dealer is an independent contract." I meant to type, "independent contractor".

They also get you buying more than you can afford buy offering those "easy" payment plans

Talk to all the head motorcycle mechanics in your home town to get a good idea of what money you will make (and what their lack of benefits are). This is the most realistic number that you will get on how much money you will make.

I guarantee you will be disappointed. As will a dozen other people just like you in your home town with the same idea...

Next, ask the shop owner what he thinks of MMI graduates. You may be surprised at his answer. After all, these are the people who you are going to sell your skills to if you complete the training.

Bottom line is, the vast majority of riders in the US do not want to pay what a top mechanic is truly worth. Best to keep it as a hobby and get a real job that can help you afford that "pile of blown up motors"...