$20k for school, thats just the start. look over yonder, thats the snap-on guy that you're going to be in debt to until your in the ground.

 

20 grand spent at MMI and you come out with a skill and a trade.20 bucks an hour to start ? Everyone starts somewhere. You could spend 50 grand a year or more and go to college for four or five years and come out with a liberal arts degree that you can wipe your tail with. Tools last lifetimes you can pass them down. Still using my Mac & Snap on tools which I bought in the late seventies working as a mechanic in a family business.Don't think you can get a job in a Harley dealership as a mechanic without a MMI certification or equivalent.. Every technician in the local Harley dealership has tech school certification. Same techs have been employed at the dealership I deal with for years. They are making a good living and more than 20 bucks with an hour rest assured.

 

I started out working on a farm....learned quite a bit doing this. Then started at a gas station, pump gas and a gopher for the mechanic. The moved up and started buying tools, a little at a time, and working on cars. Took classes when I could at community college and got an ASME certification. Went to an Oldsmobile dealer and kept moving forward. Always took classes when offered at GM Tech Center in Warren, MI. Bought tools a little at a time, built up a good set of tools, which I still have.
OK...this all started in the mid 60's. Cars were simple then. Much easier. But, I wanted to be a mechanic, I worked my way up, and made a decent living. Today is a different story. I went to work in the auto shop at our local community college after I retired. High school kids taking these classes. They wanted to be a mechanic. They were learning the basics about automobile repair. They had the desire and wanted to move forward. This was a way to start. And a good one at that.
I would say anyone who wants to be a mechanic today should understand there is much to learn, and much to spend. Yes, they start low, but doesn't everyone?? Most of today's mechanics are indeed parts changers. Why do you take your car/bike/truck in to a service department? To fix an issue. If you want some custom work done, you usually do it yourself or find a custom shop to work with.
I say if you are truly wanting to be a motorcycle mechanic, get some education. Which is a good base. And expect to be the new guy for a good period, until you can prove yourself to management and show your competence. Being out of the workforce for the past number of years, I guess I don't know how one can "live" on $20/hr. Education in the trades is by far, the best education one can start with. Just my

 

No joke, you are seriously judged by the brand boxes & tools you walk in with today. It's a very spendy trade to get into.

 

Yep.

Being a tech is a commitment, no matter what field. It may start at $20(ish) but I have guys making $50+ per hour in the diesel and heavy equipment shops.

Once you get past the tool part, which is usually ego-driven (ask me how I know) it is a great career.

 

Just visited a younger brother who's a long time diesal guy, his Snap-on payment is more than his house note. Fool has two of huge wall size cabinet assemblies.

 

On second thought, I've decided to start 'jacking Snap-on trucks for my next career. (j/k)

I've got a couple months before the spring semester courses start so I'm looking for a tech program that will fit my schedule!

 

Might want to look up Soft 02 ( Lou ) and have a conversation, he teaches mechanics at a college in socal somewhere.

 

If you know what you want to do with your career, then do it. Life is an adventure, and you never know the end result or destination.

 

I've been turning wrenches professionally for over 30 years now, here's a few thoughts in no particular order.

The industry is full of parts changers that don't have the first clue as to how systems work so if you strive to truly understand the basics, and I mean really understand them at a high level and then use that understanding to hone your troubleshooting skills you will stand out from the crowd and quickly earn a reputation as a great mechanic. That reputation can land you better jobs and more pay. Some of those basics include: electronics (extremely important), pneumatics, hydraulics, thermal dynamics, physics, etc. The real beauty is those basics are transferable to other areas, for example a 12 volt charging/cranking system works essentially exactly the same on a car, a truck, a tractor, a motorcycle, an airplane etc. The same thing with a gasoline engine in any of those, they all work on the same principal of spark, fuel, and compression. A good mechanic can pretty easily transition from a career in one field of vehicles to a completely different field. You might start as a motorcycle mechanic but you never know where your career could head in 10-20-30 years, I don't work in the same field I did as when I started but I still use the same basic skills.

STAY OFF OF THE TOOL TRUCKS!! If you didn't quite understand that let me repeat, STAY OFF THE TOOL TRUCKS! Seriously there are just as high quality of tools available lots of places, an argument could even be made in some cases that there are better quality tools available elsewhere. Do not fall for the bullshit spewed by the tool man on that truck, he'll say things like "It's an investment in your career" or "a professional mechanic needs professional tools". Another big one is "But I stop by every week to take care of any warranty issues", yeah well I can take a photo of my broken Tekton socket and e-mail it to them and I generally have a brand new replacement in 3-4 days, less time than waiting until the tool truck returns next week. Trust me these guys are good at what they do and if you're not careful you'll end up in debt up to your eyeballs. If there's something on the truck that you really do need, DO NOT CHARGE IT, just pay for it outright and be done with it. If it costs more than you can afford to pay all at once that should be a time for you to reflect on whether you really need it right now from the truck or if maybe it can wait or even better find a different source. Trust me on this one, I couldn't tell you the number of guys I've seen get into trouble from tool trucks, including yours truly many years ago. Besides in todays world of the internet and online ordering it's so much easier to get quality tools at good prices than it used to be when I started.