Its alot of money for a piece of paper. We have had very little luck with their graduates. Like someone else stated, PDI is where they will start. I wouldn't reconmend it from what I've seen at the dealership I work.
Totally agree. i graduated from MMI in Phoenix in 2000 and still have a lot of student loan to pay that never seems to diminish. I learned a LOT. I went in with knowledge, but paid attention and gained a lot more knowledge from having went. However, you will not come out making bank. I was lucky enough to be a partner in a shop beforehand and came back to the place surrounded by actual enthusiasts at a shop that actually gave a shit about its customers. If you are working with smart guys who are willing to go the extra step even if it's not on the repair order, you can quickly add to the knowledge you gained at MMI. It provides a great knowledge base for you to build on in the right setting after graduation. I made a lot more money tending bar, but the contacts I gained at MMI got me to where I am. For me, it was worth it. Just stay away from the bullshit. Drugs are everywhere there. So is theft at all the nearby apartment complexes so watch your bikes. Dumb rich kids and trouble makers litter the early stages till they flake out too.
If you're dumb, and you just want to get a degree and don't care what it is or what you make afterward (doesn't sound like you since you're actually researching), then it's probably a good choice. If this is you though, I hope you don't. Stay away from my bike. If you're smart and ambitious and a hard worker with attention to detail, then I hope you do this and become a motorcycle mechanic at my shop. I'm sick and tired of the idiotards that work on my bikes and screw everything up. Every time I take it in to get something fixed it comes back with two different problems. :down: My bikes only go in for warranty work, so I don't care how much you cost. Really though, a very, very slim percentage of the people that go to those schools make a good salary. There are the exceptions, but there are also a couple people making six figures for McDonalds. Maybe you should just skip school and go make french fries. All this is out the door though if you really just want to work on motorcycles for the rest of your life. I'd rather be broke and happy than rich and miserable.
i already work at mcdonalds haha ironic... but iv been raised arund bikes my dad changed my diapers between races its really all i know and what makes me happy i was ahead of my class in my small engine repair classes i was riding a A avg. as oposed to all the stoners who had a D- cuz they talked the teacher into it because they dressed out evreyone had very good inputs and i will deff think long and hard about it i have very good inputs from both sides thanks alot guys!
Your post is the first one that I've seen in a long time that confirms my suspicions about how mechanics are paid now compared to when I was still involved with Kawasaki. That is one of the reasons that I decided not to transfer to Lincoln in 1978. The industry didn't seem to be willing to match good mechanics with good pay in order to keep them. We would train mechanics at Kawasaki (dealer schools) only to have them quit and go to other shops for another ten cents per hour, and eventually get out of motorcycle mechanics completely. It seemed that, at least back then, most dealers didn't understand the connection between bike sales and having good service sell that customer additional bikes in the future. I had hoped that it was different now.
Would you experienced guys say that a tech has a better chance to make a decent living south of the Mason-Dixon due to the climate allowing more volume of riders? Do southern dealers do better overall? Ed
I have a question, somewhat on topic. How does someone who has a genuine interest in motorcycle fabrication/mechanics/customization/whatever jump into the field without a degree and show the experienced and respected guys that they are interested and not just a stoner? Obviously going to a school like Wyotech or MMI and showing them a certificate is the best way, but what if I don't have access to a course? The reason I'm asking is because I am 28 with a college degree and full time job in Architectural Engineering, but my passion lies in motorcycles, all aspects. My dream job, obviously, is to build/customize bikes, not that nasty "Superbikes" type crap with chrome everything and 20" swingarms, roadrace bikes that are specialized from the internals of the engine all the way to the paint on the plastics (or carbon fiber). Problem is that I am not in a position, financially or regionally to attend a trade school and doubt just walking into the local dealership will get me much farther than laughed back into the parking lot. Anyone have any advice? I realize I have waited much too late in life to start looking at a career change, but I've dealt with hating my job for almost 5 years and I want to start fresh.
While you STILL have a job, sign up for welding classes at your local junior (community) college. Sign up for small engine repair classes too. Take everything you can there where it is cheap and close to home. Get to know your instructors. Most teach as a second job. Some scout talent for local companies. Slowly acquire tools, buy a fixer-upper bike, fix and flip it. Work on your metal fabricating skills. Get to know others in your area that offer machine shop services, dyno services etc. Ask if you can hang around and watch and lend a hand when needed. Make yourself useful. If you live up north you might have to be flexible and work on snowmobiles & quads in the winter and bikes & PWCs in the summer.
