Here, let me help you out https://www.ironplanet.com/jsp/s/search.ips put motorcycle in the search bar... Not much there and as expected a big * on each auction. Item was utilized for educational purposes in a technical school environment and has not been operated in several months.
I assume every bike will come with a tap and die kit, and a complete set of new fasteners, and a new motor that has not been cracked open by the MMI students.
They sold off all the lifts and shop equipment a couple months ago so the are revamping the entire place, or they are done. I suspect the latter is true.
I know back in the 90's they were cranking out techs at a rapid rate, over-saturating the market. And that was during the motorcycle heyday, when the industry was booming. I've been out of that loop for quite some time, but I'm sure there is far less need for techs in the current climate.
When I lived near Orlando every MMI grad I talked to was a fking idiot. I'm sure there were some good ones out of there but I never met one I'd let near an internal combustion engine.
I almost went to school there back around late 90's early 2000's, regretted it a little until now when I read what you guys just said about it lol
It’s been closed since 2018. They’ve been auctioning off stuff since August. Most everything is gone now. The building is going to be sold once all of the school equipment is gone. The bikes are mostly trash from what I could tell when I walked around the place.
Friend with a German car shop hired a kid from the local tech school. First task was to replace some tires. Took off the first wheel, hour later had the tire changed. Then somehow put the wheel back on crooked where one stud wasn't through the hole, used a impact to try forcing it on, realized his cock up, and walked out. Amazing how these schools pass these kids.
There is more demand for techs now then there ever has been. The product is getting more complex with alot of electrical issues. Sadly, the schools don't spend enough time on the subject. They also set unreasonable expectations on expected pay when they graduate. Very few of the people that we have employed after graduating work out. There are exceptions but not many.
No one does proper diagnostics anymore. At the Toyota dealer: 'Code said O2 sensor, so we replaced it'. Did you test it? 'No, but if thats not it, you'll have to come back and we'll just charge you more' But diagnosing my GF's Buell in the parking lot of a Hampton Inn in Bakersfield, Ca... A random trucker asked what I'm doing and drilled down to the heart of the issue in less than 5 minutes. He asked the right questions and understood the answers, coming to the same conclusion. I told him on the spot that I'd pay him whatever he wanted to work for me, but I'm still waiting for the phone to ring
You nailed it. I have changed my strategy and now bring new hires in at entry level build and set up positions, as they prove themselves that expands to a broader range of work with Factory training once we commit to a tech position.
Both auto and MC industry are getting what they deserve. You can't expect to attract top talent with stupid amount of technical school debt (MMI got outrageous later on) and having to buy thousands of dollars of tools on your own dime for a $40K per year startin (if you're lucky) job. Flat rate sucks, shops treat techs like shit and most service departments are the red headed step child of the dealerships operations.