Becoming a bike mechanic?

[Ride Fast Live Long]

Im looking into doing a 3 year course to get into a Bike mechanic apprenticeship. Whats the work like for it and is there any point in going for that career or simply better to stick with being a car mechanic. Any advice would be good i.e business, money, opertunites etc etc.

[Mully]

See if you can get some work experience in a shop.

According to KB - all bike shops are run by rip-off merchant wankers.... So, good luck.

[Muppet]

See if you can get some work experience in a shop.

According to KB - all bike shops are run by rip-off merchant wankers.... So, good luck.

Good advice, but as I have learnt from being on this planet for 40 odd years, there are wankers in every job/club/sport/neighbourhood and I've had 'em all. Makes a stronger person IMHO.

[onearmedbandit]

See if you can get some work experience in a shop.

According to KB - all bike shops are run by rip-off merchant wankers.... So, good luck.

Now now Mully, its not the dealers, it's the importers.

Anyway, if it's a passion go for it. If it's to make money, well plenty of bike mechanics here whinge and moan about how little they make.

[Brian d marge]

Im looking into doing a 3 year course to get into a Bike mechanic apprenticeship. Whats the work like for it and is there any point in going for that career or simply better to stick with being a car mechanic. Any advice would be good i.e business, money, opertunites etc etc.

No

as a bike mechanic , with wee bits of paper from the factory , changing tyres get old real quick

if you do want to stick at it , widen your chances , do an NZCE ?? in mech Engineering , then IMHO look at where you want to go what aspect of being a mechanic , and focus ( Electronics ,play a major role these days )

On saying that , nutting out a tough , problem with a bike is really satisfying , but the money is oil and tyres ...IMHO

Stephen

[gammaguy]

ive been a professional motorcycle mechanic for years,worked on old shitters,new Beemers,everything in between.

I find the work satisfying,the customers usually OK and the bosses(when I had them)not too bad,bearing in mind they are often jealous of you because you know stuff they dont.

Truth is working for yourself is the best thing to aim for,because there will be times when you and the boss will have a difference of opinion on key issues.Mechanics tend to be opinionated bastards.

You wont make a million dollars,but you should at least be able to keep your own bike in tip top shape,and of course you are going to be in the right place at the right time to get good deals on bikes for sale.

Truth is there are a lot worse ways to make a living,but if you dont absolutely LOVE bikes and want to eat sleep and breathe them(including when you are not at work)then get a job in another industry.

If this still sounds like you,the industry is always looking for keen mechanics,and like me it can take you all over the world if you are good enough and really want to do it

good luck!

[RentaTriumph]

Now now Mully, its not the dealers, it's the importers.

Anyway, if it's a passion go for it. If it's to make money, well plenty of bike mechanics here whinge and moan about how little they make.

With bike shops charging $80 an hour for mechanical repairs and half the time the "boy" is probably doing the repairs then you would expect as a trade certified mechanic to be getting at least $30 an hour on wages. That is after accounting for the boss of the shop having to allow for ACC levies etc over and above your $30 an hour.

[imdying]

Im looking into doing a 3 year course to get into a Bike mechanic apprenticeship. Whats the work like for it and is there any point in going for that career or simply better to stick with being a car mechanic. Any advice would be good i.e business, money, opertunites etc etc.

Get an electrical engineering degree. When you get bored of fixing bike injection systems for peanuts, you'll still have a skillset that allows you to do something else for good money.

[clint640]

My pick for a good career on the spanners would be Diesel Mechanicing. Less idiots to deal with & better money. Work on your bikes for fun

Cheers
Clint

[st00ji]

im a car mechanic. got into cos i liked cars, but working on them all day mostly killed that bug. hence the bikes

wishing i had gotten into heavy diesel stuff now, might still make that switch at some point.

$30 an hour would be sweet, the big franchises charge $120 / hr or more, and im pretty sure even their top guys are making less than that

[rebel]

If you want to be on tools, another vote for heavy diesels. A lot more to learn, a lot of jobs involve doing it the 'old' way ( rebuild/rekitting components instead of replacing). The same can't be said for light automotive, when I was a 3rd year heavy diesel apprentice I was on more coin than an old school mate who qualified at a local prestige car franchise. Add to that you'll most likely get your tracks and rollers, forklift tickets as well as HT licenses, it is what you make of it, once you get these tickets the opportunities are endless, leave the bikes and cars to weekend hobbies IMO.

[cbfb]

http://www.careers.govt.nz/default.a...103&id1=J48344

http://www.competenz.org.nz/apprentices/overview/

[Brian d marge]

Agreed then ..

My preference is towards a mechanical degree /NZCE

if you are good at Electrics , go Electrical . NZCE /degree

if you are more inclined towards getting your hands dirty , Diesel

Finally and bike are cool , we all like bikes ,,,but ,,,

then try as a bike mechanic

I must say , after doing my ,Mech Eng I know WHY and HOW a part break , because I studied it ( and I am very glad I did , wish I had done it earlier )

a lot of Mechanics and Machinists don't know, ( because they didn't have to study it )

They are probably very good at their Job , but its a different skill set ..

Stephen

and another thing , the doorbell has just rung and the post man has given me a large box , this mean that the part for my race bike is in my hot little hands ,,, its so exciting its like Christmas!!!! ( hope its fits !)

[rebel]

I must say , after doing my ,Mech Eng I know WHY and HOW a part break , because I studied it ( and I am very glad I did , wish I had done it earlier )

a lot of Mechanics and Machinists don't know, ( because they didn't have to study it )

Quite incorrect, after doing time on the floor (real world experience), you get to know why some things fuck out after seeing the end result (not from sitting in a class room).

[scott411]

as someone that employs them, most of the advice you will got already is pretty good,

there is more money in other stuff as listed above, the $30 an hour is a top rate at the moment around the big cities, but $22-$28 is pretty normal around,

good work enviroments normally and if you love bikes it does get you through,

however it does tend to kill the love at times working around them all the time,