Career advice from bike mechanics sought...

[Motu]

Being freehold in housing and business is a huge advantage - I reckon anyone in any business could make a good go of it even in the recession if they own their land and buildings.And any business is location,and you can only have location freehold if you bought it before anyone else thought it was a good location.For the rest of us,we have to operate out of a site that will bring customers to us - beating a path to your door is bullshit.

We need a different sort of mechanic these days,us old guys were brought up in a totally different environment.We need people who are saving with tricky high tech stuff,problem solving under pressure - and yet spend weeks and months between interesting jobs just doing boring routine work.These days they aren't going to be ripping engines and gearboxes apart,engine swaps,playing with carbs etc - they will just pump out services,do brake jobs and the odd parts change.The glamor days are long gone - the exciting jobs are the ones the business owner looses heavily on,they don't want jobs that take a skilled mechanic to solve,and big jobs lose money.

I see a lot of apprentices unmotivated in a boring job....and I don't blame them.

[Dooly]

Being freehold in housing and business is a huge advantage - I reckon anyone in any business could make a good go of it even in the recession if they own their land and buildings.And any business is location,and you can only have location freehold if you bought it before anyone else thought it was a good location.For the rest of us,we have to operate out of a site that will bring customers to us - beating a path to your door is bullshit.

We need a different sort of mechanic these days,us old guys were brought up in a totally different environment.We need people who are saving with tricky high tech stuff,problem solving under pressure - and yet spend weeks and months between interesting jobs just doing boring routine work.These days they aren't going to be ripping engines and gearboxes apart,engine swaps,playing with carbs etc - they will just pump out services,do brake jobs and the odd parts change.The glamor days are long gone - the exciting jobs are the ones the business owner looses heavily on,they don't want jobs that take a skilled mechanic to solve,and big jobs lose money.

I see a lot of apprentices unmotivated in a boring job....and I don't blame them.

Wise post Motu.

Our place is on one of the main rds in town, primo spot.
We also have got the services of a young auto sparky well versed in modern tech and Euros that pretty well covers us for anything now, old & new.
So you have to be versatile and move with the times.
And yeah, the big engine stuff etc etc just does'nt make the dough anymore.
Its the mundane servicing etc.

[firefighter]

Well that's you sorted then.And we wonder where all good mechanics are going to come from.All I want is the money....

Unfortunately it makes the world go round.

I couldn't leave a job I love for a job that won't at least put me into the financial position i'm in at the moment .......I think that would be foolish.........

I'm pretty sure i'd enjoy it, I like to get hands dirty, and have a thing for tools, however there needs to be reasonable chance for a financial gain for me to go ahead with it.

I will be giving up a lot, a job i'm genuinely happy in, so I need to make sure I take the right path

[Motu]

I will be giving up a lot, a job i'm genuinely happy in, so I need to make sure I take the right path

You need to do whatever motivates you - I left a good job and good pay,management and partnership opportunities,company vehicle....for a large ($5 hr) pay reduction to work in a menial position (WoF and servicing).And I'm happy.

I have never worked for money,it's something that doesn't motivate me.

[Cronan]

GRRrrrr I was thinking about getting into the Motorcycle Mechanic side of things but now I've been waaayyyy put off by this HMMmmm bugger knows what I'm guna do now