Brian P
i know absolutly nothing about tuition or whats high or not, 25,000 plus tools seems a little steep for 16 months in 3 electives for harley davidson. Ive got bills already and i dont know if i can support cost of living in orlando, plus a 25,000 at 6% is manageable! even if i do some how manage to make it through the corse, what are the odds of finding a tuition re-embersmant deal from HD? Im only making 28k a year now can i atleast expect to make better then 40? ( i do plan on working in the south, born and raised and riding is a way of life down here so work all year round) im racking my brain because ultimatly i do know id love to do it!!! and it would be an awsome skill to own even shade tree'n in my own back yard! debt or not it will still provide income! HELP
Answer
It is worth it.....if your heart is in it!!!
$25k is nothing for an education that can lead to a career. And the cost of tools......start out basic and build up as you go. I was at my last job for 2 years, a high-end custom dealership and I made $74k my second year on salary. I left there due to the economy's hard hit on the high-end bike sales, went from selling 200 units a year, to about 75. I have only been at my new job for 8 months, they initially wanted me to be a flate-rate tech, but I refused that, flat-rate is rushing to get the job done and out, rushing causes mistakes and costs you and the shop money.....I don't like mistakes, so I ended up signing an employment contract for $65k/yr for 2 years then a 10% raise bi-yearly after that.
I graduated HD's program at MMI in '91, spent 5 years at 2 different dealerships, left HD and went into building custom bikes, engines, and dyno tuning, R&D bike & engine builder for Titan and Stroker Cycles. Factory trained by Big Dog, American Ironhorse, Titan, Indian, S&S Factory for engines & transmissions, and have been to DynoJet's facility for certification on Dyno Operations and Tuning and, I just graduated MMI again in May...took HD Late Model for career updating....don't see too many Twin Cams at the custom bike shops. And the dealership I work for now, is sending me back next winter to get updated on the 2010 models.
The road to get where I am and farther is not easy and not cheap, but if bikes are your passion, it's worth it. I have seen people with skills better than mine fail at the business and I have seen people I wouldln't let fix my kid's tri-cycle make it big.......it's really all up to you.
Oh..and also...tuition re-imbursement from ANYONE is almost non-existant....in 20 years, i have never met anyone who found an employer to r-imburse them for their tuition. If you go to work for a dealer and they send you out for update training, they will pay for that.
EDIT: This is a reply to someone who answered a guy's question about getting a job at a shop by starting out changing oil and "apprenticing"......we are now in the 21st century!!!!......the age of FACTORY SPECIFIC COMPUTER SYSTEMS.....apprenticing just simply doesn't happen anymore....there is way too much technology and annual production changes for that without training............
"There is not a reputable shop in this country that will hire you with no experience to just change oil and learn from them. There are some bikes out there that if you don't know the procedure to bleed the oil system, you can fry the engine within a few minutes....YES THERE IS ACTUALLY AN ENGINE MADE MADE BY AN AMERICAN MANUFACTURER THAT REQUIRES YOU TO BLEED THE OIL SYSTEM, SIMILAR TO BLEEDING BRAKES!!! And, there is no way in hell you can learn on your own, the technical procedures for all the different makes and models of motorcycles...it REQUIRES EDUACATION AND TRAINING. I have been working on bikes since the late 80's, started with my Shovelhead and my friends all had Shovels, Pans and IronHead Sportsters, then I bought an '86 Softail with an Evo that had some extensive engine work done to it that needed some repair, although the bottom ends were almost the same, the top ends were a little different. It was at that point, I realized I could make a decent living do this, so I enrolled at MMI and graduated from HD's program in 1991, spent 5 years at 2 different dealerships, and then went into the custom field, I have built a couple BEST OF SHOW bikes, but super high-end bikes ($50k and above) are a royal pain the *ss to work on, ever been afraid to work on a bike with a $6,000 paint job or a $12,000 billet engine, due to fear of scratching it???...**** DOES happen, and eventually will!!! If anyone has ever dealt with a Big Dog or American Ironhorse bike, they know the electrics are not wired like old-school HD's...if you haven't been trained by them, you do not know what you are doing......Big Dog manuals are almost impossible to get by the public, if you aren't one of their dealers or svc centers...good luck...American Ironhorse doesn't (didn't) even make a service manual.
The new Harleys are all but impossible to work on now if you are not a delaer, their electrics and computer system can only be access by HD's Digital Technician....a DEALER ONLY computer that is linked directly to the factory...and guess what, there is no way to learn how to use it unless you go to school for it. I spent 12 years working on the manufactured "customs", I was an R&D builder for Titan and Stroker Cycles, I have been trained by Big Dog, American Ironhorse, Indian, S&S Cyle and have been to DynoJet's facility for Dyno Operation and Tuning certification. With the economy the way it is right now, the custom market has fallen off, so I decided to return to MMI last year to get certified on HD's late model bikes, I graduated in May....and guess what, I have to return AGAIN next winter, my dealership is sending me back for updating on production changes that took place with last years Dresser models and for the changes in the 2010 models.....education never ends. My specialty is Performance Engine Building and Dyno Tuning...I make over $65K a year, which isn't bad, but you asked what would be more beneficial....cars or bikes? The answer to that is definitely CARS.....a good car tech can make $100-150K a year.....unless you own the delaership or are the world's best flat-rate tech with absolutely no comebacks what-so-ever, you will never make that much working on bikes."
Best way to become a Harley-Davidson mechanic?
GL
I've loved Harleys ever since I was a little kid. I've never had the money to own one nor do I even know how to drive one. Heck, I don't know much about bikes except the differences between 2 and 4 stroke engines. I'm very mechnically inclined when it comes to cars but id much rather work on cars as a side job. That being said what can I do to be a Harley tech? I have a WyoTech here in the Bay Area and luckily have someone in my immideiate family I can move with in Arizona to attend MMI. What's the difference between both? Does the future for Harley look bright? I don't care much for making 100k a year I just wana be happy and be good at doing something that I would love to do. If the big bucks come then let it rain if not at least I'm happy doing what keeps me happy and busy
Answer
Below is my answer to a similar question.......MMI is THE ONLY school authorized and sponsored by all the major manufacturers!!!! WyoTech has motorcycle courses, but is not factory authorized. If you are looking to get into a shop as a technician, go to MMI, no dealership will hire you without formal training by the factories and don't recognize WyoTech as official training since they aren't factory autorized.
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
It is worth it.....if your heart is in it!!!
$25k is nothing for an education that can lead to a career. And the cost of tools......start out basic and build up as you go. I was at my last job for 2 years, a high-end custom dealership and I made $74k my second year on salary. I left there due to the economy's hard hit on the high-end bike sales, went from selling 200 units a year, to about 75. I have only been at my new job for 8 months, they initially wanted me to be a flate-rate tech, but I refused that, flat-rate is rushing to get the job done and out, rushing causes mistakes and costs you and the shop money.....I don't like mistakes, so I ended up signing an employment contract for $65k/yr for 2 years then a 10% raise bi-yearly after that.
I graduated HD's program at MMI in '91, spent 5 years at 2 different dealerships, left HD and went into building custom bikes, engines, and dyno tuning, R&D bike & engine builder for Titan and Stroker Cycles. Factory trained by Big Dog, American Ironhorse, Titan, Indian, S&S Factory for engines & transmissions, and have been to DynoJet's facility for certification on Dyno Operations and Tuning and, I just graduated MMI again in May...took HD Late Model for career updating....don't see too many Twin Cams at the custom bike shops. And the dealership I work for now, is sending me back next winter to get updated on the 2010 models.
The road to get where I am and farther is not easy and not cheap, but if bikes are your passion, it's worth it. I have seen people with skills better than mine fail at the business and I have seen people I wouldln't let fix my kid's tri-cycle make it big.......it's really all up to you.
Oh..and also...tuition re-imbursement from ANYONE is almost non-existant....in 20 years, i have never met anyone who found an employer to r-imburse them for their tuition. If you go to work for a dealer and they send you out for update training, they will pay for that.
EDIT: This is a reply to someone who answered a guy's question about getting a job at a shop by starting out changing oil and "apprenticing"......we are now in the 21st century!!!!......the age of FACTORY SPECIFIC COMPUTER SYSTEMS.....apprenticing just simply doesn't happen anymore....there is way too much technology and annual production changes for that without training............
"There is not a reputable shop in this country that will hire you with no experience to just change oil and learn from them. There are some bikes out there that if you don't know the procedure to bleed the oil system, you can fry the engine within a few minutes....YES THERE IS ACTUALLY AN ENGINE MADE MADE BY AN AMERICAN MANUFACTURER THAT REQUIRES YOU TO BLEED THE OIL SYSTEM, SIMILAR TO BLEEDING BRAKES!!! And, there is no way in hell you can learn on your own, the technical procedures for all the different makes and models of motorcycles...it REQUIRES EDUACATION AND TRAINING. I have been working on bikes since the late 80's, started with my Shovelhead and my friends all had Shovels, Pans and IronHead Sportsters, then I bought an '86 Softail with an Evo that had some extensive engine work done to it that needed some repair, although the bottom ends were almost the same, the top ends were a little different. It was at that point, I realized I could make a decent living do this, so I enrolled at MMI and graduated from HD's program in 1991, spent 5 years at 2 different dealerships, and then went into the custom field, I have built a couple BEST OF SHOW bikes, but super high-end bikes ($50k and above) are a royal pain the *ss to work on, ever been afraid to work on a bike with a $6,000 paint job or a $12,000 billet engine, due to fear of scratching it???...**** DOES happen, and eventually will!!! If anyone has ever dealt with a Big Dog or American Ironhorse bike, they know the electrics are not wired like old-school HD's...if you haven't been trained by them, you do not know what you are doing......Big Dog manuals are almost impossible to get by the public, if you aren't one of their dealers or svc centers...good luck...American Ironhorse doesn't (didn't) even make a service manual.
The new Harleys are all but impossible to work on if you don't have the HD Computer System called Digital Technician....ONLY HD Dealers have this system and the ONLY place you can get trained on how to use this system is MMI!!!
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