Motorcycle Mechanic Profile
After I completed my HSC, I still wasn’t sure where I wanted to go with my life. My father was involved in the automotive industry, so I had an upbringing around all things ‘petrol’ so to speak. I always wanted to work in the industry whether it was boats, bikes or cars.
I tried many positions briefly, which included auto electrical, panel beating, car mechanical and prestige car repairs. I was lucky enough to be offered a position in a motorcycle shop as an apprentice and jumped at the chance. After a one-week trial I knew this was what I wanted to do. I was also lucky that my prospective first employer wanted to retain me. The rest they say is history.
The Work I do
I began my career as an Apprentice Motorcycle Technician at a Kawasaki Dealership. Throughout my apprenticeship, I was involved in the repairing and servicing of engines and engine components, cooling systems, petrol fuel systems, emission control systems, clutch assemblies, manual transmissions, drivelines, braking, steering and suspension systems. You name it, I had worked on it. That was truly one of the great aspects of the industry; there were always so many opportunities for me to learn.
I was also involved in diagnostic procedures to determine faults, which included the repair of charging and starting systems, electrical and ignition systems, tyres and tubes and motorcycle frames, including alignment.
I completed my apprenticeship and was then offered another position working on Harley Davidson Motorcycles at a Melbourne HD Dealership. After a number of years, I moved up into my current position of Sales Manager, which involves wholesale motorcycle sales to our dealer network, working around 38 hours per week. I am also a registered HD technical trainer and train technicians within our dealer network.
My workplace
The service departments are well equipped with all the latest technology. Each technician has an individual workstation and a lift bench for the motorcycles. The service centres are heated and cooled, with full exhaust extraction. The workshop is separate to the showroom. They are all efficiently run with a high degree of effort put into customer service.
The atmosphere in the workplace is always good. They’re a great bunch of people and we have a lot of characters in this industry. Usually the people who work in the trade ride motorcycles so there is always a good story to be told, so everyone loves coming in for a chat when they have some spare time. It has been a great environment for me and I have no regrets working in this industry, or choosing the industry many years ago.
Education & Training
Each year I get the opportunity to travel to the Harley Davidson Factory in USA and undergo a one-week training course focusing on new model changes and updates. We cover many topics from service procedures right through to computer training. It is then my job to pass on this information to the technicians here in Australia .
The good thing about the motorcycle industry is that technology progresses
very fast and the only way to keep up with current service and repair techniques
is to train or be trained on a regular basis. I can only say that if you
are not prepared to take on new technology and learn about current design
and repair procedures you will be left behind. There is no choice but to
embrace the latest techniques and procedures.
>> course/qualification
Why do I love this industry?
The motorcycle industry is moving forward at a very rapid rate. Motorcycles are becoming faster, lighter, more powerful and cheaper every year. The technology delivered to the customer on an “over the counter” motorcycle is astonishing. Fantastic handling, brakes and performance are only the tip of the iceberg. Every time you think they have done all they can do, someone produces another amazing motorcycle. The on-board computer management systems are also pretty wild these days.
The growth of technology has been very rapid in the last five years. Computers are now used everyday with the diagnostic and maintenance procedures for all motorcycles. Most motorcycle manufacturers operate their engines and vehicle management through on-board computer based technology, so we require the equipment to tap into this technology. On-board systems such as ignition and fuel injection systems have made enormous advances in diagnostic equipment, which maintains and diagnoses any problems the vehicles may encounter.
Technology has also taken hold in the running of the service departments. Computer systems are now required to co-ordinate and schedule the work that passes through the service departments, whilst being able to gauge the efficiency, productivity and proficiency of our technicians. By improving productivity through time management, we are able to create an efficient and smooth flowing work environment.
ATA would like to thank Peter Stevens Motorcycles and Harley Heaven for their assistance.