If you’re keen on working on motorcycles for a living, there are many different jobs out there, but what do they all entail? Here are just a few…
Mechanic
Being a mechanic in the motorcycle industry is arguably the biggest job going. They do everything from swapping tyres, servicing bikes to complete engine re-builds, but what do you need to do to get into the trade?
There are a few paths to get into the industry, but the first thing you can do is teach yourself. Many engineers and mechanics start work in their sheds, stripping and rebuilding old bikes or mopeds, building their knowledge and practical skills. This is a great way to learn as you’re hands-on from the start, picking up the skills and learning as you go.
The other option is to go to college. There are four courses (level 1 to level 4) which start from basic mechanic skills such as learning the tools and tyre swapping, to headstock rebuilds in level 2 and a focus in electronics for level 3.
There are benefits to going to college to learn the trade as you can learn how it works, not just how to fix it.
At the end of the courses, you’ll get certificates which you can present to future employers to show you have the skills needed.
But what jobs are required in a ‘real-life’ workshop?
Motorcycle workshops vary in the services they deliver. Most will provide basic services such as tyre swapping, mirror and indicator fixes, services as well as selling oil, spark plugs and any other products that are relevant.
Some other motorcycle workshops will provide bigger jobs such as fork rebuilds, timing and engine rebuilds.
Tyre Technician
An easier way into the industry is to become a tyre technician. A tyre technician’s job is simply to remove, swap and re-fit tyres on motorcycles.
For this job, you will have to know how to remove the wheel from the bike, how to fit tyres using a tyre machine as well as what all the symbols mean that are engraved into the sidewall.
A tyre technician’s job is one of the best ways to get involved in the motorcycle trade at an entry level.
Diagnostics engineer
Many motorcyclists will know what a ‘dyno’ is. It is used in the industry to measure horsepower and torque curves. But it can also be used to find faults too. It’s a very specialist job.
If something goes wrong with your bike, the ECU will provide a fault code which can be plugged into the machine and it will pinpoint where the fault it.
There aren’t many diagnostic specialists around, so getting up to speed with the machine and the skills quickly could be beneficial into setting up a dyno business.
MOT tester
More and more motorcycle garages are now starting to provide MOT tests. To become an MOT tester, you need to complete various courses. On these courses, you learn what you’re looking for when a bike comes into the bay. From there you will look at using the rolling road and how to read the brake efficiency chart.
You will also learn the differences between a pass and a fail for various aspects of the bike. Pass and you’ll receive your MOT badge, but you’ll need to undertake an annual training and assessment course to retain it.
Development mechanic
Another prestigious job is working as an R&D (research and development) mechanic. These rare and largely secretive jobs take place behind the scenes at manufacturers like Triumph and Royal Enfield and you’ll be working on secret prototypes of upcoming models, years before the public even hear about them.
Competition for these jobs is tough, but they do exist and can take you around the world as prototypes are tested at facilities around the world.
Race team
Finally, there’s the race team. After working in the industry, you can look into joining a race team. As you can expect jobs with top teams don’t come around often and only the best of the best will get in.
Motorsport is a dangerous game so ensuring the mechanics are in top form is a priority so gaining experience either through classrooms such as the college or university motorsport courses can aid you.
A job of a mechanic in a race team is to simply provide support to the rider and crew chief.
You will do various tasks such as adjusting the rebound and compression of the forks, changing gear ratios, ride heights, tyres and fuel as well as many more tasks.
The most challenging thing for race mechanics is working under pressure. Anything can happen in racing so being able to adapt to situations without making mistakes is a critical aspect for motorcycle race mechanics.
As we all know, working for any race team comes with its drawbacks, long hours and working away from home – but it’s most definitely worth it! Many (most?) mechanics work as freelancers and regularly swap teams between seasons, meaning job security is not great, but the best are highly coveted and can command big fees.
Although getting into top teams is tough, there are plenty of amateur teams out there who are staffed almost entirely by volunteers. Help out a local club racer or rider in the support classes at British superbikes and you’ll experience all of racing at the grassroots level and learn plenty along the way. Do well and you can be noticed by the bigger teams, or move up the ranks with your rider. You might even get paid for it!
