How to Become a Motorcycle Mechanic

If you’re looking to take your home-mechanic skills to the next level, a career as a motorcycle mechanic might be a good option for you.

If you’re someone who knows they like working on bikes, have a good hand for working with tools, and are able to learn and diagnose mechanical problems, it can be a good career.

The steps to becoming a motorcycle mechanic don’t take too long, and depending on where you live and how you specialize, you can potentially earn a decent salary.

Training Requirements for Motorcycle Mechanics

The bare minimum requirement to become a motorcycle mechanic is to get your high school diploma or GED.

With this, you’ll typically be able to land an entry-level job performing some of the basic motorcycle maintenance tasks or land a job as an apprentice.

If you really want to jumpstart your career, you can enroll in a motorcycle mechanic training and certification program.

You can even help to up your earning potential by specializing on certain makes or certain systems.

Motorcycle Mechanic Certifications & Training Programs

Most motorcycle mechanic training or certification programs will take anywhere from a few semesters to up to two years to finish.

Enrollment in these programs requires:

• High School Diploma/GED.
• Valid driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement.

Your training options include:

• Associate’s degree through your community college.
• Diploma through a technical school.
• Certificate through a specialized program.

Each program will teach you how to work on bikes, how to diagnose problems, and more.

Some of the most popular manufacturer-specific training programs include:

• Harley-Davidson.
• Honda.
• Suzuki.
• Kawasaki.
• Yamaha.

Some of the top schools for becoming a motorcycle mechanic inlcude:

• Motorcycle Mechanic Institute.
• Wyotech, formerly Wyoming Technical Institute.
• Universal Technical Institute (UTI).

How much does a motorcycle mechanic make?

On average, motorcycle mechanics earn about $35 to $40K per year.

Your salary will be dependent on where you live and how you specialize.

Some of the top states where motorcycle mechanics can expect to earn more include:

• Alaska.
• Colorado.
• California.
• Hawaii.
• Washington.
• Nevada.
• New Hampshire.
• North Dakota.
• Wyoming.

If you decide to work for a motorcycle manufacturer or open up your own shop, you can expect to earn more than the average mechanic.