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.

Motorcycle Mechanic School Online

Ready to start learning? There are a handful of online courses you can take to begin training as a motorcycle mechanic.

Some of the best online schools for motorcycle mechanic training include:

• Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Motorcycle Mechanic Training Program.
• Stratford Career Institute Motorcycle/ATV Repair Course.
• Penn Foster Career School Online Motorcycle Mechanic School.

UTI Motorcycle Mechanic Training

As one of the leading motorcycle technician programs, UTI’s program is a good choice for those serious about a career as a motorcycle mechanic.

The course takes a total of 42 weeks to complete, and the first 18 weeks of the program can be completed online.

After the online portion, you’ll decide which manufacture-specific training you’ll pursue.

In person training is available at their Phoenix, AZ and Orlando, FL campuses.

Stratford Motorcycle/ATV Repair Course

This course is a fully online program that covers the basics of motorcycle repair.

It can be a great start if you’re looking to improve your home mechanic’s skills or start a career.

This is an introductory course that is designed to give you the knowledge you’ll need to succeed as a motorcycle mechanic. This course may not satisfy all of the certification and licensing requirements for your state.

Penn Foster Online Motorcycle School

This is another online introductory program for motorcycle maintenance and repair.

This course will provide you will the knowledge you need to work on bikes.

After completing the program, you may need to take additional steps to become fully licensed and certified as a mechanic in your state.