(NGC)MMI in arizona

[coz1100]

SO about 2 weeks ago I woke up to discover that I was no longer in the navy. SO now that I have enough money to go school for the next few years I've decided to move from washington down to Arizona and attend a year or 2 of MMI. My question(s) is what to expect when I get thier. Has anyone here gone though any of the cources thier.

 

Also since I kinda plan to make bike a living, do you all know of any other class or schools that might be helpful.

 

 

 

thanks

Z

[dmoon64]

I was thinking about this a couple of years ago. What can a bike mechanic really expect to make out in the real world?

[jrt]

Why don't you call up some of the motorcycle shops- local or otherwise- and ask the owner for an assessment? Ask about best/worst case scenarios, ask about different brands and different styles (bikes, scooters, hell lawn mowers even). Getting advice from someone who's been in the business might provide you some valuable insight as well as a positive way to make some contacts.

[felix42o]

I have two good friends, one who has graduated MMI and one who has just started. Both enjoy/enjoyed it a lot, and the one who is done makes 65k/year as a service manager at a major Honda dealer here in Reno. FWIW, I almost got out myself for this school-it looks like they have a great program. But it's like anything else...you have to work hard to get the best jobs/pay.

I'm with jrt- call 'em up and talk to them. They'll send lots' o free info your way.

[coz1100]

Well they called me yesterday after I had requested some info with a guy named scott. I told hime that I was planning to be in the area any ways so he said just to stop by and have a look around.

 

 

Now all I have to do is get the bike ready for a trip from central washington to arizona (I love this part) Also I've mannage to get my dad to come along for the ride and I fairly sure what should be a 5 day thier and back trip, will most like turn into a 2 week loly gaging around the rocky mountains.

 

 

 

Z

[Motorfinger]

I attended MMI 18 years ago. I think mechanics are born not made. The school is what you put into it,

but it is only a starting point.

It takes many years to become a good mechanic. The ideal way is to have a motorcycle back ground

then attend MMI and have a experienced mechanic as a mentor.

I started my own small independent shop 5 years ago and can't imagin doing anythig else.

[todd haven]

Coz,

Please take all I say with a grain of salt.

 

The fact you are coming out of the Navy(thanks for your service)

tells me you are already a step ahead.

 

 

We have seen 2 MMI grads. Both young folks,

who thought they were "buying" a career.

It does not work that way.

I don't know what you did while in the Navy.

 

We run two businesses at our place. One automotive, working on Mercedes and BMW cars.

Been at it 24 years, pretty good at it.

 

Been a motorcycle dealer, selling Guzzis and fixing a huge number of BMW's,

since 2000. Seems to be above average at it.

 

We have had a few ex-military guys as automotive wrenches in the past.

They excel far beyond the norm.

Electronics is a huge plus.. Did you say Navy

More points for you with a military background.

 

Never had the chance on a bike tech. Would love to find out.

 

I don't know your age, or background.

 

My advice would be as follows:

Carefully avoid a huge student loan/personal obligation

until you know know what you want to do.

I know more than 1 guy paying off a huge loan,

while he works in another field.

 

If you were the type of kid to take apart Mom's toaster, Dad's lawnmower,

or your worn bicycle at a very early age to "find out what's wrong", you probably have

what it takes to be a top-drawer technician.

Many guys who never did such things, still make a good living at it.

Both are vaild careers.

Comes down to the difference between wanting to know "how" something works,

vs. being happy with it being working again.

Big difference to some guys, not so big to others.

 

 

The schools are supported by the big manufacturers.

They pay the schools big money, and want techs turned out to work in big dealerships.

 

Not a bad thing, but guys who are into Guzzi already tend to be a little--, how shall I say--

Different

 

Please feel free to PM or e-mail privately to discuss further.

 

In the car biz, UTI is referred to as "un-trained idiots".

MMI is the bike equiv of UTI for cars..

I haven't heard a witty phrase for MMI yet, but you get my drift.

 

We have seen 3 top-flight, good grade UTI grads crash and burn out of our place, while trying to fix cars. They had no real world smarts.

Unable to handle a stripped bolt, or a helicoil, after 2 years in school.

Zero "problem-solving skills"- I hate that phrase.

The military gives you a big leg up.

 

Please don't sign any big contract, until you have talked to folks who have been through

the program. Who are still working at it.

Don't buy into any "tool program", either.

How'd I know that?

 

 

 

Disclaimer,--- we are FAR from the typical motorcycle shop in the US.

For better or worse, MMI will not even recognize us as a blip on their radar screen.

 

Please let me know if I can help.

 

 

Best of luck, whatever path you choose.

[Garsdad]

SO about 2 weeks ago I woke up to discover that I was no longer in the navy. SO now that I have enough money to go school for the next few years I've decided to move from washington down to Arizona and attend a year or 2 of MMI. My question(s) is what to expect when I get thier. Has anyone here gone though any of the cources thier.

 

Also since I kinda plan to make bike a living, do you all know of any other class or schools that might be helpful.

thanks

Z

 

Can't comment on the schools. Can comment on the income potential. I have cousins with a very successful BMW shop. Lots of service work. Have a master tech, pay him six figures. He is worth every penny.

 

Whatever you choose to do in life, do it better than anyone else you know. Before I got too far into the process, I would decide where I wanted to work, and then ask them what kind of training they would require. It would suck to invest the time, money, and energy into something only to find out that you should have been doing something else all along.

[wheelsucker]

 

Not a bad thing, but guys who are into Guzzi already tend to be a little--, how shall I say--

Different

 

 

No way ok, well maybe a little. I think we have better taste and don't want to be part of the herd riding a japanese bike that everyone and their mother owns.

 

There's a MG/Ducati dealership in my area always looking for a new mechanic and willing to train the right person. I've often thought about giving up my IT job and trynig it, just don't have the nads to try it, and the wife would kill me

[coz1100]

Thanxs for the advice everyone. I'll be sure to keep and open mind about the whole thing when I get down thier.

 

I guess I could go into some back ground about me. For the last 6 1/2 years I've been a mechanic working on everything from large ac units and hydrolice units to the ship main engins. As for motorcycles I've been around them for as long as I can remember and have been slowly learning to turn a wrench on them for a while now (owning the Guzzi has helped a lot ) The main reason I want to go to the class is I feel thier are a few gaps in what I know about bike, mainly electricale stuff, but I'm hoping this will start to fill in some of those gaps.

 

 

Todd-

I'll be sure to keep your advice in mind and get in touch with you when I get back in two weeks.

 

 

again, thanxs ya'll.

Z

[coz1100]

Okay, got back the other day from Pheonix. I went on the tour they provided around the campus and was surprised at how much info was avalible from the tour guide and teachers that where walking by. For the most part they gave me the info I needed or wanted to know. After the tour I told the nice lady that I had to go talk to the finace people and this is where it got REALLY infomative. On the way to the money people I got the chance talk to students in some of the classes. The first few months is just basic stuff (tool, how a motor works, how things fit in the frame, electronics) Some thought it was neat stuff some thought it was boring. Seems they want everyone on the same page when they get to the company spacific course. I can understand the need for this from some of the people thier, dumber then a box of rocks. The atmospher seems to be one that would be good to work in, vary profesional shop type of place. ya'll where deffenitly right, you'll get form this place what you put into it.

 

 

I think I'm goin to go for it. I'm just waiting on my GI Bill paper work to get back and then I'll finalize everything. hopefully I can start on the 6 of november. Now I just got to decide which bike to take.