[NTJordan]

So today I did my first day of an unpaid internship at a local motorcycle dealership. Got to work with two different techs doing various jobs, and got some good practice in on the tire machine and balancer. It went really well, and I am left looking foward to my next day. Unfortunatly it is only once a week, but any experiance is good, especially where it concerns actually working in a shop.

First thing was a top end job on a dirt bike that had cracked a piston. The tech was a man named Jose (not to be confused with hose b. Swear to god this is how he introduces himself.) And I must say it was amazing to watch a professional do this job. Not just fast, but clean and nice too. Blew me away, you master level technicians out there are really something else, you should be proud.

Next up was a 25,000 mile service on a Honda quad. This was actually the best learning experiance because it was all the basic stuff that I am really focusing on getting good at. Still trying to develop a feel for adjusting valves, and I think today helped a ton.

Other then that it was change and balance five tires. Well, should have been four, but one might have gotten put on backwards the first time . In my defense it was an ATV tire that had no directional arrow, and I assumed it was omnidirectional. Guess not. Gotta make mistakes here and there!

At the end of the day, I am tired and dirty and ready for more. I don't know where in a shop I will end up, but I am liking getting a taste for a number of things. The way I look at it, I am just getting started and am in no hurry to find my "thing" yet. Anyway, if you made it to here, thanks for reading my little tale. If you want to tell me you have been doing this for 30 years and are totally sick of it... well shhh!

 

[nervekiler]

i have worked in a shop since a graduated highschool. not doing mechanical stuff but more electricial stuff.

one thing i will say is treat everyday as a learning experience.. not just for the first week or first month.. but for the ENTIRE time you work in the feild. know that there will always be a better way to do what you do all the time and when people try to show you that different way listen and learn from what they have to share.
i see a lot of people get big heads and think they know everything.. i see those same people years later loosing momentum in their career because they have blocked out all the new good ideas and haven't learned anything lately.

there are always new technologies and new models coming out that you will have to learn to work on. i've got a few older guys in my shop who dont understand some of the new technologies and it really hurts them.

i guess what im saying is learn as much as you can from all the guys you will be working with. and always be prepared to research the new technologies out there BEFORE you have work work with them.

i've been in my line of work for 6 years and i love most everyday of it.. just wish the pay was a lil better

 

[koalaKid]

when i started in a shop for my first job, i spent the first 5 weeks on the varsol parts washer cleaning engine parts. 10 hours a day at a sink cleaning parts.

came in on the first day of the sixth week and my boss said to me "now that you know every part, today we put the **** back together"

in retrospect, i think i was lucky it was only 5 weeks on the parts washer!

 

[mattman912]

i love working in a shop
graned its not a motorcycle shop, its still a shop
i basically work on everything from golf carts to dump trucks
its a tremendous learning spectrum and its almost impossible for me
to go one day without learning something
idk, theres just something about that feeling when you fix something
makes you feel accomplished

 

[NTJordan]

Heck yeah, thanks for the words of wisdom guys.

 

[koalaKid]

the best part about working in a shop (for me) is that, first, you can learn so much, and second, most importantly, you get a real sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

everyone has rough days, but don't let long hard days get to you. some people are able to remember why they got into it, and retain the passion for the trade.

i wish you all the best!!

 

[RandyO]

And I must say it was amazing to watch a professional do this job. Not just fast, but clean and nice too. Blew me away, you master level technicians out there are really something else, you should be proud.

as are the majority of professional bike mechanics, contrary to what many try leading us to believe

 

[aschendel]

what i like about computer programming is that it's just like working in a shop (seriously), only sitting down, in a quiet climate-controlled atmosphere, making hard stuff look easy. woot. here's one to all the pro's out there ccasion14: we need all types of talent doing all types of good work.

a.s.

p.s. congrats, no matter what you end up doing, the process is what shapes you and it sounds like you're heading in the right direction.

 

[NTJordan]

Yeah, good point guys. Any professional level ANYTHING is very impressive. Watching a master at work is always a pleasure, regardless of the work being done.

 

[RedRaptor22]

There is nothing greater than having a job that you like, I've worked on everything from lawn mowers and go-karts all the way up to garbage and dump trucks and loved every minute I was'nt bleeding or rubbing out bumped body parts lol.

I've had lots of chances to work with people that know what their doing, even worked for Kevin Windhams lead mechanic, Tim at the shop he used to own here....thanks to him I can ring and swap a piston in under 10 minutes on any two stroke motocross bike lol.

And thats came in handy a few times with my brother racing every weekend.

I've taken two pay cuts at the part time gig so I could stay around and tinker and fix busses, hell I'd do it for free if the owner would bring beer and bbq lol.

 

[NTJordan]

Well, I am hoping this turns into a job I love, but it is hard to tell after one day I suppose. It has been an interesting challenge as 100% of my mechanical experiance has taken place over the last year and a half. Nobody in my immediate family was ever really a gear head, and my folks aren't really into the DIY type of thing. Nothing wrong with that, professionals are there for a reason, it's just that I have no background wrenching on anything.

This has helped some though I think. I never built any bad habits when I was younger, so everything I know was built from the ground up the right way (I hope).