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Motorcycle Mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, or similar motorized vehicles.
Other titles employers use
All Terrain Vehicle Technician (ATV Technician) · Custom Bike Builder · Motorcycle Mechanic · Motorcycle Service Technician · Motorcycle Technician · Motorsports Technician · Scooter Mechanic · Service Technician
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Mount, balance, change, or check condition or pressure of tires.
- Replace defective parts, using hand tools, arbor presses, flexible power presses, or power tools.
- Dismantle engines and repair or replace defective parts, such as magnetos, carburetors, or generators.
- Connect test panels to engines and measure generator output, ignition timing, or other engine performance indicators.
- Listen to engines, examine vehicle frames, or confer with customers to determine nature and extent of malfunction or damage.
- Repair or replace other parts, such as headlights, horns, handlebar controls, gasoline or oil tanks, starters, or mufflers.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical, organizing and analytical work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Equipment Maintenance
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
Useful strengths
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Oral Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.9 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 4.9 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.4 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 5.0 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a postsecondary certificate. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A certificate or some college 60%
- High school or less 26%
- A four-year degree 9%
- A two-year degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Operating system software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Word processing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Point of sale POS software
- Inventory management software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 2,000
- Job openings each year
- 200
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- —
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,000 | 200 | — |
| Florida | 1,300 | 140 | 13.0% |
| Texas | 950 | 100 | 10.5% |
| Arizona | 700 | 70 | 20.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 680 | 70 | — |
| New York | 670 | 0 | — |
| Tennessee | 660 | 70 | 8.2% |
| Washington | 580 | 50 | −1.7% |
| North Carolina | 560 | 60 | 12.0% |
| Michigan | 530 | 50 | — |
| Iowa | 520 | 50 | 6.1% |
| Wisconsin | 520 | 50 | 13.0% |
| Colorado | 500 | 50 | 6.4% |
| Indiana | 500 | 50 | — |
| Ohio | 480 | 50 | 2.1% |
| Utah | 380 | 40 | 11.8% |
| Illinois | 360 | 40 | 2.9% |
| Minnesota | 360 | 40 | 5.9% |
| Oregon | 360 | 40 | 9.1% |
| Alabama | 330 | 30 | 10.0% |
| South Dakota | 330 | 30 | 13.8% |
| Virginia | 330 | 30 | −5.7% |
| Montana | 310 | 30 | 10.7% |
| Georgia | 290 | 30 | 26.1% |
| Idaho | 280 | 30 | 3.7% |
| Kentucky | 260 | 30 | 8.3% |
| Oklahoma | 260 | 30 | — |
| Arkansas | 240 | 30 | 14.3% |
| Maine | 230 | 20 | −4.2% |
| New Hampshire | 230 | 20 | 4.5% |
| South Carolina | 220 | 20 | 10.0% |
| Missouri | 200 | 20 | — |
| West Virginia | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Nevada | 190 | 20 | 5.6% |
| Mississippi | 180 | 20 | 5.9% |
| Connecticut | 170 | 20 | 6.3% |
| Wyoming | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Kansas | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Louisiana | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Vermont | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Nebraska | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| North Dakota | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
| New Mexico | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| Maryland | 60 | 10 | 20.0% |
| Rhode Island | 60 | 10 | — |
| Massachusetts | 50 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 40 | 0 | — |
| Delaware | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Compare every college offering vehicle maintenance and repair technologies/technicians