Auto mechanics specialize in the workings of automobile engines. Many mechanics who start out specializing in work on cars find an addition specialty adds great appeal to their presence in any auto shop and expand into motorcycle mechanic school over time. Students in motorcycle mechanic school programs learn many of the same types of things they learned and already know about automotive engines but specialize in motorcycles instead.
Auto mechanics wishing to branch out into this additional specialty will need some additional training. Motorcycle mechanic school certificate programs vary greatly from educational provider to educational provider. Knowing what types of education and certification are most attractive in your industry and area will help you choose the program that is best for you.
What Is Motorcycle Mechanic School?
Image by: pixabay.com
The Auto Mechanic's Motorcycle Mechanic School is a five-step program designed not just to introduce automotive mechanics to motorcycle maintenance and repair but to elevate the skill level of motorcycle mechanics. Just as with any other engine, motorcycle engines are constantly evolving and changing with time. Working with the Auto Mechanic's Motorcycle Mechanic School helps students not only acquire valuable work experience but also keep abreast of the latest technology.
Product Specs
image by pexels
The Auto Mechanic's Motorcycle Mechanic School requires a basic high school education as a precursor to entry. In some cases, you may be required to submit standardized test scores or even take an entry exam. This is not to create difficulties for applicants but to ensure they have the basic educational foundation to optimize their success in motorcycle mechanic's school. The best programs offer classroom training and hands-on training, and a few tech schools in the program offer two-year degrees.
Pricing
image by pexels
Not surprisingly, program costs vary from state to state and depend on the length of the program. Programs like those offered by Georgia Piedmont Technical College, for example, may cost upward of $2,000 a year and take two to three years to complete, for a total of about $6,000 for in-state residents. Of course, this type of degree, as we mentioned, is often considered more valuable than a shorter-term certificate, such as Ashworth College's four-month certificate program, which may be as low as $1,300.
Your personal work history and motorcycle mechanic experience before entering motorcycle mechanic school will determine what type of program is right for you.
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products on the market to see how they compare:
Auto Mechanic School Edu Motorcycle Mechanic School
The Auto Mechanic Motorcycle Mechanic School program is a five-step overview of the process of applying at a motorcycle mechanic school and what students should expect out of their program. We selected the state of Georgia for our evaluative examples, since the state offers multiple certificates that take only a few months to complete and several two- and three-year degree programs as well. Prices are comparable in other states using the Auto Mechanic's Motorcycle Mechanic School as a guide.
Tuition Fees
Compared to the costs of a traditional liberal-arts four-year education, attending motorcycle mechanic school is not only a good deal in terms of your budget but also in terms of value. While most schools will require you to pay per credit hour just as you would in a more traditional educational institution, motorcycle mechanic school comes with hands-on training and even job placement help once the program is complete.
Also, most motorcycle mechanic school programs do not require students to live on campus: a big savings advantage in today's academic environment.
Program Duration
Whether you need a quick update on your skills or are starting from scratch, going to motorcycle mechanic school offers a timeline that will fit your needs. Some programs may be completed in as little as a month, if you are simply looking for continuing education, while certificate programs for auto mechanics seeking motorcycle mechanic expertise may take three or four months.
Full degree programs offering associate's degrees or bachelor's degrees in the field can be completed within a two- to four-year span, depending on whether you opt to be a full-time student.
Certification
The Auto Mechanic Motorcycle Mechanic School offers access to a wide variety of certifications.
Accreditation
Accreditation is vitally important if you plan to use your certification from motorcycle mechanic school to jump-start your career in engine repair or in the automotive or motorcycle repair industry. AutoMechanicEdu.org lists accredited programs in each state and is very clear with users about the programs available and what type of accreditation each institution has and offers.
Student Life
If you are seeking a traditional “college experience,” then motorcycle mechanic school is probably not for you. After all, most of these programs do not require students to live on campus, and many of the shorter-term certification programs do not even provide on-campus housing.
Pros
Cons
SOUTHERN CAREERS INSTITUTE
Southern Careers Institute is located in San Antonio, Texas. The school offers a wide variety of vocational trainings, including “automotive service technician” courses that may apply as a precursor to motorcycle mechanic's training. However, the school does not offer a motorcycle mechanic's program.
Tuition Fees
Although Southern Careers Institute's vocational programs are relatively short in length, they may be costly. In this case, however, you are paying as much for speed and training as you are time in the classroom. Certificate and vocational training costs include:
- Textbooks
- Two sets of uniforms (if appropriate)
- One sitting in a certification exam
- One official transcript
There are additional fees you may face, depending on the program. Since the school does not offer certification for motorcycle mechanics, your fees will depend on what type of program you select as a precursor to this more specialized field. Fees may include:
- Replacements for student ID, diploma, or uniform
- Fingerprint session if your job training requires it
- Learners permits if your job requires it
- Immunization records
- Immunization fees
- On-site learning costs
Program Duration
Southern Careers Institute offers a nine-month certification program for auto mechanics that will enable you to start working while you are building your experience in motorcycle maintenance and working on the second certification. During the program, students may avail themselves of “learn-while-you-earn” programs. The school is linked with several local dealerships that provide access to students.
Certification
The program at Southern Careers Institute is Texas' first registered automotive service technician apprenticeship program of its kind. It has also been approved by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and was funded by the Texas Workforce Commission.
When a student leaves this program, they will be prepared to enter the workforce in terms of:
- On-site experience
- Basic knowledge and skill set
- Specialized skill sets, such as working on HVAC and electrical systems
- Experience with foreign and domestic models
Accreditation
The Southern Careers Institute is accredited by:
- The Council on Occupational Education
- The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
In 2000, the school was investigated by the U.S. Office of the Inspector General for failure to comply with the “85 percent” rule that governs how much income may be derived from Title IV sources. The school did not agree with the audit results but agreed to comply with the findings.
Student Life
Southern Careers Institute student life for someone attending the vocational school may be involved or not as the student wishes. The school focuses on helping students “build their futures” by emphasizing:
- Caring instructors
- Supportive staff members
- Motivated students “just like you”
According to the school's official website, there are eight campuses located throughout the state of Texas as well as online options available. These campuses do not offer on-site living options, but most students are involved in their own lives by the time they enter the school's vocational trainings.
Pros
Cons
UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
The Universal Technical Institute offers four major programs that could refine a student's skills as a motorcycle mechanic but that do not cater specifically to this specialty. Familiarity with any one of their four programs could enable a mechanic unable to access motorcycle mechanic school to optimize their appeal to employers. Those programs are:
- Automotive Technology
- Collision Repair and Refinish Technology
- Diesel and Industrial Technology
- NASCAR Technician
The school also offers associated course specializing in motorcycle mechanics as part of these programs.
Tuition Fees
The Universal Technical Institute offers a wide variety of financial benefits to students, including working with local collegiate housing to find students affordable housing close to campus if they need it. The school also offers financial aid and benefits for veterans. The school offered about $15 million in sponsored scholarships in 2018 and plans to offer similar volumes in 2019.
The school has received a great deal of negative publicity because tuition may be in excess of $30,000 in some cases and, according to some students, they were encouraged to take out loans to fund high tuition costs. For the most part, the school disputes these claims and takes particular issues with criticisms of its collegiate housing programs and claims positive student outcomes.
Program Duration
Universal Technical Institute's programs take less than a year to complete in most cases. They start every six weeks.
Certification
The school's programs are intended to prepare students to get certifications relevant in the industry, not actually graduate with them. This may be problematic for students hoping to begin a career in a new field, but students with experience in motorcycle repair already may not have the same difficulties since many employers value experience as much as degrees and certifications.
Accreditation
The Universal Technical Institute is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Student Life
Students who avail themselves of the school's collegiate housing options, which are its main involvement in “student life” since the programs are short and vocational in nature, report positive and negative experiences. The biggest issue appears to be that there is little control over location of the housing if a student wishes to remain within the low parameters for monthly housing costs described by the school's promotional literature.
Pros
Cons
LINCOLN TECH
Lincoln Tech, like most vocational programs, offers a variety of automotive training programs with some offering insight into motorcycle mechanics as well. However, this school does not offer a motorcycle-specific training program for students despite the rising appeal to employers of this additional job skill.
Tuition Fees
Lincoln Tech's one-year programs cost about $15,000, which is about average for this type of program at this type of institution. However, the program does not offer on-site training, so students do not necessarily have access to the experience advantage most mechanics need in order to begin a career.
Program Duration
Lincoln Tech's automotive programs last about a year and, in many cases, are web-based. The program does offersome experiences with working in school shops and using “web-based information retrieval systems” to optimize your learning experience. Lincoln Tech also offers a “Driving Your Performance” orientation class to help students understand what the school will and will not provide in terms of education and training.
Certification
Although Lincoln Tech promises students “the industry-experience needed to work as an Automotive Technician, Collision Repair Technician, Service Technician, Parts Specialist, Diesel Engine Specialist, and more,” its programs do not include industry certifications. Some courses do equip students with some degree of safety training and certification, however, which may serve useful in a job search.
Accreditation
Lincoln Tech is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. However, the body has accredited only some of the campuses:
This creates a particular problem for students who wish to transfer to programs offering different or additional certifications.
Student Life
As with many programs of this type, Lincoln Tech's main “student life” aspect revolves around its collegiate housing, which is a program designed to help students find affordable housing within the community. This program has received a number of negative reports due to students' alleged inability to control for problematic roommates.
Pros
Cons
Auto Mechanic's Motorcycle Mechanic School Rates Five Stars
Given the extreme importance that motorcycle repair shops and automotive repair shops place on certification and hands-on experience in real shops with real machines, the best way to get a clear idea of exactly what you are signing up for when you enroll in a motorcycle mechanic school is to start your search on the Auto Mechanic School Edu website.
The ability to access information about local options and, at the same time, keep a clear idea about what you truly need out of a motorcycle mechanic school program is essential to your ability to succeed in the industry.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.