mmi school is it worth the time?
 

well after a few years of me bitching ive decieded to give school a try. so i applied at the mmi in orlando.

is this school worth it if i want to pursue a carreer in motorcycle mechanics?

or what can i expect and what would you do? if you made a choice like this?

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

Not worth it. if you really want to get a job at a dealership, just apply and work your way up from shop bitch. The school is fairly expensive and most shops like to train their mechanics themselves.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

Niner is entitled to his opinion, but it is way off base. One of my best friends and former roommates is an instructor at MMI in Phoenix. Many of my friends are graduates of MMI. There is not a single one of them that regrets their decision to attend the school. While the idea of working your way up the ladder sounds good, there are not many dealerships willing to take on the time and effort required to train someone. Without at least a working knowledge of theory and application nobody is going to want to let their bike be the guinea pig for an untrained mechanic. I also happen to personally know Paul Yaffe who is a MMI graduate. I met Paul over 15 years ago when he moved from CA to AZ to attend MMI. Although he already had a good working knowledge of motorcycles and had built several already, he knew that his skills were lacking in order to be able to truly excel in his field. 15 years later his work can now be seen here: [COLOR=#008000][URL="http://www.paulyaffeoriginals.com"]www.[B]paul[/B][B]yaffe[/B]originals.com[/URL] . It is well worth your time and money if you truly wish to become a quality mechanic.:2cents [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#008000]The Edge[/COLOR]

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=edgeman68;3186809]Niner is entitled to his opinion, but it is way off base. One of my best friends and former roommates is an instructor at MMI in Phoenix. Many of my friends are graduates of MMI. There is not a single one of them that regrets their decision to attend the school. While the idea of working your way up the ladder sounds good, there are not many dealerships willing to take on the time and effort required to train someone. Without at least a working knowledge of theory and application nobody is going to want to let their bike be the guinea pig for an untrained mechanic. I also happen to personally know Paul Yaffe who is a MMI graduate. I met Paul over 15 years ago when he moved from CA to AZ to attend MMI. Although he already had a good working knowledge of motorcycles and had built several already, he knew that his skills were lacking in order to be able to truly excel in his field. 15 years later his work can now be seen here: [COLOR=#008000][URL="http://www.paulyaffeoriginals.com"]www.[B]paul[/B][B]yaffe[/B]originals.com[/URL] . It is well worth your time and money if you truly wish to become a quality mechanic.:2cents [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#008000]The Edge[/COLOR][/quote]

not saying your wrong but i never went to a motorcycle mechanic school and i can completely rip down a whole engine and every part of a motorcycle and put it back together, and i know for a fact the guys at my local shop who have gone through training cant cuz in the past i have dropped my bike off there to change tires and they have put it on the wrong way, fucked up my sprocket, bent my shifter:shruggs

and they all have their certificates / diploma or whatever hangin on the wall


sonofgod what you need to do if you want to get into a career of it, become a like a yamaha/honda/kawi/ or whatever you feel like, certified professional mechanic

they make more money:2cents

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

I think the best way to find out is go to a dealership and ask if it makes a difference in hiring and pay.
I asked a suzuki shop on LV. and was told whether you go to school or not you start at I believe a C level mechanic and work your way up to A level.
I've also had "top mechanics" work on my bikes and one caused my front brakes to lock up. Had one that went to MMI school and that ended up in my bike hydrolocking.

The ones that actually care about what they're doing make the best mechanics. Cause they care about the quality of thier work and safety of the person that owns the bike.
This will set you apart IMO.
I'm all for school but it's up to you if you're going to end up liking what you do. If not then you end up doing half hearted work.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

My friend went. he said he learned a lot of good stuff, but when he applied for jobs they still paid him chicken shit.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=Up0n0ne;3186882]I think the best way to find out is go to a dealership and ask if it makes a difference in hiring and pay.
I asked a suzuki shop on LV. and was told whether you go to school or not you start at I believe a C level mechanic and work your way up to A level.
I've also had "top mechanics" work on my bikes and one caused my front brakes to lock up. Had one that went to MMI school and that ended up in my bike hydrolocking.

The ones that actually care about what they're doing make the best mechanics. Cause they care about the quality of thier work and safety of the person that owns the bike.
This will set you apart IMO.
I'm all for school but it's up to you if you're going to end up liking what you do. If not then you end up doing half hearted work.[/quote]

how somebody else caused your bike to hydrolock is hard to believe...school is school...youj get what you put in..if you halfass it then your going to be a halfass mechanic and so on...there are always somethings that you dont know..we learn something new everyday. so in my opinion school or learning for that matter is always a good choice

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=MikeM;3186894]My friend went. he said he learned a lot of good stuff, but when he applied for jobs they still paid him chicken shit.[/quote]

thats any stealer's i have 10 years working on harleys, and a harley dealer wouldn't give me more than $17hr to start.nowi fix street sweepers and cant complain...

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=MikeM;3186894]My friend went. he said he learned a lot of good stuff, but when he applied for jobs they still paid him chicken shit.[/quote]

+1 my friend had the same problem, i think all the shops only wanted to pay him $10 an hour so he decided to just open his own shop. he said he learned alot but he also said a bunch of rich kids go there to just go to school to make there parents happy and dont learn anything, then get a job somewhere and are useless and thats why MMI has kind of a bad rep.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

I got a buddy who went to MMI in AZ and said it was a waste of time....working on outdated bikes, and all that, he said he got a basic knowledge of what he needed to work on bikes with teardown and rebuild, but on new models he didnt know what caused what on em with all the electronics.

As said above, motorcycle mechanics dont get paid dick! I wouldnt waste my time PAYING to go to school only to get a job that doesnt pay out. If you wanna work on bikes, do it on the side and enjoy your work instead of doing it for a living and cussing your dealership's name with every paycheck you get!

I work on bikes a fair amount and will do anything but motor teardown and messing with ECU's on bikes......no formal training, just common sense and plenty of tools (including multiple rear stands, front stands, triple stands, tons of metric wrenches, a tire machine and balancer). The tools make almost as much difference than know-how usually!

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[QUOTE=punishmentcycle;3186898]how somebody else caused your bike to hydrolock is hard to believe...school is school...youj get what you put in..if you halfass it then your going to be a halfass mechanic and so on...there are always somethings that you dont know..we learn something new everyday. so in my opinion school or learning for that matter is always a good choice[/QUOTE]

That was basically my point.
As far as the person working on my bike and 5min. after leaving the shop it hydrolocking, well that's a little long and off topic.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

a mechanic causing a bike to hydrolock sounds off, BUT I have seen where a mechanic doing a rebuild and ordering rod bearing based on original factory color instead of the actual size has caused a motor to blow during break in.

At the same time, Andy Clem from controlled insanity rebuilt my motor correctly, spec-ing everything inside the motor and ordering the correlating sizes int eh required parts, and its runs flawlessly for the last 8 months and has spent plenty of time on the rev limiter to boot.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

so basically id be wasting money and wouldnt get out what i got in?

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

dan herz went to mmi in daytona i think or uti or someshit. i almost went, i know theyre really expensive schools. and its true even with the schooling a dealership is gonna start you at the bottom and pay you dirt.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[QUOTE=s0nofg0d;3187102]so basically id be wasting money and wouldnt get out what i got in?[/QUOTE]

its expensive and my time is worth a god amount to me.....so if I get out with some sort of degree I expect to be paid for it!

I would think you might be better of becoming a diesel tech or somin like that.....at least you might get paid well for that.:shruggs

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=Up0n0ne;3186882]I've also had "top mechanics" work on my bikes and one caused my front brakes to lock up. Had one that went to MMI school and that ended up in my bike hydrolocking.
[/quote]

+1 reason why i just bought the service manual as soon as i got the bike...best $60 ive spent. i might not be that great of a mechanic, but im learning and if it fucks up at least i didnt spend a shit load on gettin it fixed for nothing.

[quote=s0nofg0d;3187102]so basically id be wasting money and wouldnt get out what i got in?[/quote]

i thought bout going myself, just to much in debt right now lol. im thinkin that its like everything else man, you get what you put into it really. if you hustle your ass off learning everything and making connects (fuckin key) then you can prolly go somewhere. if you slack off and fuck around then your gonna get the shitty $10/hr job, cussing after you slipped the wrench and broke open your knuckles for the third time that day.:2cents

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[QUOTE=eazenutz33;3186932]a mechanic causing a bike to hydrolock sounds off, BUT I have seen where a mechanic doing a rebuild and ordering rod bearing based on original factory color instead of the actual size has caused a motor to blow during break in.[/QUOTE]

O.K. maybe I'm completely using the wrong term. how about vaporlock. It was a long time ago.
Got bike back after 2 years. Mech. was supposed to clean carbs, etc. Next thing I know it's stallled on the side of the road with gas and bubbles in the site glass.
What would this be called?

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

fuck mmi. been there done that. it is the biggest joke. start from the bottom at a shop and work your way up. they dont try at all to find you a job at all. its fun going there but ther is alot of bull shit that comes along with it. think real hard before you go. i wish i didnt go. if you can read a manual then you can wrench on bikes

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

mmi az is a fucking joke. bottom line they tell you what ever to get you in and your money. to be honest theres not enough teachers, tools, or bikes to work on. dont expect to be the next OCC mechanic/technician when you graduate, your starting at the bottom as in any field! im supposed to graduate in jan 2009 but might just do honda and get the fuck out of here sooner.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=edgeman68;3186809]Niner is entitled to his opinion, but it is way off base. One of my best friends and former roommates is an instructor at MMI in Phoenix. Many of my friends are graduates of MMI. There is not a single one of them that regrets their decision to attend the school. While the idea of working your way up the ladder sounds good, there are not many dealerships willing to take on the time and effort required to train someone. Without at least a working knowledge of theory and application nobody is going to want to let their bike be the guinea pig for an untrained mechanic. I also happen to personally know Paul Yaffe who is a MMI graduate. I met Paul over 15 years ago when he moved from CA to AZ to attend MMI. Although he already had a good working knowledge of motorcycles and had built several already, he knew that his skills were lacking in order to be able to truly excel in his field. 15 years later his work can now be seen here: [COLOR=#008000][URL="http://www.paulyaffeoriginals.com"]www.[B]paul[/B][B]yaffe[/B]originals.com[/URL] . It is well worth your time and money if you truly wish to become a quality mechanic.:2cents [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#008000]The Edge[/COLOR][/quote]

Looks like everyone, INCLUDING MYSELF disagrees with you. I was a bike mechanic at shops for years before and during college, and every single time i started at the bottom and passed up the guys that went to MMI schools, and then then next cycle shop i worked at wouldn't hire MMI trained guys......just those who rode/worked on them their own. Now i'm finishing my accounting degree, and will still be a better mechanic than the MMI guys and won't make shit for cash:YEAH

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

well that sucks i just want a career in something i like to do

workin in a factory just blows

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=s0nofg0d;3188027]well that sucks i just want a career in something i like to do

workin in a factory just blows[/quote]
So go get a job at a bike shop and work your way up.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

Simply put - No.

Depending on your current level of skill - MMI may or may not be a place where you could learn alot of facts about the way a motorcycle works.

If you're looking to spend a year and a half of your life and $27 grand in tuituon to take an engine apart and put it back together - than sure it's great.

There are alot of poor attitudes at that school - both from staff and students. There is a dress code and strict attendance rules. Missing time lowers your grades - even if you have an emergency, illness, or personal issue that prevents you from attending class. Miss 3 days of class in one semester - you attendance fail and have to pay for the class again.

If you do choose to attend MMI - don't think that it entitles you to any kind of position in a shop. If you walk into 9 out of 10 motorsports shops in the Orlando area and tell them that you're attending MMI and you're seeking employment, they will probably direct you to an unemployment agency. It's really kind of a joke. MMI students have a very poor reputation in the surrounding area both with employers and police.

Also if you ride a motorcycle to school and back - cover your required MMI shirt with a sweatshirt, leathers, another shirt, or even duct tape. Cops down here do NOT like MMI students or the problems that they bring.

If you do choose to attend - only pick out 2 electives. They will try to tell you that you need to do Suzuki, Kawi, Honda, and Yamaha. This is false.

I'm with Niner on this one. Get into a shop, bust your ass, and move up in the company. I've seen alot of Porters (Lot Lizzards - the kid who pushes bikes out front in the morning and does bitch work) move up to a technician, supervisor, service manager, and eventually manager.

There is money to be made in this industry if you have the right attitude and motivation. Goodluck. :hello

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

so basically i would be shooting myself in the foot and would be wasting alot of money?

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=Hazen;3188440]Simply put - No.

Depending on your current level of skill - MMI may or may not be a place where you could learn alot of facts about the way a motorcycle works.

If you're looking to spend a year and a half of your life and $27 grand in tuituon to take an engine apart and put it back together - than sure it's great.

There are alot of poor attitudes at that school - both from staff and students. There is a dress code and strict attendance rules. Missing time lowers your grades - even if you have an emergency, illness, or personal issue that prevents you from attending class. Miss 3 days of class in one semester - you attendance fail and have to pay for the class again.

If you do choose to attend MMI - don't think that it entitles you to any kind of position in a shop. If you walk into 9 out of 10 motorsports shops in the Orlando area and tell them that you're attending MMI and you're seeking employment, they will probably direct you to an unemployment agency. It's really kind of a joke. MMI students have a very poor reputation in the surrounding area both with employers and police.

Also if you ride a motorcycle to school and back - cover your required MMI shirt with a sweatshirt, leathers, another shirt, or even duct tape. Cops down here do NOT like MMI students or the problems that they bring.

If you do choose to attend - only pick out 2 electives. They will try to tell you that you need to do Suzuki, Kawi, Honda, and Yamaha. This is false.

I'm with Niner on this one. Get into a shop, bust your ass, and move up in the company. I've seen alot of Porters (Lot Lizzards - the kid who pushes bikes out front in the morning and does bitch work) move up to a technician, supervisor, service manager, and eventually manager.

There is money to be made in this industry if you have the right attitude and motivation. Goodluck. :hello[/quote]




your not going to make money being a tech without skills. I would go....hey would you rather know how to do it the right way....or some ghetto rig job...plus your not going to move up very quick having to beg everyone to teach you how to use the tire machine. Then when the bikes come in that need fork rebuilding, valve adjustmnent, timing adjustment or things of that nature your not going to be doing any of them! not going to make that much doing PDI's and cleaning bikes. :2cents

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=zride;3188619]your not going to make money being a tech without skills. I would go....hey would you rather know how to do it the right way....or some ghetto rig job...plus your not going to move up very quick having to beg everyone to teach you how to use the tire machine. Then when the bikes come in that need fork rebuilding, valve adjustmnent, timing adjustment or things of that nature your not going to be doing any of them! not going to make that much doing PDI's and cleaning bikes. :2cents[/quote]
I haven't been to MMI but I can use a tire machine, and do all of those other tasks. As long as you have basic knowledge spinning a wrech, you get a job at a shop and you will learn by doing probably faster than they could tech you at MMI. Plus you are already gaining senority and making money instead of wasting 2 years and 26K.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[QUOTE=s0nofg0d;3188541]so basically i would be shooting myself in the foot and would be wasting alot of money?[/QUOTE]

OK. I went in 02 to the Orlando campus. Hazen is correct the students do have a bad rep. in the local area with cops, apartment complexes, and local shops. They are real strict on the dress code and attendance. I got top tech in Suzuki! Got deans list on everything else Honda and Kawasaki! Never missed a day. Still started in a dealership at $8.00 hour. I am now the parts manager and no longer tech. So if you want I will sell you my books and notes (all in plastic pages and highlighted). I was serious about this venture. LOL. It did cost me $20,000 out of pocket for 13 months of school. I will sell it for $5,000! LOL! It was a good experience but it is not the only way to get the job done!

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

yup i've thought about the mmi thing alot and realized i dont want to waste my gibill on something that gets me nowhere. i've been doing cable and satellite television for the navy for the last 6 years, maybe i should just continue with that? comcast or something along those lines. fuck the military i'm out. i am definitely mechanically minded and always have been, but i need to put food on the table. being a bike mechanic in the bike capitol of the world aint going to cut it, maybe in montana it would, but not down there. perhaps a diesel mechanic or one of those dudes that drives a van out to rescue broken down 18 wheelers, they make serious cheddar

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[quote=Danger_Dave;3188769]yup i've thought about the mmi thing alot and realized i dont want to waste my gibill on something that gets me nowhere. i've been doing cable and satellite television for the navy for the last 6 years, maybe i should just continue with that? i am definitely mechanically minded and always have been, but i need to put food on the table. being a bike mechanic in the bike capitol of the world aint going to cut it, maybe in montana it would, but not down there. perhaps a diesel mechanic or one of those dudes that drives a van out to rescue broken down 18 wheelers, they make serious cheddar[/quote]
You used to be able to make decent cash doing low voltage wiring in residential and new construction if you had your own company. With the way the housing/ construction business is now, I'm not so sure.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

Lol work at your local post office they make some ok cash

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

edgeman68 u couldent be more wrong.. starting @ the bottom n having the more experienced tech's show u hands on thats how u learn.. and even if u graduate from MMI u aint making no money... they gona pay u dirt untill you show them u can disassemble a motor and reassemble it so it WORKS...And still u arent gona be making much more than 20 bucks an hour if that..

Now im not saying every1 that went to MMI has no idea wat they doing... Just the ones ive seen from MMI have no idea wat they doing... ive been workin @ dealerships/shops for over 6 years and u learn by doing.. HANDS ON IS EVERYTHING.. u cant watch some1 do it and think u got it, you do it over n over untill you good @ it.. The last place i worked was in mineola "suzuki-yamaha" dealership he told me he'd start me @ 14 an hour to see what i knew.. i did every job under the sun including a motor rebuild so i ask for the $ i was promised... they said flat out "no" so i packed my shit n left time to start something else..

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

if i took just the honda course would that be worth it or a no?

i just got really high the other day and realized i do nothing but fix my bike and work my ass off in a factory and that is all ive done basically for 4 years.

when it comes to mechanics im better than the average joe but no expert.

i was just thinking if i was going to re-locate my life with a career school is the only way to go about doing this

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

and i cant just start my way at the bottom and work my way up cause i cant live off of 8.00 a hr im in debt too much and have a expensive lifestyle

i work 50-60hrs a week at a factory just to be able to live with food and beer in my fridge

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

no way! what a joke, you might see somthing positive come out of it, like a low paying job at a local shop, but more than likley its just going to putt you in debt.

work your way up from the bottom! and make money doing it!

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

just my opinion though

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

damn glad i posted this here i was really looking foward to investing alot of money in myself at school

well i guess i'll just stay at my job.....

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

well, as a graduate from MMI (orlando), the school may be expensive and there may be a few young morons there wasting their time, but if your serious and absorb the knowledge and skills your there to learn you can be successful once you graduate. Alot of things said about the school are true: not enough bikes, dated lab material (bikes, etc...), but mechanical knowledge is just that, mechanical knowledge. All bikes whether old or new are all the same (theoretically). eg: Carbs or fuel injectors, fuel delivery is fuel delivery. The school also opened more than a few doors and opportunities for me to be successful. And now, i know leaders in many aspects of the industry. I graduated summer '06 and now work in a performance shop working on every model bike imaginable and make pretty good money doing so. As many other shops do i started on a temp pay, but three months later i was making more than the tech who had been there 2 years (also a MMI grad). Like in any industry, most shops will pay you what you are worth...so if your fast and consistent you'll make the money , if not then you wont. So again, like anything in life, you get out of the school and the career what you put into it.

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

[QUOTE=s0nofg0d;3186793]is this school worth it if i want to pursue a carreer in motorcycle mechanics?[/QUOTE]
no, its not. Ive been wrenching on bikes since 2000. Ive worked at pretty much every major shop in the area and usually made as much/ [I]more[/I] than schooled techs. A perfect example is this (first hand) I work with a great tech from mmi, our hourly pay is about the same (I make 1$ more per hour), however my commission is about 10$ more per flat rate hour. :2cents

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

you wanna make some more serious cash (60K in a somewhat urban area)???

No Joke.....become a nurse.....male nurses make bank around here for doing very little. Guy I went to school with did about a year and a half in school, got a nursing degree, worked at a smaller hospital and was making 50K his first year....had his own house, couple cars, couple bikes.

Granted, he didnt have a family, and didnt live too expensive (drank cheap alcohol with friends versus at the bar), but he was doing well for himself at 20!

just a thought

Re: mmi school is it worth the time?
 

i would do mmi if i could get 15 bucks an hour, but something tells me down in otown bike mechanics are a dime a dozen and probly get 8 bucks an hour. and that aint gonna cut it for me. i pull $700 bucks a week in the service, plus housing and food, granted i dont work 40 hours a week, its more like 100, but still 400 bucks a week aint gonna cut it for me