Triumphrat

Alright, this is a bit out of the blue. I'd like to learn more about working on bikes (beyond changing the oil and the basics). Problem is, I'm an engineer who works full-time, so taking classes on motorcycle repair and bodywork is impossible for me to fit in. So, being a Triumph fan, I thought I'd ask the local dealership if they would consider letting me work in the garage, basically for free, during their Saturday hours. The primary deal would be allowing me to work with the mechanics to learn more about the processes & techniques. Pro is they get free help with the basic stuff, and as I learn more they get a tech with some knowledge. Con is that weekends are the only time I have free, so I can't offer much more than that. To me, it sounds like a fair trade. Just curious what the dealers and techs out there might think....Understand that I also plan on purchasing my Daytona 600 (or 650 now) from this shop, so I'd like to keep up a decent relationship with the dealership. Not a lot of Triumph dealers out there... :wink:

And yes, I AM a workaholic...

Alright, this is a bit out of the blue. I'd like to learn more about working on bikes (beyond changing the oil and the basics). Problem is, I'm an engineer who works full-time, so taking classes on motorcycle repair and bodywork is impossible for me to fit in. So, being a Triumph fan, I thought I'd ask the local dealership if they would consider letting me work in the garage, basically for free, during their Saturday hours. The primary deal would be allowing me to work with the mechanics to learn more about the processes & techniques. Pro is they get free help with the basic stuff, and as I learn more they get a tech with some knowledge. Con is that weekends are the only time I have free, so I can't offer much more than that. To me, it sounds like a fair trade. Just curious what the dealers and techs out there might think....Understand that I also plan on purchasing my Daytona 600 (or 650 now) from this shop, so I'd like to keep up a decent relationship with the dealership. Not a lot of Triumph dealers out there... :wink:

And yes, I AM a workaholic...

Depending on the shop, this might work out very well, as the weekends are the busiest days anyway. You might be starting out as a "lot tech" but you would still learn a lot. There have been people who began as lot techs who are now fully trained and factory certified technicians.

A person who no prior training is actually a financial drain for a while, even if being paid zilch, but the dealer might be willing to eat that in return for your help down the road, given your engineerng background and the odds that you would learn very rapidly.

For myself, I think this would be worthwhile just so you could learn what working for a dealership is really like. It would help offset the many long rants about dealers that are posted on the Internet, for one thing!

Again, depending on the dealership, working in the motorcycle business is just tremendously interesting and almost always a lot of fun. The only disadvantage is that is does not pay very well, and you have very neatly found a way around that!

Good luck,

Dave Preston
Cycle Barn
Seattle