school

[HondaRC51]

ok so im going o mmi but a lot  of ppl  are telling me that that wont get into being a race mechanic.so then how would i become a race mechanic.i dont knwo that much about motorcycles but enough to know thats what i want to do for a living.if speed secrets are learned by experience then are there n e teams out there that want to teach me.like ill go to the races with u and kinda hang around your pits but not be in the way. you know kinda like an apprentice.take in some good information.Then when i get good enough ill work for your team.if n e body comes out to road atlanta then that would be better.i live right next to it.but i would go to n e track that is close by.

[Dawn]

One helpful hint.

Use upper and lower case to post and use complete words without abbreviations.  An abbreviation used by one may be mis-read by another.

Your request could be interpreted as a job request, perhaps it should be posted as such.

My $0.02

Good Luck!

Dawn   :)

[Dawn]

I just looked a your profile to see where you were located and noticed that you posted that you were 16.  CCS will not allow you in the pits unless you have a legal guardian sign a waiver for you. So - - you would have to bring a parent along to get you in or wait until you are 18.  

You may want to try getting a part time job at a local cycle shop.  Even if it is cleaning up or tasks not in the mechanics shop, at least your foot is in the door. You would be amazed at the knowledge you could pick up.

Dawn   :)

[Super Dave]

I'd agree there.  Learn how wheels go on, how to "properly" adjust a chain.  Go to a Motocross event where the legality isn't so harsh.  Learning by experiencing things would be better.  It's a long road to getting where you want.  And there isn't much money in it.

[james-redsv]

One of the best things to do is get a CDL drivers license along with the MMI schooling. Most mechancs have to drive the rig to the races as well as wrench on the bikes. You will be one step ahead of all the rest if you can drive a big rig. ;D

[motomadness]

Do you like chemistry, physics and computers?  Being a race mechanic is not simply being able to spin a wrench.  Fundamental understanding of the various motorcycle systems - combustion processes, suspension motion, vehicle geometry, among many other things will bolster your chances at being on a team.  

Note:  there are tons of race mechanics out there, but what separates the shade tree mechanics from the Merlyn Plumlee's (Honda AMA Superbike), Gary Taylor's (Suzuki MotoGP), Claudio Domenicali's (Ducati MotoGP) of the world.  If you don't dream big, no one else will do it for you.

Also, you don't have to be an engineer to be one of these guys.  Many of the mechanics working the pits in the AMA haven't even been formally trained motorcycle mechanics (some are auto mechanics with applicable skills).  I know, because I've asked.  If you are only 16 now, I suspect you still have two more years of high school left.  Save your money this summer and buy a dirtbike, a completely wrecked one.  Spend the Fall and the Winter fixing it to exact specifications.  Then try riding it in the Spring.  Afterwords, experiment, experiment, experiment.  Change the timing, the spark plugs, the tires, the engine oils, the suspension oils, the shift pattern.  See how close you can get to destroying the bike without actually doing it or killing yourself.  At that time, you will have a wealth of experience even before you go get some formal education (a must for personal knowledge and employability outside of racing) and are really ready to work on a top team.

[Team_Nuclear]

Forget MMI. Apprentice at a local shop. Find a small race team, and ask them if they need help. Save every penny you can and buy QUALITY Tools. Get a degree as an ME.

Delvelop a strong work ethic, understand that you will never get to WATCH the races! :) Develop a plan and a system to do everythign that you touch on ANY motorcycle. Attention to detail is the key for sucess in racing.

Good luck

[motomadness]

Speaking as someone that has two Mechanical Engineering degrees, I would say a degree is not necessary if you have the aptitude to learn complex things quickly.  Engineering degrees really only teach you how to approach a problems, not really how to solve them.  Many of the really hard problems can be answered by someone with fewer degree, but has years of practical knowledge and intuition.  Why do you think teams practice so much?  A lot of it is because no computer simulation can account for a real world test with racer y at track z, or racer v at track x.

Personally, I chose to start racing to build my skill level.  Like I said I have two ME degrees, both related to dynamics and controls.  Mathematically I could probably solve any problem that was "given" to me, but there in lies the problem, I lack the practical knowledge required to formulate the problem.  I would say it's  due to the fact it's not taught in any book, nor are there many people that even know what the formulas are, or how to successfully approach the variety of problems.  Maybe if you go to a university in Italy where you can get your doctorate in motorcycle engineering you'll be set.

I bet most pro race mechanics can solve problems by building something, welding something or reprogramming something faster and sometime better than a lot of engineers (at least the rookie engineers.)

Understand that you really have to push yourself to be good at your craft.  If you make a mistake, learn from it and try to do better the next time (learn what you didn't know before).  Always seek a better way to do something, it may give you an advantage.

Think about this: you can always get a Mech Eng degree after MMI.  I would suggest this path more than getting the Mech Eng degree first.

[motomadness]

On the QUALITY tools part:

Team Nuclear is correct, get quality tools, but some times lesser quality items will teach more about finesse and retrofitting.

Remember you are young, do almost whatever you must just to learn.  There's always 100 different ways to approach a problem.  How many ways are stored in your mental roledex?  Learn how to do thing correctly and to spec, but also experimental with what happens if you don't.

Here's something to investigate:
Why do some racers say looser is fasterbetter, even when the spec says otherwise?  What happens to your reliability.

[Team_Nuclear]

I agree with Motomadness to a point, but  as a semi retired Factory wrench, Ill tell you this much... A degree gets you in the door. Amar Bazazz was hired at Yoshimura without ever really turning a wrench on a bike, for example.

Create a plan. Always work to be the best you can. Everyone makes mistakes, always admit yours and work as quickly as you can to fix em before anyone else sees them! READ, everything, anywhere, and as often as you can.

If you look at a foctory or even semi factory pit, you see that there is no mess and clutter. Tools go back as soon as you are done with them, everything gets cleaned, and put away. You wont see craftsman tools in a foctory pit, they just arent good enough, and dont fit well enough, and as such destroy most of the bolts they touch.

Learn about Fluid mechanics (suspension) Laminar flow (head work, air management) Computers (data aq) and learn how to drive a big rig, and keep your DL spotless (so you can drive the transporter)

[tigerblade]

Amar Bazazz was hired at Yoshimura without ever really turning a wrench on a bike, for example.

Sorry for the tangent, but was he the data aquisition guy?  That's becoming an important job!

[motomadness]

I guess what I meant by the lesser tools was just to say don't wait until you have the best tools.  Although having the correct tool does aid you in getting to the answer quicker.  Buy smart and as often as you can.

Hey, you're young, just play with the stuff before you have to get too serious about it.  If you can have fun while at the same time pay attention to details and have the confidence to know that no problem is ever too big, then you may be able to make a lifelong career out it.

Trust me, if you are 30 and hating your job, it won't necessarily get any better at 32, but if you're 21 and want to do something different, you've got the youth on your side.  That statement probably won't make any sense to you until you are about 28.  ;D