Another newb and a question about MMI

xxgreenfirexx · 10-09-2007, 05:57 PM

Ok, here I am, the newbie on the block. So hello to everyone.
I also have a question to start off with......
I will be going to MMI in PHX, AZ next year. I am having a hard time trying to decide which manufacturer would be the smartest to get certified with...Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, HD, Suzuki, etc. My ultimate goal is to have a shop. Which do you think would be the most lucrative and give me the most work? Which manufacturer's bike do you think is the most ridden out there?

Nice to meet you all.

Traci

Bullzaye · 10-09-2007, 07:00 PM

Hi. Welcome to the forum Traci.
Well, that's kind of a tough one. It seems to me that all brands are pretty well represented. I mean, I see lots of H-Ds, lots of Hondas, Kawis, Yamahas, & Suzukis. But also, there are a fair amount of BMWs, & a few Ducs & Triumphs. I think there are only 3 H-D dealerships, but there are probably a dozen or more for Honda/Kawi/Yama/Suzuki. I will try to check the yellow pages, see how many dealerships there really are.
When you come next year, try to come no later than early spring. Unless you're coming from a very warm clime...'cuz that'll give you a bit of time to acclimate yourself.
Good luck,
Tim

xxgreenfirexx · 10-09-2007, 07:27 PM

Thanks for the welcome, Tim!

Once my husband comes home from Afghanistan, we will be selling our house and moving to that area in May or Jun. I am currently in NE AZ in the white mountains area (about 18 miles from the NM border and close to 300 miles from PHX). We previously lived in Sierra Vista/Ft Huachuca. I know it will be a lot hotter in PHX than it is here, but at least I am somewhat used to the climate there!

I've been told that if we want to open a repair shop, we should probably do it far away from MMI, due to too much competition. Yes, please tell me what you can find as I would be greatly interested. We are leaning towards Yamaha and HD as our manufacturer certs, but I'd like to make the best decision possible!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullzaye

Hi. Welcome to the forum Traci.
Well, that's kind of a tough one. It seems to me that all brands are pretty well represented. I mean, I see lots of H-Ds, lots of Hondas, Kawis, Yamahas, & Suzukis. But also, there are a fair amount of BMWs, & a few Ducs & Triumphs. I think there are only 3 H-D dealerships, but there are probably a dozen or more for Honda/Kawi/Yama/Suzuki. I will try to check the yellow pages, see how many dealerships there really are.
When you come next year, try to come no later than early spring. Unless you're coming from a very warm clime...'cuz that'll give you a bit of time to acclimate yourself.
Good luck,
Tim

Guy · 10-09-2007, 08:31 PM

Welcome to the forum, and best of luck in MMI and setting up a shop.

Alpha Male · 10-09-2007, 08:47 PM

I'd say get certified in H-D. Sales figures show that they're the undisputed king of the market right now, so you wouldn't run out of stuff to work on. Air-cooled V-Twins have the biggest share out there right now. If you're certified on H-D, other similar brands (Victory, Indian, Big Dog, high-buck customs, etc.) will come easily. Just my 2 cents' worth...

xxgreenfirexx · 10-09-2007, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guy

Welcome to the forum, and best of luck in MMI and setting up a shop.

Thanks! It will take a while, but we will see it happen.

xxgreenfirexx · 10-09-2007, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpha Male

I'd say get certified in H-D. Sales figures show that they're the undisputed king of the market right now, so you wouldn't run out of stuff to work on. Air-cooled V-Twins have the biggest share out there right now. If you're certified on H-D, other similar brands (Victory, Indian, Big Dog, high-buck customs, etc.) will come easily. Just my 2 cents' worth...

Thanks for the reply. So if you had the choice between screaming eagle specifically and HD, which would it be?
I'm thinking HD, but I'm always interested in different points of view.............

Bullzaye · 10-09-2007, 11:34 PM

The more I've thought about it, the less sure i am that this info would really be useful at all. But, here's what I found in the Metro Phoenix yellow pages.
Kawasaki : 8 dealerships
Polaris: 7 dealerships...but I suspect many of these are PWCs or ATVs.
H-D : 4 dealerships
Honda : 4 dealerships
Triumph/Ducati : 3 dealerships
BMW : 2 dealerships
Suzuki : 1 dealership
Yamaha : 1 dealership

I suspect there are more Suzuki/Yamaha dealerships somewhere, but just not in the Phoenix "Metro" area. In any case...does more dealerships mean more of that make on the road, therefore more need for maintenance shops...or does it mean the market may already be saturated for that brand? Maybe the brand with less dealerships is actually under-represented? Ahhh...whatever.
The notion about H-D knowledge transferring to Victorys and Indians, etc...seems valid to me.
Good luck.
Tim

extro90vert · 10-09-2007, 11:42 PM

My son grew up in an independent shop. He's been working on bikes since he ws nine. He's an MMI grad, all makes certified & specialized in HD. He went on to get the HD PHDs, and has worked in a HD shop foor a couple of years, a BMW shop and is head mechanic at a Jap shop.

The HD shop had decent benefits but didn't pay very well. He spent a lot of time setting up new bikes and adding accessories. The BMW shop was mostly oil and tire changes and adding accessories. He's happier now that he's fixing bikes, plus 2 hours a day shorter commute, better pay and benefits. He's being recruited by another HD shop to be their service manager for a pretty good jump in pay, but then there's that commute again.

He moonlights out of his own garage and makes good money, but we're not sure if an independent shop would make it through the lean times. There's a lot of angles to be considered. I've been looking at commercial building, and the cost is right up there. Toss in upkeep, remodeling, utilites, taxes, you get the picture. We'd have to steal away a lot of service work to stay in business.

MMI was great for him. They found him work in a Phoenix shop to help pay the bills, and they are a hell of a reference. It does take time to get the experience to make the money no matter where you work. Whatever way you go, good luck.

xxgreenfirexx · 10-10-2007, 12:38 AM

Thanks for your reply, ex!
Erik and I have talked about the need for experience after graduation.
Out of curiosity, what is considered "good pay" for a bike mechanic in the PHX area and is it decent pay to live on, in regards to the economic atmosphere in PHX (i.e., cost of homes, living expenses, etc). If anyone else knows the answer to this question, I would appreciate a comeback on it from them as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by extro90vert

My son grew up in an independent shop. He's been working on bikes since he ws nine. He's an MMI grad, all makes certified & specialized in HD. He went on to get the HD PHDs, and has worked in a HD shop foor a couple of years, a BMW shop and is head mechanic at a Jap shop.

The HD shop had decent benefits but didn't pay very well. He spent a lot of time setting up new bikes and adding accessories. The BMW shop was mostly oil and tire changes and adding accessories. He's happier now that he's fixing bikes, plus 2 hours a day shorter commute, better pay and benefits. He's being recruited by another HD shop to be their service manager for a pretty good jump in pay, but then there's that commute again.

He moonlights out of his own garage and makes good money, but we're not sure if an independent shop would make it through the lean times. There's a lot of angles to be considered. I've been looking at commercial building, and the cost is right up there. Toss in upkeep, remodeling, utilites, taxes, you get the picture. We'd have to steal away a lot of service work to stay in business.

MMI was great for him. They found him work in a Phoenix shop to help pay the bills, and they are a hell of a reference. It does take time to get the experience to make the money no matter where you work. Whatever way you go, good luck.

extro90vert · 10-10-2007, 12:58 PM

He worked in Phoenix while attending MMI. He's back in Iowa now. He's making around $17 as the head mechanic. He's looking at around $50K as the shop foreman/service mgr at an HD shop.

10-10-2007, 01:10 PM

HD sells about 360K bikes a year, I would think that would be your best bet for opportunities.

I know of 7 or 8 HD dealers within an hour of me, 3 Yamaha, 4 Honda, 2 Suzuki, 2 Kaw, 1 Ducati/Triumph/BMW, but those are just the ones off of the top of my head.

xxgreenfirexx · 10-10-2007, 04:10 PM

those figures aren't too bad...Thanks for the info!

Quote:

Originally Posted by extro90vert

He worked in Phoenix while attending MMI. He's back in Iowa now. He's making around $17 as the head mechanic. He's looking at around $50K as the shop foreman/service mgr at an HD shop.

xxgreenfirexx · 10-10-2007, 04:11 PM

Yeah, I htink you guys are right....HD it is.
We can always get cert'd in the others later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uesque

HD sells about 360K bikes a year, I would think that would be your best bet for opportunities.

I know of 7 or 8 HD dealers within an hour of me, 3 Yamaha, 4 Honda, 2 Suzuki, 2 Kaw, 1 Ducati/Triumph/BMW, but those are just the ones off of the top of my head.

10-09-2007, 05:57 PM	#1
xxgreenfirexx Motorcyclist Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 13	Another newb and a question about MMI Ok, here I am, the newbie on the block. So hello to everyone. I also have a question to start off with...... I will be going to MMI in PHX, AZ next year. I am having a hard time trying to decide which manufacturer would be the smartest to get certified with...Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, HD, Suzuki, etc. My ultimate goal is to have a shop. Which do you think would be the most lucrative and give me the most work? Which manufacturer's bike do you think is the most ridden out there? Nice to meet you all. Traci

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10-09-2007, 07:00 PM	#2
Bullzaye Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 226	Hi. Welcome to the forum Traci. Well, that's kind of a tough one. It seems to me that all brands are pretty well represented. I mean, I see lots of H-Ds, lots of Hondas, Kawis, Yamahas, & Suzukis. But also, there are a fair amount of BMWs, & a few Ducs & Triumphs. I think there are only 3 H-D dealerships, but there are probably a dozen or more for Honda/Kawi/Yama/Suzuki. I will try to check the yellow pages, see how many dealerships there really are. When you come next year, try to come no later than early spring. Unless you're coming from a very warm clime...'cuz that'll give you a bit of time to acclimate yourself. Good luck, Tim

10-09-2007, 08:31 PM	#4
Guy COUNCIL MEMBER Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 507	Welcome to the forum, and best of luck in MMI and setting up a shop.

10-09-2007, 08:47 PM	#5
Alpha Male Verified Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 33	I'd say get certified in H-D. Sales figures show that they're the undisputed king of the market right now, so you wouldn't run out of stuff to work on. Air-cooled V-Twins have the biggest share out there right now. If you're certified on H-D, other similar brands (Victory, Indian, Big Dog, high-buck customs, etc.) will come easily. Just my 2 cents' worth...

10-09-2007, 11:34 PM	#8
Bullzaye Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 226	The more I've thought about it, the less sure i am that this info would really be useful at all. But, here's what I found in the Metro Phoenix yellow pages. Kawasaki : 8 dealerships Polaris: 7 dealerships...but I suspect many of these are PWCs or ATVs. H-D : 4 dealerships Honda : 4 dealerships Triumph/Ducati : 3 dealerships BMW : 2 dealerships Suzuki : 1 dealership Yamaha : 1 dealership I suspect there are more Suzuki/Yamaha dealerships somewhere, but just not in the Phoenix "Metro" area. In any case...does more dealerships mean more of that make on the road, therefore more need for maintenance shops...or does it mean the market may already be saturated for that brand? Maybe the brand with less dealerships is actually under-represented? Ahhh...whatever. The notion about H-D knowledge transferring to Victorys and Indians, etc...seems valid to me. Good luck. Tim

10-09-2007, 11:42 PM	#9
extro90vert Verified Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The east coast of Iowa. Posts: 26	My son grew up in an independent shop. He's been working on bikes since he ws nine. He's an MMI grad, all makes certified & specialized in HD. He went on to get the HD PHDs, and has worked in a HD shop foor a couple of years, a BMW shop and is head mechanic at a Jap shop. The HD shop had decent benefits but didn't pay very well. He spent a lot of time setting up new bikes and adding accessories. The BMW shop was mostly oil and tire changes and adding accessories. He's happier now that he's fixing bikes, plus 2 hours a day shorter commute, better pay and benefits. He's being recruited by another HD shop to be their service manager for a pretty good jump in pay, but then there's that commute again. He moonlights out of his own garage and makes good money, but we're not sure if an independent shop would make it through the lean times. There's a lot of angles to be considered. I've been looking at commercial building, and the cost is right up there. Toss in upkeep, remodeling, utilites, taxes, you get the picture. We'd have to steal away a lot of service work to stay in business. MMI was great for him. They found him work in a Phoenix shop to help pay the bills, and they are a hell of a reference. It does take time to get the experience to make the money no matter where you work. Whatever way you go, good luck.

10-10-2007, 12:58 PM	#11
extro90vert Verified Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The east coast of Iowa. Posts: 26	He worked in Phoenix while attending MMI. He's back in Iowa now. He's making around $17 as the head mechanic. He's looking at around $50K as the shop foreman/service mgr at an HD shop.

10-10-2007, 01:10 PM	#12
Uesque Guest Posts: n/a	HD sells about 360K bikes a year, I would think that would be your best bet for opportunities. I know of 7 or 8 HD dealers within an hour of me, 3 Yamaha, 4 Honda, 2 Suzuki, 2 Kaw, 1 Ducati/Triumph/BMW, but those are just the ones off of the top of my head.