Where have all the mechanics gone?
You’ll no doubt be aware of the skills shortage that has long been discussed in local media and, I suspect, it’s going to effect motorcycling.
The expansion of the market to over 100,000 new units in a year will put pressure on the existing pool of mechanics and I suspect we’re already seeing signs of it.
I got a shock the other day when I rang the local Honda shop to book Ms M’s 1982 CBX550 in for a service. They ummed and ahhed a bit, consulted with the boss and said, yep they could squeeze it in for a date 12 days away. 12 days – it used to be a couple, at worst.
The hesitation was that they were reluctant to take it at all. The shop now has a policy where it does not work on anything pre-1990. For a variety of reasons, they made an exception in this case.
From a customer point of view, I was at first a little miffed. Why accept my 2000 Valkyrie but not my older bike? Then again, it’s their business and they’re entitled to set policy. And, if truth be known, it (Redwing) runs an excellent workshop, so I was concerned about finding somewhere as good for the older machinery as we also have a 1980 CB250. If they’re flat-out, and actually over-run with work, they have to make some hard decisions. It’s already a big set-up, so limitless expansion is not realistic.
This is not a new phenomenon. Many specialist dealers (e.g. Harley and BMW) long ago started encouraging the owners of old machines to go to shops that specialised in them, while the dealership stuck to more recent stuff and preferably just simple servicing and upgrades. This is a practice adopted many years ago by the car industry.
One of the reasons is that there is good business in relatively straight-forward servicing. Most machines are beyond the abilities of most owners, so a substantial charge can seem reasonable, while the work itself is predictable and can be performed efficiently.
Older bikes are far less predictable and can often raise problems which are difficult to explain and charge for. I’ve had ample proof of this in recent times. In the case of one of our older vehicles, I’m frankly surprised the mechanic hasn’t issued orders to shoot on sight. The fact it’s usually delivered by 19-year-old and attractive daughter Ms A jnr is probably the only thing that’s saved us so far. Maybe she’s been practicing fluttering those eyelashes…
Specialist marques are reasonably well served in this area (in the capital cities, at least), but I strongly suspect there is a shortage of places willing (and most importantly, able) to take on the older Japanese stuff. This is likely to get worse rather than better in short term, while the market booms. Particularly since a lot of the existing talent, which cut its teeth in the boom of the 1970s, is reaching retirement age. One knowledgeable workshop near me shut down for this very reason.
The Ulysses Club has been encouraging motorcycle apprentices with an annual award, backed by Aprilia, and there is probably a need for more in this area. We’ve all heard about how kids are heading to uni, if they can, and abandoning trades – this may be one of the consequences. The irony is that the earning potential for many trades easily outstrips that of many university courses.
I really don’t want to go back to servicing my own machinery, mostly because I’m not all that good at it. As the pic (circa 1980) amply demonstrates, I’ve been at it for years but unfortunately experience has not translated into competence. Paying a real mechanic, while I work on something that I can do, and thus earn more money than I’ll save by twirling a spanner, makes sense.
Maybe the strong interest in classic Japanese machinery will represent an opportunity for a few mechanics who dreamed of starting up on their own. Time will tell…
You are always welcome to get in touch via the palatial MT offices at locked bag 12, Oakleigh 3166 or on the email at guy.allen@traderclassifieds.com.au.
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