Two Wheel Motorsports

They had a sign out looking for a bike and sled mechanic when I was there in the fall. Not sure about here, but a big problem in BC with recruiting bike mechanics was the demand from shops that they provide all their own tools. Not many kids want to spend thousands in tools for an $18/hr job.
 
I'm not commenting on whether it's fair or not, but it did lead to issues in BC where it became very difficult for shops to find new blood. If good people are easy to find, fair enough. If you're struggling to fill a vacancy and losing business as a result? Maybe it's worth at least looking at getting creative about how to find talented people and lowering the barriers to entry.

I know when I asked about getting a safety done in the summer, Two Wheel told me it would be a two month wait if I needed it scheduled, which meant I took my business elsewhere and will continue to do so. Two months for a job as straightforward as that suggests a shortage of employees.
 
justride said:
$18/hr for a licensed motorcycle mechanic?
might as well set up your own little shop in your garage!
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Apprentice rate, but the tool requirement stands. Not sure what a licensed tech actually makes, to be honest. Was never comfortable asking friends!
 
$1000 in tools should be enough to get you in the trade
 
I was told it was significantly more than that, especially when you include chests etc. Then again, the guy who told me that is a tool fetishist, and regularly posts on Instagram his recent purchases from the Snap-On van, MAC tools and other specialty kit...
 
Only time I had a bike serviced there - they installed the thermostat on my Kawi incorrectly, started the bike and sprayed coolant everywhere. My sales experience there was great, but service not so much.


Sent from my iPad using GTAMotorcycle.com
 
Does "tools" mean specialty tools as well or just the basics? Basics you could get by with 1k, but if they expect you to have that special bmw clutch basket tool and the suzuki swingarm mount tool, the motion pro fork spring compression tool etc etc its going to get insanely expensive real quick.
 
robertv19 said:
Only time I had a bike serviced there - they installed the thermostat on my Kawi incorrectly, started the bike and sprayed coolant everywhere. My sales experience there was great, but service not so much.


Sent from my iPad using GTAMotorcycle.com
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This, I dont have experience with their service department, but their sales guys are usually good
 
They are looking for a service manager, I thought the guy was named steve that was there, if so he was with them from the beginning when they was down in the old building south on hwy6
 
ToSlow said:
They are looking for a service manager, I thought the guy was named steve that was there, if so he was with them from the beginning when they was down in the old building south on hwy6
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Steve Allen is the GM, not the service manager. Maybe there were two Steve’s but I seem to recall it being a different name. I was never impressed with the service manager, but Steve Allen is a really good guy and has been there a long, long time.
 
So is Steve Allen the GM or Jens Christensen? or both. The steve i was referring to sets by the parts department for the people who has been there before
 
ToSlow said:
$1000 in tools should be enough to get you in the trade
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Yes and no....

They need to include the chests and decent ones (with good locks) as the drawers will be constantly opening and closing (typical cheapo home grade will not last long). Full sets of wrenches combo, flare, tight fit, stubby, sockets shallow/deep and some mid 1/4 3/8 1/2 drive, chrome and impact, ratchets. hex sets, torx, inverted/e torx, feeler gauges, micrometers, compression and vacuum gauges, air tools, good quality torque wrenches, many hammers (ball,deadblow,mallets), good drill and bits, maybe some JIS stuff..... metric and likely SAE for everything (hopefully no Whitworth!) depending on what you are working on. Decent quality (higher end name brand big box to start is mostly good enough in the beginning) to not screw up and round bolts etc. and damage customer bikes. Keep in mind that the usual Mastercraft higher end sets skip important sizes so they need to buy not just sets on sale but many individuals. THEN anything that is specialty for certain bikes (I have half a dozen, some bought some home made just for my Ducati)... Likely hitting closer to 3K maybe 5K to have most of the "basics". Time is also money (compared to home mech) so they will usually have at least two of the most common hand tool items listed and some fancier basic tools (like zero turn ratchets, offset, S and U wrenches, etc.) that speed up the job. AND a couple of dozen 10mm socekts...

That is before entering the Snap-On/ MAC etc. trucks of course. Double, triple, quadruple there... Of course they offer credit.... so even more $$$sss.

It is not cheap, as a well equipped home hobbyist...I am well over 1K just for my bicycle tools (due to all the specialty stuff). Car/Motorcycle mechanic stuff I don't really want to know but an easy 10 to 20K (not all bought at once, over 35 or so years....) in my shop. $50 here, $100 there....all adds up fast.
 
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backmarkerducati said:
Yes and no....

They need to include the chests and decent ones (with good locks) as the drawers will be constantly opening and closing (typical cheapo home grade will not last long). Full sets of wrenches combo, flare, tight fit, stubby, sockets shallow/deep and some mid 1/4 3/8 1/2 drive, chrome and impact, ratchets. hex sets, torx, inverted/e torx, feeler gauges, micrometers, compression and vacuum gauges, air tools, good quality torque wrenches, many hammers (ball,deadblow,mallets), good drill and bits, maybe some JIS stuff..... metric and likely SAE for everything (hopefully no Whitworth!) depending on what you are working on. Decent quality (higher end name brand big box to start is mostly good enough in the beginning) to not screw up and round bolts etc. and damage customer bikes. Keep in mind that the usual Mastercraft higher end sets skip important sizes so they need to buy not just sets on sale but many individuals. THEN anything that is specialty for certain bikes (I have half a dozen, some bought some home made just for my Ducati)... Likely hitting closer to 3K maybe 5K to have most of the "basics". Time is also money (compared to home mech) so they will usually have at least two of the most common hand tool items listed and some fancier basic tools (like zero turn ratchets, offset, S and U wrenches, etc.) that speed up the job. AND a couple of dozen 10mm socekts...

That is before entering the Snap-On/ MAC etc. trucks of course. Double, triple, quadruple there... Of course they offer credit.... so even more $$$sss.

It is not cheap, as a well equipped home hobbyist...I am well over 1K just for my bicycle tools (due to all the specialty stuff). Car/Motorcycle mechanic stuff I don't really want to know but an easy 10 to 20K (not all bought at once, over 35 or so years....) in my shop. $50 here, $100 there....all adds up fast.
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I was told $3-5k, but all second hand info from a confirmed tool obsessive, so I assumed somewhat less. The above adds up, though, especially when you start to add decent specialty tools like cylinder hones and vacuum gauges. A good consumer grade chest/cabinet will set you back well over a grand. I just looked at a 36" Snap-On cabinet/chest combo ('Classic') and it was almost $7,000 USD...

Yikes.
 
You can run down to the local CT and spend a grand and have enough tools to do the most jobs that are passed your way, For the specialty tools they will or should be supplied by the shop.

Keep in mind most techs are always adding to there box.
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