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Motorcycle Mechanics

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, or similar motorized vehicles.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Replace defective parts, using hand tools, arbor presses, flexible power presses, or power tools.
    • Repair or adjust motorcycle subassemblies, such as forks, transmissions, brakes, or drive chains, according to specifications.
    • Listen to engines, examine vehicle frames, or confer with customers to determine nature and extent of malfunction or damage.
    • Dismantle engines and repair or replace defective parts, such as magnetos, carburetors, or generators.
    • Repair or replace other parts, such as headlights, horns, handlebar controls, gasoline or oil tanks, starters, or mufflers.
    • Install motorcycle accessories.
    • Reassemble frames and reinstall engines after repairs.
    • Mount, balance, change, or check condition or pressure of tires.
    • Mount, balance, change, or check condition or pressure of tires.
    • Repair or replace other parts, such as headlights, horns, handlebar controls, gasoline or oil tanks, starters, or mufflers.
    • Install motorcycle accessories.
    • Reassemble frames and reinstall engines after repairs.
    • Hammer out dents and bends in frames and weld tears and breaks.
    • Dismantle engines and repair or replace defective parts, such as magnetos, carburetors, or generators.
    • Connect test panels to engines and measure generator output, ignition timing, or other engine performance indicators.
    • Remove cylinder heads and grind valves to scrape off carbon and replace defective valves, pistons, cylinders, or rings, using hand and power tools.
    • Hammer out dents and bends in frames and weld tears and breaks.
    • Replace defective parts, using hand tools, arbor presses, flexible power presses, or power tools.
    • Disassemble subassembly units and examine condition, movement, or alignment of parts, visually or using gauges.
    • Repair or adjust motorcycle subassemblies, such as forks, transmissions, brakes, or drive chains, according to specifications.
    • Listen to engines, examine vehicle frames, or confer with customers to determine nature and extent of malfunction or damage.
    • Remove cylinder heads and grind valves to scrape off carbon and replace defective valves, pistons, cylinders, or rings, using hand and power tools.
    • Dismantle engines and repair or replace defective parts, such as magnetos, carburetors, or generators.
    • Reassemble and test subassembly units.
    • Reassemble and test subassembly units.

    Skills

    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.

    Abilities

    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    Knowledge

    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    Education

    Education
    Postsecondary certificate
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    Less than 1 month on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    47260/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    22.72/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    580
    Yearly Projected Openings
    50

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Perseverance
    • Cautiousness

    Tools

    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Angle measuring instrument
    • Automotive boring machine
    • Automotive exhaust emission analyzers
    • Automotive honing machine
    • Carburetor balancer
    • Chucks
    • Cleaning brushes
    • Compression pressure gauge
    • Crimping pliers
    • Dollies
    • Dynamometers
    • Engine or vehicle stands
    • Engine tune up tester
    • Grease lubricator
    • Hand reamer
    • Hex keys
    • Hold down clamps
    • Impact screwdriver
    • Magnetic tools
    • Manual press brake
    • Metal cutters
    • Metal inert gas welding machine
    • Multimeters
    • Oil changer
    • Oil gauges
    • Oil pumps
    • Pullers
    • Ratchets
    • Retaining ring pliers
    • Rivet tools
    • Screwdriver bits
    • Socket attachments and accessories
    • Socket sets
    • Sockets
    • Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter
    • Spanner wrenches
    • Spark plug gap gauge
    • Spark plug wrench
    • Specialty wrenches
    • Timing light
    • Tire changing machines
    • Tire depth gauge
    • Tire spreader
    • Torque wrenches
    • Torx keys
    • Tungsten inert gas welding machine
    • Valve refacer
    • Valve spring compressor
    • Vehicle jack
    • Vehicle lift
    • Vehicle parts washing machine
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Wheel balancing equipment
    • Wire twister

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Inventory management software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Point of sale POS software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software