"I was always a tomboy," says Michaeline Koffman.
She owns her own bike shop in Long Beach, California. "I used to ride dirt
bikes when I was a kid, then I was into street bikes. After that, I got into
Harleys."
Koffman grew up riding bikes with her uncles and brothers. A career involving
motorcycles would seem like a natural choice, but it wasn't easy.
Koffman says the most challenging aspect of this career from her standpoint
has got to be the male ego. "To be a woman in a male-dominated field, the
level of respect is not there. I had to work 10 times harder to prove myself."
Fortunately, Koffman didn't let this deter her dreams. She worked in shops
as a motorcycle mechanic for eight years.
"By being a woman, I was told many times that I couldn't do it. I was told
people would never take me seriously," she says.
"This may sound cliche, but follow your dreams. Don't listen to anybody
who tells you that you can't do it.
"This is what I love. If you can create your life's work out of one of
your favorite hobbies, it's the best goal in life. Don't let anyone get you
down."
A customer's appreciative smile when she delivers a bike that she has built
for them makes it all worth it.
Dwight Osterhout is a mechanics instructor. Motorcycles have been an important
part of his life for the past 35 years. "I got interested in riding motorcycles.
As the years went by, I started fixing my own as I learned more about them."
When he reached his early 30s, Osterhout decided to make a career change.
His wife casually suggested that he consider fixing motorcycles, since he
was always fixing his own anyway. "I thought, all it takes is a course. So
I signed up, took a course, and I've been working in the industry since."
What keeps him in this field? "It's one of those professions where you
can actually look forward to going to work each day, because you're working
on people's toys."
He finds working on electrical systems on motorcycles to be the most challenging
part of the job. He says most technicians would agree. "It's an area where
we spend a great deal of training to make sure the skill level of people going
into the industry is quite high," adds Osterhout.
Without a doubt, satisfied customers rank first in his book of most rewarding
experiences in this field. "When they come back and tell you that their bike
runs a lot better, and they're happy with it, that's definitely most rewarding."
If you're a motorcycle enthusiast, and wealth is not a priority in considering
your career plans, this could be a fun occupation for you.
"The secret is that you have to do it because you love doing it," says
shop owner Douglas Houghton. He is an independent contractor in Nashville.
He has been working on BMW motorcycles.
"There are dealerships that are really not a lot of fun to work at, but
if you want to make a career out of it, you can."
Osterhout says the living is decent, but not exceptional. "But it's definitely
fun. You can look forward to going to work each day."
Houghton jokes that he first became interested in motorcycles when he was
an infant. "I'm one of those die-hard gear head guys. I knew I would work
with cars or motorcycles."
By his senior year in high school, Houghton had his sites set on a career
as a motorcycle mechanic. Six months after he graduated, he attended the American
Motorcycle Institute (AMI) in Daytona, Florida.
This is an institution that he highly recommends. "AMI is the best. Period,"
says Houghton. "Anyone who graduates there will get a job right off the bat.
They might not offer you the money that you want, but you will get a job offer."
After graduating from AMI, he worked at BMW of Daytona. Today, BMWs are
his specialty. "BMW is the most prestigious European brand," says Houghton.
He says most people who drive them are lawyers and doctors, and range in age
from 30 to 60.
"Your reputation is very important in this business," says Houghton. "It
took me five years to build up a clientele."
He says it really says something when customers like you. "That's what
I thrive on, when customers call back to say that their motorcycle runs better
after I've worked on it," says Houghton.
The most challenging aspect of his job is also something he enjoys -- figuring
out a problem that someone else can't fix, like a weird electrical problem.
His advice to interested students, after they go through training, is to
become friends with the oldest tech in the shop and watch him.
"Although you learn a lot in school, you learn a lot more
from watching the experienced guys," says Houghton. "When I first started
out, I learned a lot from watching an old guy named George.
"I love this job, but it's not for everyone," says Houghton. "I don't make
a lot of money, but it's my passion."