A Crowning Moment In The Life Of A Motorcycle Technician

One of the benefits of working in a Honda motorcycle dealership, is that most reputable dealerships were required to send technicians to Honda specialized training to become Honda Certified or Master Technicians. 

Living in Brooklyn during the 1980's, I was fortunate to being closer to Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where American Honda training facilities were located. I received my American Honda Technician Certification in less than 2 years while working for a motorcycle Honda dealership in New York. In addition, every year dealerships were mandated to send their best technicians to attend specialized training to stay updated on the new models, technology, and repair procedures.

Graduating from Phoenix, AZ, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in 1986 was a milestone in my life, and represented the culmination of years of hard work, persistence, and personal growth regarding my future in the motorcycle industry.

In 1988, Honda introduced the Gold Wing GL1500 model with a flat-six-cylinder engine.  Being selected to attend a week-long specialized training at the American Honda training facilities on the new Gold Wing GL1500, was one of the most memorable moments in my motorcycle technician career. 

Being selected for this training proved that my hard work and experience had been recognized, validating my skills and expertise and differentiating me from my peers.  At that moment in time, I felt I had reached the pinnacle of my career. Even though my motorcycle technician life has been over since 1994, I am very proud of the things I was able to accomplish.

Independent "Mom & Pop" Motorcycle Shops To The Rescue

Typically, dealerships don't work on older motorcycles. Could that be because technicians are not familiar with old technology, or because bike parts are no longer available?

A quick internet search tells me that motorcycle dealerships refuse to work on bikes (older than 10-20 years old), because parts are difficult to source, and motorcycle technicians lack the training on obsolete technology. 

A friend of mine purchased a 1993 Kawasaki Zephyr 1100 from overseas. After the motorcycle arrived, he realized that the bike slips out (popping out) of second gear. To make matters worse, Kawasaki no longer makes or sells the parts needed to complete the transmission repair. Now is a matter of waiting to see if the parts become available in the used motorcycle parts market (Ebay, etc.)

Thanks to "Mom & Pop" used motorcycle repair shops, older motorcycles are very much still on the road. The good news is that there is hope for many vintage and older motorcycles for years to come. 

Comprar Herramientas No Es Un Gasto, Es Una Inversion

Para muchos mecanicos, la adquisicion de nuevas herramientas es un proceso de toda la vida. A medida que pasa el tiempo y se gana mas experiencia, las necesidades cambian y la tecnologia de las herramientas avanza cada dia mas. Lo que conlleva a comprar mas equipo para hacer un trabajo mejor y mas eficiente.

Obtener herramientas adecuadas y de calidad, es muy esencial para cada trabajo. Cada tipo de trabajo requiere herramientas especificas para garantizar la calidad del resultado. Las herramientas no hacen al mecanico, pero un buen mecanico sabe que las herramientas adecuadas marcan la diferencia. 

El taller que no invierte en las herramientas correctas, esta condenado a fracasar. En mi opinion personal, las herramientas no son un gasto, son una inversion. 

Motorcycle EZ-Pass Battery Tester

Unlucky people like me live in the toll plagued eastern states. I had always paid cash at the toll booth, and up until a couple of years ago, I refused to get on board with EZ-Pass. Until the day I received a Maryland toll invoice, for an alleged unpaid toll. Despite stopping at the toll booth and paying the Maryland toll in cash, they sent me an unpaid toll ticket, attached to a picture of my license plate.

I haven't used my motorcycle EZ-Pass since 2022, so later today I am stopping by an office of Triple AAA to have my EZ-Pass transponder battery tested. I am not going to wait until is time to ride my bike out of state to realize the transponder battery is dead, and start receiving unpaid toll invoices in the mail.

Vintage Motorcycle Prices are Out of This World

This morning I was looking at a 1982 Kawasaki GPz-550 in pristine condition that was offered for sale at no reserve and sold for $12,500. 

The original manufacturer's suggested retail price for my bike (2010 Kawasaki Ninja ZX14) was approximately $12,399 when it was brand new in 2010. These days, bikes similar than mine are sold between $4,950 and $6,999, depending on condition and mileage.

In the early 1970's I purchased a blue 1972 Kawasaki 750 two-stroke triple. After years of riding and a ton of fun, in 1979 I made the biggest mistake of my motorcycle life by selling my beloved bike for $650.00 dollars. 

To my shocking surprise, the cost for these bikes are taking off. I have been blown away at how much people pay for these old Kawasaki two-stroke triples these days. Kawasaki (H1 500cc, H2 750cc) often exceeds $30,000 - $55,000 at some auctions nowadays. I'd love to buy another one, but these days they cost an arm and a leg.

Riding My Motorcycle In The City Late At Night

Sometime this week, I am going to record a GoPro video riding my Kawasaki Ninja ZX14 in downtown Philadelphia late at night. I am planning to capture the illuminated blurred city lights, and Philly skyline at night. This coming week will be perfect to ride my bike since temperatures are expected to be in the low 80's for the first time this year. I am looking forward to it. 

Tinkering With Harleys

Woke up this morning thinking about expanding my skills and maybe start working in other motorcycle brands. If I put my mind into it, I can probably dabble part-time into Harley-Davidson's repairs. As a former motorcycle technician of Japanese motorcycles, I believe I can transition to work on Harley-Davidson motorcycles as long as I get the proper tools to work on them. 

My only concern is that as part of my retirement, I only plan to work part-time on bikes. Harley-Davidsons, especially older ones generally require more frequent maintenance and repairs compared to newer models. And from what I gather, there are lots of Harleys in Puerto Rico. 

Would it be worth it to spend more time at the motorcycle shop than enjoying my retirement? Regardless of what happen once I am living permanently in the island of Puerto Rico, I don't expect that to be the case.