Private Mechanic Salary?

sgrimmxdad wrote:

I have been kicking this idea around a lot. My son rides a lot and we have a large number of bikes. I am no mechanic...

I have been kicking this idea around a lot. My son rides a lot and we have a large number of bikes. I am no mechanic, my career is in finance. I find my self spending more and more hours every week servicing his bikes to the best of my ability. Just had his 15 YZ250F rebuilt from the ground up and I hadn't serviced the bearings and such as I should have, which lead to more repairs of course.

To the point, what would a competent MX mechanic salary typically be?

My son is not at the point of needing that, but time wise I do. I have my own shop and have tons of mx friends and thought about doing one bike at the time for others to help off set the cost.

I would like to go to the races and enjoy it instead of working so hard between classes. I want him to work on riding and school so I do all the bike up keep. I average an 1 or better a day keeping up his 3 main bikes he rides. That doesn't include race prep, race day, or clean up.... Its almost a full time job lol!

Moens_Andy wrote:

No he tried to explain how long it took him to do a normal upkeep on his own combined with his normal work in finance. And...

No he tried to explain how long it took him to do a normal upkeep on his own combined with his normal work in finance.
And that if you count in the other things like race prep, race day, or clean up.... it's a full time job for him. Thats why he's looking into the cost of a mechanic so he can do his thing at work and go back to just being his dad on race days and could relax a little more and spent more time with his family during the week.

Starcrossed wrote:

There aren't good mechanics up here for $500 a week, especially if weekends are required. $1,000 a week, plus benefits, would get a decent mechanic with...

There aren't good mechanics up here for $500 a week, especially if weekends are required. $1,000 a week, plus benefits, would get a decent mechanic with the experience to handle the race day duties. $800 for a younger guy with limited experience, and a desire to work in the motocross field. Less than that and you would be selecting from the guys that don't have much utility in any particular mechanical discipline.

Tmick wrote:

Dang guess I'm not a good mechanic then. I work for a top 10 sx lites rider I make 600 a week as practice mechanic. But...

Dang guess I'm not a good mechanic then. I work for a top 10 sx lites rider I make 600 a week as practice mechanic. But as a race mechanic good 750-900 a week or 30k to 45k is what most teams pay unless your with a good 450 rider. Most teams don't provide benfits, since your sub contracted. Most mechanics aren't to involved in running a program. A lot won't go outta there way to do something. I'm involved with my program 100% from the way he rides if his lap times drop, his attitude everything. Being positive every day your around your rider can help so much, my bike is framed every week. So that everything is clean and the rider is happy with his controls and the way the bike feels every time he rides it.

sgrimmxdad wrote:

Room and board is not the option I wanted to go. It could happen but it would have to be a really perfect fit... We live...

Room and board is not the option I wanted to go. It could happen but it would have to be a really perfect fit...

We live in a pretty cool area for a young man or family. We live in Greenville NC home of ECU. A young single man's dream lol! Cost of living is pretty low around here! Plenty of rentals all of the time with all the college and medical community. We have a huge medical district, huge hospital that is one of the biggest in the south east!

We have lots of tracks within an hour or so in each direction.

Tmick wrote:

Dang guess I'm not a good mechanic then. I work for a top 10 sx lites rider I make 600 a week as practice mechanic. But...

Dang guess I'm not a good mechanic then. I work for a top 10 sx lites rider I make 600 a week as practice mechanic. But as a race mechanic good 750-900 a week or 30k to 45k is what most teams pay unless your with a good 450 rider. Most teams don't provide benfits, since your sub contracted. Most mechanics aren't to involved in running a program. A lot won't go outta there way to do something. I'm involved with my program 100% from the way he rides if his lap times drop, his attitude everything. Being positive every day your around your rider can help so much, my bike is framed every week. So that everything is clean and the rider is happy with his controls and the way the bike feels every time he rides it.

Starcrossed wrote:

Please don't take my post to be an indictment on your skills. The cost of living is probably a little higher in New England, but your...

Please don't take my post to be an indictment on your skills. The cost of living is probably a little higher in New England, but your figure of $600 without attendance at the races seems to be in the same range as what I posted, assuming you would require an extra two or three hundred for weekend race duty. Four or five hundred per week isn't much more than minimum wage.
The number of opportunities for marine mechanics, who bill out at around $100/hr, in my particular area, probably affect the going rate to some degree also.

MX_Andrew83 wrote:

New Bedford MA, are you a Portuguese fisherman?

Tmick wrote:

Dang guess I'm not a good mechanic then. I work for a top 10 sx lites rider I make 600 a week as practice mechanic. But...

Dang guess I'm not a good mechanic then. I work for a top 10 sx lites rider I make 600 a week as practice mechanic. But as a race mechanic good 750-900 a week or 30k to 45k is what most teams pay unless your with a good 450 rider. Most teams don't provide benfits, since your sub contracted. Most mechanics aren't to involved in running a program. A lot won't go outta there way to do something. I'm involved with my program 100% from the way he rides if his lap times drop, his attitude everything. Being positive every day your around your rider can help so much, my bike is framed every week. So that everything is clean and the rider is happy with his controls and the way the bike feels every time he rides it.

Starcrossed wrote:

Please don't take my post to be an indictment on your skills. The cost of living is probably a little higher in New England, but your...

Please don't take my post to be an indictment on your skills. The cost of living is probably a little higher in New England, but your figure of $600 without attendance at the races seems to be in the same range as what I posted, assuming you would require an extra two or three hundred for weekend race duty. Four or five hundred per week isn't much more than minimum wage.
The number of opportunities for marine mechanics, who bill out at around $100/hr, in my particular area, probably affect the going rate to some degree also.

MX_Andrew83 wrote:

New Bedford MA, are you a Portuguese fisherman?

Sir Roostsalot wrote:

What ?!!! Don't you know that's the Irish Riviera?

MX_Andrew83 wrote:

New Bedford MA, are you a Portuguese fisherman?

Starcrossed wrote:

Pretty much , although there are quite a number of Scandinavians fishing here too.
Got an education also, paid for with scalloping money.

MX_Andrew83 wrote:

lol, my family settled in Fox Point RI from St. Michael