Motorcycle Mechanics Institute Reviews of Certificates in Motorcycle Mechanic

"The best decision I made in my life was to attend MMI .I GRADUATED AT AGE 60 VERY PROFESSIONAL AND WELL ROUNDED STAFF.i thought it was kind of pricey ,but was able to get SOME help with the tuition .after graduation I went straight to work and have not stopped working yet ..TIME FOR A BREAK LOL"

"$30,000 + housing and misc expenses to get a job making $5/hour less than a new Amazon warehouse worker with no debt...... All this is free on Youtube if you are motivated. You are 100% better going to a great shop and offering to pay them $5,000 to learn the trade. They will most likely be so impressed they will just hire you and you will get the education while making money and relationships in the industry. If 30k means nothing to you, by all means, enjoy yourself. If this school were under $10,000 a year it would be worth it."

"I went through mmi to hopefully start a career in something I loved. I went through core, Yamaha, Suzuki, harley and early harley. I did very well at the school because I was older, had most of my stuff together. I did very well there, you get what you put in. I was on the Dean's list for the first time in my life, loved the culture. Unfortunately they dont tell you how much money you can make after graduating. I know it's a bad thing to compare something you love to how much money they you make, but you have to live doing it. I spent in the upwards of 50k I cant say I got my money's worth. I graduated in 2012 and I'm still paying for my student loans. I recently lost my job because of the pandemic and decided I'd try one more time getting a job doing what I love. I'm very confident in my abilities, I feel I learned everything I could take from the school. The truth is it doesnt pay well at all, I was offered 10 dollars an hour to run an entire parts department including doing the books, ordering, receiving etc. No shop I have found will pay a decent amount for a tech, even an experienced tech. Unless you work flat rate or own your own business, it is a career of passion. The market is absolutely flooded with techs no matter what state you live in. Unfortunately I make more money with other ventures, and probably would never work in a shop again. I feel bad for the vets that pissed away their gi bill for this school. I know this sounds like a bad review but I think it's important for people to know that when going to a school like mmi, you have to be focused and ask yourself what you want out of this school. I learned I spent 50k on the confidence of working on my own bikes for fun. Mmi is a great place for a young kid out of highschool because out of school you wouldn't make that much regardless of what you do. Another piece of advice is dont go and buy all your tools right out of school. Remember unless the military or mommy and daddy are paying for school, those loans can add up quick. I hope this reaches people that need to see what they're getting into, but my advise is if you're not planning on a college, you can make way more money in the trades."

"I was at MMI student for 3 years and yes you have to find your own employment and yes you have to take it seriously... Which I did and it got me nothing... Whoever wrote that's your own fault is a self righteous idiot... The instructions are disrespectful and rude... And there on a power trip trust me I had it for over 3 years. So before some of you review cats start chiming in catch the facts . If your successful in the kind of business that's awesome, but don't go around tooting your horn all day expecting people to think it's just amazing... Why? Because we haven't got there yet and instead of pressure cooking students into getting labs done how about TEACHING us something we can take away from the class... I'm not saying all of the instructors are that way because there not. But respect goes both ways.... I don't wish bad on people but some of these instructions need to swallow there pride... I WOULD ADVISE GOING ELSEWHERE...."

"This program is designed for someone who has a mature personality with the interests to take responsibility for there own learning. MMI will provide all the education you need to graduate as a entry level Technician. Just like any career it takes time to achieve a comfort level to be proficient in a career. You will graduate with everything you need to start a career but the school can't do everything for you."

"I was reading some more recent testimonials and thought I would throw my two cents in. When I went down to Orlando I was a young kids fresh out of high school and for the most part I was surrounded by older, retired, or ex military guys and there really wasn't many younger guys in the program. From what I gather that seems to have changed and the students now are all much younger as a whole. I think if you are really looking to learn about this trade overall its a good school. You are certainly no expert upon graduation but you will have a strong foundation to build a career on. But like anything you have to take it seriously, this is not a college this is a trade school. I graduated with guys that didnt know an oil filter from an air filter but yes MMI was happy to pass them along and take their money. When I graduated I found work immediately in an aftermarket shop and then i ventured into a dealership. MMI certainly didnt get me a job but the certificate did hold enough weight to get me an interview and in todays world that's really the best you could hope for. I would say overall it was an amazing experience, I learned a lot and continue to learn more everyday."

"Funny they warn you about the people who hate MMI because they didn't do what they where told to do. They tell you in your first class even in the first meeting while they give you the tour. We place job adds and show you where the jobs are. You will be required to have tools a tool box and a good attendance rate to get a job. You set up your own interviews. No one wants a lazy tech that didn't pay attention and can't figure it out because they saw a commercial and decided that looks cool. I am currently here and learning a lot. If you can't get a job it's your own damn fault!"

"It's not bad. I guess the worst thing is all the younger generation being disrespectful or not paying attention, therefore causing havoc. Not be being in class and then ask a million questions because not being in class. My instructors done the best they could do. It's just hard to train 25 to 30 people in a class."

"I went to MMI with the intentions to take Honda, Kawasaki and Harley, I had spent a good amount of time around bikes and had a very good understanding of how they worked but wanted to farther my knowledge as well as have the school backing to find job placement with the dream of being on a race team as a mechanic. Well let me tell you this the whole program to me was a waste of time and money for normal middle class students such as myself I had to work all day at a regular job in order to pay for my living expenses and then take classes at night, it made it a very tiring year they tell you they help place you in a job while you are in school which they did not and after you graduate which they also did not, As far as the facility is concerned it wasn't the greatest and the equipment that you worked on was worn out and used. I honestly would not suggest anyone go to that tech school no real world knowledge can be found at a school it is found by working on things yourself I learned way more after MMI than I ever did in MMI, not in a shop either I ended up desperately needing a job after graduating because they most certainly didn't help and I was broke so I took a job back home in a factory like I'm sure many MMI graduates do. It wasn't until years later while working on a friends motorcycle I actually got offered a job in a Harley dealership because they knew I worked on bikes and seen the potential, showing that MMI had nothing to do with my career in the industry. I worked for a few different Harleys for quite a few years until I realized it wasn't something I could make a career out of because unfortunately everyone in the motorcycle industry is just as money hungry and greedy as the so called tech school MMI, Therefor good pay, health benefits and retirement are virtually and thing of the past. I wish I would have saved my money (because I still owe 20,000 plus due to not being able to afford to pay it) and went to a real college got a degree that is good paying and would set me up financially for life and wrenched and rode motorcycles on the side. The only people working in dealerships without financial hardships you will find are the owners or general managers and managers everyone else well they are very easily replaced and find no value in them regardless of work ethic or reliability. And btw I don't even work in the motorcycle industry anymore. SO AGAIN I STRESS LOOK ELSEWHERE DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY"

"I am still in the core part of my 60 week program, so this can be considered a "first impression" of the school. The facilities are clean, the training aids are in good shape considering that they are continually beat up by students who don't know what they are doing. The instructors (I've experienced six so far) all seem devoted to helping the students gain knowledge. They are, for the most part, regular people from the industry with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I laugh when I hear fellow students call this "college". Having experienced both, MMI is not a college. It is a very, very expensive ($30k/year) technical school. The curriculum is written and presented at what I'd estimate to be a 5th or 6th grade reading and math level. Students are treated like high schoolers and therefore a lot of them act as such. The grading scale is weighted heavily on attendance rate, with professionalism, lab work, and classwork factored in. For this reason, if a student shows up every day and acts professional, they will most likely pass. A word of advice for recruiters and employers: If you are comparing two candidates, both with a 100% attendance rate, one holding a 3.0 and one holding a 4.0, there is most likely a VAST difference in knowledge. The grading scale is too lightly weighted on academic success. If you are a returning student or have experience in the industry already, you may talk to an Education Manager about testing out of certain courses. I had largely no such luck, only being approved to test out of one course. I suspect that they do not approve very many of these requests because it would hurt revenue. Since then, I've completed three courses with near 100% scores. The GPA boost is nice, I guess, but not at the cost of their tuition. Conversely, they will gladly let you double up on 10 hours of courses per day and collect the tuition twice as fast. At the end of the day, any continuing education facility is a business, and these types of practices should be expected. With all this said, I still am inclined to believe that MMI is the best in the country at what they do. I think they are caught in a balancing act of churning students through the program to generate revenue, and raising their expectations of students and graduates to produce top technicians. If you pay attention, ask questions, and seek help when needed, even the experienced technician will learn a lot. It's up to you as a student to prove your worth as a technician and secure your own employment, but MMI has a wealth of resources at their disposal to help you along."

"I had a lot of fun during the program and mostly living in Orlando, Made many new friends and partied a lot ( this was my college experience ) I graduated in 2007 and learned a good amount about electrical diag. After graduation i got job for $10 hourly with 20k worth of loans just the same as any other type of trade school. After 2 years I moved up to $26 hr flat rate. my shop had a tech that made $40hr flat rate and he was darn good. Finally 2011 the dealer I worked at in Oxford went belly up. I would do it all over again , the school, the people, the experience. You are not going to make big money working on something that is a toy , maybe if you own your own business but not working for someone. 50k year no benefits , no vacation , no 401k, definitley no pension."

"CHS housing is a joke I've been living with them for 9 months now and it has been nothing but a headache, I live in the over-21 program but still I get treated like I'm a kid and I get my room inspected house inspected and told what I can and can't have and who I can't have in my room I pay $700 a month for a room and have 3 other roommates that live in the same apartment , I would advise any of my Military brothers and sisters to stay away from CHS it is a waste of money and a added stressor , I would also like to say watch what the school does with your money the government gives you for school, they like to just give you whatever amount after you were told a certain amount and date."

"DONT SIGN THE CAMPUS HOUSING CONTRACT UNTIL YOU SEE THE HOUSING!! "Campus housing" is 30 minutes away from the campus, and theres 2 tolls between housing and school which is $4.50 a day there and back! I loved the school, some of the teachers had a great sense of humor and made the knowledge more attractive learn. But good God almighty don't get campus housing. I REPEAT DON'T GET CAMPUS HOUSING!!!! They constantly do inspections and you're paying $500 a month to live in a 2 bed 1 bath apartment.... with 4 ppl total!! 2 ppl per room. I wanna scream just thinking about it! Aaaahhhhhhhh!! Again, great school, but get an apartment anywhere but campus housing"

"I graduated and got 5 job offers before I left the Orlando campus! I took one of the job starting out at 14 an hour. I guess if you come to the school and ****off you get just that when you graduate. Oh and job placement is you filling out apps and calling around not waiting on the school to do it for you!"

"This school sucks, You wont get a job, they blow smoke up your a** about every one student that graduates they need 4 more and if you do get a job it will be for 8 to 10 dollars a hour... so think about it, you drag a 15,000 thousand dollar toolbox into a dealership where you make 10.00 a hour and are liable for every bike you work on, for instance, somebody goes down on a bike you worked on and gets hurt or killed not only does the dealer get sued so do you. And there job placement department is a joke I never heard from them"

"You will not get a job after graduating from this school for more than minimum wage and you will be treated like garbage because they know this school has cranked out thousands like you. The "placement" department is a joke, no help finding you work as they only call every shop in the country to see what students might have found a job on their own so they can act like they "placed" you there. If you eventually do find a job it will be seasonal at best unless your daddy owns a shop. Do not go if you do not know someone who owns a busy shop and offers a job first."

"Personally this school had helped me alot, i got here not knowing anything about motorcycle and how they work. Some stuff is true, the training aids are a bit worn down, but how much could you really learn from a prefect bike with absolutely nothing wrong with it, that would be the same as somebody coming into your shop with a brand new bike (not a thing wrong with it) and expecting them to pay you to work on it. The instructors are knowledgeable and friendly, however if you're unlucky you might get an asshole teacher, i had 1 my entire time here. As far as housing do your best to stay away from CHS housing program, it is horrible, they charge way to much for you not to be able to do whatever you want, and i have been moved 4 times in a year along with being paired up with a few assholes that they then will not help you with. CHS is a joke, if you can stay away from them do so."

"I will not recommend or not recommend to you this school. I will tell you point blank about the school and allow you to ascertain whether or not you wish to attend. Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) is nothing more and nothing less than a (recognized) "For-Profit" School. They want your money plain and simple, however, what educational institution doesn't? The school has a lot of Veterans attending, does it seem like MMI targets Veterans? Perhaps, after all Veterans using the G.I. Bill to pay are a guaranteed paid for student. They claim you are an adult with emphasis on "professionalism", but treat you as if you are in the Military or back in grade school. Some of the office staff are "professional" while others are rude, guess it would depend of what type of day everyone is having like any other human being. The education curriculum is "set by the major companies; i.e.: Honda, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha", and MMI is the only recognized school by the aforementioned to learn how to work on motorcycles. Not saying there are not other schools out there, only that MMI is in bed with the Dealers. Another thing is Snap-On, MMI has a Snap-On dealer on campus and will be more than happy to sell you anything you need including financing up to 18% APR. It would seem a lot of people push that if you do not have Snap-On you won't succeed as a professional mechanic. Some things at MMI fall into the proverbial "Honey Trap"; They repaint the walls nearly every rotation (at least that what it seems) for the tours that they give of there facility (although things always look real nice on the other side of the looking glass), tell you during the admission process that upon graduation you get a thousand dollar ($1,000.00 USD) credit with Snap-On... But don't tell you that it is really Six Hundred ($600.00 USD) because of your student discount and you have to choose between certain predetermine things. Still least they can do for a thirty plus thousand education. Instructors are like any other higher education institute. You have your good ones, and you have your bad ones... You even have the ones that just collect a pay check. The training or instructional aids are something to be desired... They have been disassembled and reassembled so many times that a great majority of them are worn out. Asking for something to be replaced is met with either dismay or being told there is no replacement. For the amount of money being spent to attend, there is more than enough funds available to provide a decent learning environment. In the end the only thing I can tell you is this... If you want that "recognized" piece of paper, and you want to try and start a career in the motorcycle industry, then you will have to play by their (MMI/Dealerships) rules."

"I came to this school to learn about motorcycles. I knew very little to nothing about bikes or engines before I started here. It has taught me ao much and opened my eyes to alot. I am very glad I decided to come here. They teach you every part from front to rear, the instructors are very knowledgeable and truely care and want to see you do well. However I do feel like they seem to be about getting kids in and out at times. They also have a program that works with the school called CHS, designed to help kids in different schools to find cheap quality shared housing. Its a good deal when you look at it as one on one, just your lease, but they get more money from students combined then the normal rent payment so they get you a little, but all in all its a good program if you are a responsible adult. A few of the courses could be set up a little better tools, some of the training aids are over worked, but its a very good school, lots of useful information, its just up to you to get it and use it"

"I went to school there and learn the same thing as if I worked in a shop. Oh by the way once your done with school don't think your going to help you find a job that pays more than 10.00 a hour. There turn out rate for grads who get jobs is like13% for the year. Let me go ahead and put out my email address so if someone from the school wants to ask why I put this up they can email me drewdogg732000@yahoo.com. This school is trash They treat you like your in the military, there has been a time when the instructor locked the doors in the classroom and being yelled at because we were not in class before bell rang. Lol the instructor locked the door before the bell rang and act an a** because we were at the door waiting for him to unlock it. If there is anyone who is a vet and plan on using your GI Bill stay away from this school. They target a lot of us just for the money they know they will get but in this school didn't help me in my career nor didn't they help me look for a job. So don't waste your time and give away free money"