Motorcycle mechanic
Service, repair, tune and customise motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes - turn a love of bikes into a trade.
- Salary£25,000 – £40,000
- Hours38 to 40 hours a week, usually between 8am and 6pm
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is possible
What the job is like
Motorcycle mechanics (or motorcycle technicians) look after motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes. You'll run mechanical, electrical and electronic checks, strip and rebuild engines, tune bikes, road test them and sometimes build custom machines to an owner's spec.
It's a great fit if you ride, love engines and want a hands-on workshop job. The main route is a Level 3 apprenticeship, and volunteering at race or motocross events is a good way to get experience. You'll usually need a valid motorcycle licence.
What you'll do
- Carry out mechanical, electrical and electronic checks
- Follow manufacturers' guides for routine servicing
- Find and fix faults
- Strip, rebuild and tune engines
- Road test bikes after work is done
- Advise customers on repair times and costs
- Update service and repair records
- Customise motorcycles to owners' requirements
Where you'll work
- Workshop or studio
- Indoors
- In a team
- On your own
Skills and hobbies that help
Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.
Key skills
Used a lot
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a motorcycle mechanic
Apprenticeship
Motorcycle technician (repair and maintenance) (Level 3, typically around 36 months) - around 3 years, mixing workplace training and off-site learning.
College
Courses in motorcycle maintenance and repair.
Direct application
Possible if you have experience of repairing vehicles or mechanical engineering.
Other ways in
Ask local workshops, garages or dealers about work experience, or volunteer at road racing and motocross events run by the Auto-Cycle Union and AMCA.
Qualifications, licences and cards
- A valid motorcycle licence is usually needed
- Optional Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) membership
Where it can lead
- Motorcycle diagnostic technician
- Workshop manager
- Motorcycle MOT examiner
- Your own sales and repair business, or custom bike building
Good to know
- Workshops can be noisy and dirty, and you will wear protective clothing.
Courses and training
-
Apprenticeship search
Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK
The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.
-
Course search
Find a course – National Careers Service
The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.
Official information
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Motorcycle mechanic job profile nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/motorcycle-mechanic
- Skills England apprenticeship standard: Motorcycle technician (repair and maintenance) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0376-v1-1
- GOV.UK: riding a motorcycle or moped gov.uk/ride-motorcycle-moped