Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126292
project ' ~heets - r e a d - li k e - a 'Ship 's manifest. A longshorem an should have less to do. Part of the study includes such things as successful work on a minimum of six live jobs , building a wheel truing stand , boring a cylinder, checking out the capacitor discharge ignition and three-phase charging systems, timing camshafts, performing a dyno operation, building a four meter electrical test set having two ampmeters, making a b rass and aluminum drift, building a shock spring installing tool , sharpening a d rill bit a nd counter bore, making a lead hammer with a turned and knurled handle, grinding a round nose turning tool, building a p ortable wheel fixture. performing a plastigage operation, and building a wrist pin puller. It's only a partial list , but all deemed essential for real on-the-job skill . Tops among the instructors at T rad e-T ec h is Pa t Owens, race tuner for Gene " Burritto" Romero in past years and former service manager with Triumph Motor Corporation. O wens maintains a detailed rec or d of all grad uates from the program. O t h e r instructors include Hugh Maloy , former service manager for Krause Honda of Inglewood; Bob Sirkegian , a former national motorcycle drag racing champion ; and Richard Sherer, who recently completed a thesis for his masters degree entitled: "A Follow-up Study to Determine the Validity of the Motorcycle Repair Mechanics Program at Los Angeles Trade Technical College." All the instructors are hopeful Sherer's study will provide a basis for further improving the Motorcycle Repair Mechanics Curriculum at the college and give other schools the foundation for establishing a similar program. Its main purpose, however, was to determine the success of TradeTech graduates in motorcycle repair mechanics. Graduates rat e Trade-Tech Sherer's research findings , compiled from questionnaires received from 51 graduates currently working in the motorcycle industry or a closely allied field, indicate that the program rates very well overall and does effectively prepare its graduates for employment in the industry. Graduates are in the ideal position to ra te the program since they completed the course and applied their training in the world of work. Jim Parkinson, .cu rrent service manager for Krause Honda , is a product of Trade-Tech and concurs with much that Sherer has assessed. "A fully -tra ined mechanic will definitely give the customer a better value for his money," Parkinson sa ys unequivocally. "As servi ce manager I hire and fire mechanics a ll the time, . but I usually hang on to those who are from Trade-Tech because with those people I generally get the best work. "Sure, I have mechanics working for me with upw ards of 15 yea rs experience," Parkinson said. "T hey came right up from gunk brush and are pretty good mechanics. But by and large, for the man who is go ing to get ahead, that education is going to mean the difference ; it's going to make the difference in th e pe ople he works with , and it's going to make the difference if he plans to go into any aspect of this business." Choice among allied fields Those who chose the degree program like Parkinson don't have to resign themselves to wrenchtwisting indefinitely. If th ere is any danger in creating a surplus of skilled service personnel . at leas t the formal training gives one the option of becoming a technical writer , service school Husqyarna 11 World Championship Titles Hu sqvama Motorcycle Co., Inc. 4925 Mercury St. • San Diego, California 92111 110...-- Next issue of Cycle News will be on sale Jan. 11, 1978• I would li ke t o addr. .. th is meauge to the rid . . and deahl,s of the fD~jng brands. SUZUK I: The 2 new models of AM 250 '5 are the finest Suzuki. ever mad. and e-e probably the best 2 stroke racers in the 'NOrldtoday. HONDA: You Honda people have complained tor years abou t not having • racer • well, the CR 250'. ere g rOllt and they are dirt cheap - thete are thousands of used ones around. it you cannot _"ord a new one . CAN AM : This is the most powerlul 250 eng ine going . They are the result of years at power developme nt and are made rtRht nextdoor. KAWASAKI; The KX 250 Kawasaki has the largest transler por1 area of the new genera tion of bi kes and h8s a e emencous po tential as a winllRr . I di d not mention Yamaha , Harley Davidson, Bultaco or Ossa because w e already know they are prove n w in ners. An y of thes e 8 eng ines are ready and w illin g to wi n 8 National Cham pionship. Wha t I am try ing to say is - let' s get to work . I for one am tired of seeing 1 01' 2 brands wi n every time . eren't you ? If I leh out you r brand. don 't despa ir. ther e are 4 more just as good as those noted. 2415 Brown Rd., 51. Louis. Mo . 63114 Phone 314/426-6959 or call Charley Chapple 3131735-5453 1 HUSQVARNA CLEARANCE SALE '75, '76, r models m ust go n imm ediat ely t o make room for '78 models. Pri ces reduced to sell fast \ w hile t hey last. Any reasonable offer accepted. T&OYamaha 24020 Narbonne Ave. Lomita , CA 90717 213-534-2311 (T orrance-Redo ndo area ) Sa m m y Tanner D is tribut in g lUIRI-TECH 213-924 -2111 23