Learning By Mail
LEARNING BY MAIL
Maybe a Good Mechanic Can Come Out of an Envelope
Mike Witt
If you've ever opened a magazine, you've seen them; those little black-and-white ads that promise high pay,
popularity, and easy payment plans, all in two square inches. After you see enough of them, you begin to wonder what the courses are really like. Obviously someone is taking them, or they wouldn't have the money to keep running the ads. But what
do they actually have to offer you? Can you really learn anything usable from a mail order course?
Like a lot of other people, I’ve gained most of my meager mechanical knowledge the hard way, my favorite tools being a shop manual, vise-grips, and a six-pack. No matter how wonderfully explicit the manuals are on how to do it, they seem to
assume you already understand the why. Or maybe they figure you'd never question their expertise. In any case, not knowing why even a simple adjustment is necessary, or the theory behind making it, has always made me extremely nervous. For weeks after making some minor adjustment, I anxiously wait for my motor to fly apart because of my stupidity. And just about when I’m sure that I haven’t permanently screwed up my machine, I find something else that needs adjusting.
Finally fed up with agonizing over valve clearances and the like, I decided to do something before I really did frag an engine out of ignorance. Since none of the colleges or technical schools in my area offers any motorcycle-oriented courses, I decided to answer a few of those ads and see what would happen.
One of the first replies that I received was from Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, MMI is a residence school with a 12 week basic course, and a 14 week advanced course, which can be taken separately or in combination. Licensed by the Arizona State Board of Private Technical and Business Schools, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute is also accredited by the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools. Classes are run either in morning or afternoon groupings, allowing the student time for outside work. Class size is normally 12 to 20 students per instructor, and students are required to supply their own tools. The school does offer to obtain tools at a discount for students, but this is not required. The grading scale used is the standard 90-80-70-60, with a 70 percent average required for successful completion of the course. The curriculum is impressive, but at a little over $2800 for the combined course, so is the tuition. With the cost of tuition and tools running over $3000, plus school’s location half-way across the country, I decided that MMI’s course was geared for a more career-oriented person.
Another school responding was American Motorcycle Schools, Inc. Located in Santa Fe Springs, California, AMS is accredited by the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools. Credit for previous education and training is available, and the attendance and conduct policies suggest that AMS is for people who are serious about learning. Class size varies with enrollment, and tools are also made available at a discount. The grading scale at the residence school is stiff, 93 for an A, 85 for a B, with a 75 percent average required for course completion. The residence course involves over 600 hours of study, takes about three months, and costs over $2800. American Motorcycle Schools also offers a 48 lesson home study course, which can be taken in conjunction with a residency supplement, or by itself. Without tools, the home study course costs between $700 and $800, resulting eventually in professional certification only after 12 month’s experience in private industry.
Also responding to my inquiries was the North American School of Motorcycle Repair, a branch of North American Correspondence Schools. Their initial reply gave little information and a lot of hype. Their fees, however, were reasonable, and the tuition even included a set of inexpensive tools. The only accreditation mentioned was “VA Approved,” and seeing the shaft Vets have gotten over the last few years, I was not reassured. I sent off a letter to the California Board of Education, and was promptly referred to the Pennsylvania Board of Education. All that they could tell me was that they had only recently licensed the school, and would appreciate any feedback that I could give them. In the meantime, the school had sent a second package, this one a bit more informative.
Accredited by the National Home Study Council, the 29 lesson course offered by North American goes for less than $600, tools included. The course content was comparable to the more expensive home course offered by American Motorcycle Schools, Inc., and North American has two credit plans to make tuition payment a little easier.
Since a home-study course was what I had been looking for, and the cost, if not cheap, was at least affordable, I mailed in my down payment and eagerly awaited by first lesson. When it finally arrived, I was not disappointed.
The lessons are well written and stress universally applicable mechanical theory, as opposed to sticking to any one particular make or model. The tools, if not the best, are definitely serviceable. A typical lesson consists of a general discussion topic (for example, principles of the twostroke engine), followed by a step-by-step practical application using a specific example. The lessons are well illustrated with both photos and diagrams, including excerpts from various factory repair manuals. The examples are sometimes dated, with photos and diagrams more applicable to old British Twins than modern Multis, but the explanations are useful for all kinds of bikes. Several self-quizzes and a pre-test prepare the student for the final mail-in exam. Exams are graded promptly by hand, with comments inserted as necessary. Questions can be asked and answered by using a special form included with the lessons.
Presently, I am about halfway through the course, and the only problem I’ve had is a billing screw-up, caused by, you guessed it, a computer. This was resolved easily with a call to the student service center in Pennsylvania. Mailings have kept up with me despite two changes of address, and thus far all materials promised have been delivered, with the exception of a missing page in one lesson.
While I may never become a professional mechanic, I am at least now confident that I can work on my own machines without damning them to the junkpile. As with any home study course, the student will only get out of it as much as he puts in (yes, Mom, I know you said that first). The person who signs up for this course expecting the instant success and popularity promised in those little ads will be disappointed. Of course, if you are willing to make an effort to grasp and apply the theory presented, there is definitely something to be learned from a correspondence course. And, with proper practice and experience, it would appear that good mechanic can indeed develop outsof an envelope.
