Motorcycle mechanic

Stefanie Young

Tinkering with his father’s lawnmower from an early age, Robert Nowak developed a passion for working on motor engines. He didn’t know then that this passion would become his career and he would soon be swapping lawnmower parts for Suzuki motorcycles.

Having exhausted the lawnmower and the family lawn, Robert went in search of bigger and better engines and gained work experience in a motorcycle shop.

“I was 17 and still unsure of what I wanted to do until I started working with motorbikes. It was from that point that I knew,” Robert said.

“I applied for an apprenticeship in the shop, which I got, and was then in trade school for three years, studying for one week a month, learning the ins and outs of small engines,” he said.

Working with bikes on a daily basis made Robert determined to have one of his own.

“My parents had never let me have a motorbike, so when I turned 18 I bought my first bike.”

With a four-year apprenticeship in motor mechanics under his belt, and experience as a service manager overseeing repairs, Robert applied for a service adviser role with Suzuki.

After a few interviews, which involved answering some “very detailed technical questions,” Robert was offered the job.

Ten years on and Robert 27, who lives in Sunbury, Victoria, is based at Suzuki’s headquarters in Laverton where a typical day involves problem-solving for the 150 Suzuki dealers around Australia.

“I provide the dealers with technical support as well as training them on new technology. I also get to repair bikes that dealers have been unable to fix themselves,” Robert said.

“There is quite a bit of travel involved,” Robert said. “I visit various dealers throughout Australia to check on the workshops, and last year I was sent to Phillip Island for the Suzuki World Launch.”

Robert’s boss, national service manager Brendan Gunton, says there is there is a real shortage of good quality motor mechanics in Australia.

“Suzuki stands as the third largest distributor in the country and we are short-staffed constantly.”

He said demand for motor mechanics has increased for three main reasons:

• Increased demand from consumers for motor cycles, particularly the “fuel-saving” scooters;
• An increase in regional dealerships selling motor bikes and scooters; and
• The expansion in the bike racing sector.

“As a result, there is a need for people to specialise in a particular brand of bike, and there is also an increasing demand for good management,” he explained.

Brendan believes the skills shortage isn’t helped by a lack of accessible industry information.

“There aren’t a lot of career websites with specific details on this industry to point people in the right direction.

“We are currently developing a new careers section to be added onto the Suzuki website. Our dealers will be able to post jobs onto this section of the website, which jobseekers can visit to find out about training and employment with us,” he explained.

In the meantime he suggested that the he best place to find out about jobs was by “going down to your local [motorbike] shop [and asking].”

For Robert, who loves his job, working with Suzuki has also allowed him to indulge his passion for motocross racing. Aided by his latest set of wheels – the off-road Suzuki dirt bike, RM-Z450 – he has just completed one of the toughest off-road races in Australia, the Honda Hattah Desert Race in Mildura.

Whilst he hopes to own his own motorbike shop one day, for the moment Robert says: “I want to keep learning and increasing my knowledge of all bikes to be able to go further in this industry.”