There is nothing worse than a motorcycle mechanic you can't trust.

When looking for a motorcycle mechanic to work on your bike, here are some of the things to look for. I believe that in today's world of bikes and technology mechanics tend to specialize, so make sure you have a couple that have talents in different areas.

First thing to do is to interview the mechanic. Yeah this may sound a bit nuts but when you are at 70 miles an hour out on a lone highway somewhere you want to make sure you know and trust the person who works on your bike. Are they schooled in motorcycle maintenance? Something like Motorcycle Mechanics Institute is a great start.

Factory certifications are a good start. I say this because a factory certification normally means the mechanic has gone through the courses and can work from the manual and provide factory authorized fixes. What about the times when the problem just isn't in the book? Can the mechanic work outside the box to get you safely on the road?

To me this was never more key than during a ride from Delaware to South Carolina in 2008. We've had a problem fork seal (as you may have seen on another page) and on this trip it decided to blow again. Finding a great mechanic saved our hide and our trip even though things were tight and we had to provide a lot of untested trust.

Things to look for in a good mechanic are:

• Someone who listens to what you say or ask.
• Has a work area that is organized but not to neat and clean.
• Makes calls to inform you on problems and options with complete information so you can make educated choices.
• Factory Certified on your make and model of bike and knowledgeable enough to safely work outside the parameters set by the factory when necessary.
• Someone who will take care of your bike as if it's their own.
• Most important of all, someone who admits their mistakes and is willing to make things right.

Okay, so you have a lot of homework to do. Trust me it will be well worth it. I say all this from a mechanics point of view. Not on motorcycles, but as an aircraft mechanic with 16 years experience. These were some of the qualifications I asked of myself when getting aircraft ready to fly. I use the same requirements of my mechanic.

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