Yamaha just held the YAMAHA World Technician Grand Prix 2005, where technicians from 23 countries competed against one another to see who fared best.

From the news release:

The contents of this year’ s contest included (1) a written test of technology, product and motorcycle industry knowledge (60 min.), (2) a practical skills test of pre-delivery machine preparation, troubleshooting and post-repair road testing (80 min.) and (3) customer reception/handling skills and contents (10 min.), and the winners were decided on the basis of cumulative points in the three test areas.

The more of this we see, the better. The other day when I wrote about MMI, the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, it was because I think there’s a need to develop greater skill in those areas among the technical ranks of the motorcycle dealerships and independent shops. Competitions like these target skills that directly affect your experience when you take your bike in for service. They also provide incentives for technicians to develop skills across the board and not just in one narrow area. I hope we see a lot more of this.