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Motorcycle Technicians from Around the World Gather to Compete. Contestants of the Technician Contest Talk about Their Rewarding Jobs and Pride
23 representatives of Honda motorcycle dealership service staff member*1 (referred to as service staff member) gathered in Japan on October 8th, 2023, for the first Honda Global Motorcycle Technician Contest (referred to as Technician Contest). The purpose of the technical skill contest is to improve technical skills of the individual service staff members by competing on technical knowledge and skills, leading to further customer satisfaction. This article will cover the Technician Contest, as well as the passion of the six contestants including the winner in their daily work.
*1 Mechanical staff who perform maintenance and repair of the customer’s motorcycles
What is the main purpose of the Technician Contest in the first place?
The competition was held at Honda Technical College Kanto (Fujimino city, Saitama prefecture.) Although the service staff member skill competitions have been held in various countries and regions in the past, this was the first time for the competition to be held on a global scale. Of the approximately 89,000 service staff members around the world, 23 were selected as representatives after winning the competitions held by dealerships in each country and region, and they competed against each other in terms of their knowledge and skills. This is truly a competition to determine the world’s best Honda motorcycle dealership service staff member.
Finalists representing dealers from 13 countries including Japan gathered in one location.
(Click here for information on the list of finalists)
The main purpose of this competition is to further improve the skills of Honda service staff members around the world and deepen mutual exchange. A cumulative total of 400 million Honda motorcycles have been produced worldwide, providing new value in mobility and lifestyle to approximately 20 million customers annually. Service activities such as inspections and repairs at dealers are indispensable to ensure that customers can continue to ride their motorcycles safely, securely, and comfortably.
Additionally, as vehicle technology has evolved in recent years, the technical skills required of service staffs have increased year-by-year. Under these circumstances, the Technician Contest was held as an opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills while competing to provide high quality service to customers.
This year’s competition was divided into two categories by vehicle displacement, which were the “Commuter Division (under 250cc) or COM” with the Super Cub 110 as the competition motorcycle, and “Fun Division (over 250cc) or FUN” using the CB650R. In each category, contestants competed in terms of their reliability and speed in inspecting, diagnosing, and repairing motorcycles based on the correct knowledge, technical skills and procedures required of service staff members.
From the left, the Super Cub 110 and the CBR650R competition motorcycles
The time limits for each competition process are also specified in detail. In the On-Vehicle competition, contestants must diagnose and repair faults within 80 minutes, and then complete a final inspection for accuracy. In the Off-Vehicle competition, contestants compete for speed and accuracy by disassembling/assembling, measuring, and adjusting within 10 minutes each.
(Click here for an overview of the Technician Competition)
On the first day, the “knowledge competition (mechanism and maintenance knowledge)” was held, and on the second day, the “Off-Vehicle competition (disassembly and assembly, measurement, and adjustment)” and “On-Vehicle competition (vehicle diagnosis, repair, and completion of final inspection)” were held. The total combined score determined the top Honda motorcycle service staff member. It was a heated and a serious match for everyone, and work booths were set-up to make it easy for contestants to concentrate on their work.
After two days of competition, Masngudin from Indonesia won first place in the Commuter Division (COM) and Wu Chun-Yi from Taiwan won first place in the Fun Division (FUN), earning the honor of being the world’s best Honda motorcycle dealer service staff members.
In addition to the grand opening ceremony, a social gathering dinner was held in the evening after the competition to celebrate the contestants from all over the world. Throughout the entire event, it was the first and largest scale competition. This world-class Technician Contest is planned to be held every four years in the future.
Interview with the winner. And the pride in the job and secret to the technical skills
Service staff members from around the world competed with their knowledge and skills on the grand stage of the world competition. What was it that made them decide to become a Honda service staff member, and what were their thoughts as representatives of their respective countries and regions? We interviewed the winners, Masngudin (Commuter Division) and Wu Chun-Yi (Fun Division) to find out not only how happy they were to win the competition, but also how they prepared for the competition, why they wanted to become service staff members, and what they keep in mind in their daily work.
Commuter Category Winner: Masngudin (Indonesia)
After graduating from a technical college with an automotive degree, Masngudin joined Astra Honda Authorized Service Station (AHASS), a dealership of PT. Astra Honda Motor which is Honda’s motorcycle production and sales joint venture in Indonesia in 2012. In 2016, Masngudin became a Pit Technician, and since 2018, he has been working as a Service Advisor. He specializes in diagnosis related to abnormal noise and vibration.
Please tell us why you wanted to become a Honda Service staff member in the first place?
What do you find most rewarding and thrilling about being a service staff member?
I feel a sense of pride and fulfillment when a customer is pleased and they want to return to my shop again to resolve their vehicle problems, while understanding the importance and emphasizing accuracy in the job.
A normal workday in Indonesia
What made you and how did you decide to compete in the Technician Contest?
To experience world-class competition. I wanted to check my skill level while competing with other service staff members from around the world.
Is there anything you practice on a daily basis to improve your skills?
Three months prior to the competition, I started training twice a week for physical fitness and practicing both for the On-Vehicle competition and the Off-Vehicle competition. In preparation for this year’s competition, held a training camp for mental training along with training and preparation for the competition, and to be ready to take on the challenge with very high motivation.
What’s your candid feeling in winning the competition?
To be honest, I did not think I would win the competition. I believe that the major contributing factor in winning it was that I learned both knowledge and skills, maintained my physical endurance and strength, and kept practicing in many different ways.
FUN Category Winner: Wu Chun-Yi (Taiwan)
Wu Chun-Yi is on the right of the photo. After watching service staff members working on the CB550 FOUR on an internet video site, he joined Honda because he wanted to do the same type of work. Currently, he is in charge of the general repair team. He specializes in checking and repairing electrical failures.
Please tell us why you wanted to become a Honda service staff member in the first place?
When I was around 18 years old, I was given a 125cc motorcycle, but the vehicle was in poor condition. I was a student at the time and didn’t have enough money, so I repeatedly repaired the motorcycle by myself while researching materials. I could never forget the sense of accomplishment I felt at that moment, and I knew I wanted to become a motorcycle service staff member.
What do you find most rewarding and thrilling about being a service staff member?
I find it rewarding to use my specialized knowledge to solve problems and ensure that the motorcycle maintains its original performance. That great sense of accomplishment is the best part of my job as a service staff member.
A normal workday in Taiwan
What made you and how did you decide to compete in the Technician Contest?
I wanted to interact with contestants from all around the world. I also wanted to see where I stood among Honda service staff members.
Is there anything you practice on a daily basis to improve your skills?
I verify things by reading manuals and repairing my own motorcycles. I think it’s more important to face each repair case properly than to think and act on “what kind of technician I want to be.”
What’s your candid feeling in winning the competition?
I’m really happy! After observing the highest levels in technical skills from every technician in this competition, I’m honestly shocked that I was able to win. But I feel that I should not be satisfied with this, and I’d like to continue to further hone my skills and apply them to my job.
Ask four contestants about what is thrilling and rewarding about being a service staff member
Although they narrowly missed the championship spot, everyone had excellent knowledge and advanced skills as service staff members. The serious look on their faces when they were focused during the competition showed that they were truly reliable service staff members, and more importantly, they had deep love for motorcycles. We asked four contestants representing the group about their passion for their service.
Commuter Category: Xing Deqing (China)
Joined a Honda dealer in 2004. Xing Deqing gained experience as a service staff member, sales person, and is currently in charge of after-sales service. In this year’s Technician Contest, Xing took second place in the Commuter category. He specializes in diagnosis, repair, and maintenance of FI (Fuel Injection), the fuel injection system of electrical systems.
What do you find most rewarding and thrilling about being a service staff member?
I find it rewarding when customers say “thank you” after returning their repaired vehicle. I also feel great pleasure in this job when I’m able to solve a difficult problem. And most importantly, I really love motorcycles and the whole process in maintaining and repairing them.
Fun Category: Jos Pols (Netherlands)
As a teenager, Jos Pols became interested in motorcycle technology and decided to become a Honda service staff member. While attending technical college, Pols worked at his parents’ Honda motorcycle dealership. In this year’s Technician Contest, he took second place in the Fun category. He specializes in diagnostics.
What do you find most rewarding and thrilling about being a service staff member?
I feel motivated when a customer tells me that s/he had a memorable trip of their lifetime on a motorcycle that I serviced. I also find it rewarding when I’m able to solve a problem for which other service staff members were unable to determine the cause. To achieve these goals, I need to improve my skills, but I’ve been willing to put forth the effort because I love motorcycles. I’m also always thinking about the responsibility in my job that involves people’s lives and safety.
Commuter Category: Clecio Vieira da Costa (Brazil)
Joined a Honda dealership in 2014. Since joining the company, Clecio Vieira da Costa has worked in a workshop and is currently the workshop leader. He specializes in diagnosing breakdowns.
Please tell us why you wanted to become a Honda service staff member.
Ever since I saw service staff members working at a workshop nearby my house when I was around 14 years old, I had an affinity for the job. And out of all the options, it was my dream to work at a Honda dealership.
Is there anything you practice on a daily basis to improve your skills?
I continue to study outside of work hours by reading maintenance manuals and watching videos on maintenance and repair. In addition, I’m constantly collecting other technically useful information.
Fun Category: Doi Isamu (Japan)
After graduating from Honda Gakuen Kanto School, Isamu Doi joined Wing Sports Co. (Honda Dream Japan Co., Ltd.) Doi worked as a plant manager at Honda Dream Nagoya-Minami (South), Honda Dream Nagoya-Chuo (Central), and Honda Dream Nagoya-Higashi (East). He specializes in repairing electrical systems.
What do you find most rewarding and thrilling about being a service staff member?
I find it most rewarding when a customer says, “Thank you!” I feel very happy when I’m able to repair a customer’s vehicle that was brought into our shop for repair because the customer was at a loss with the unresolved problem that other shops were unable to repair, and the customer goes home happy. That’s a great and rewarding feeling.
The challenge of service staff members continues. And the expectation for the next competition in four years
The common passion among all contestants was their great passion for Honda motorcycles and their pride as professionals who want to see their customers happy. But the contestants are never complacent, and the Technician Contest is an opportunity for service staff members to improve their knowledge and skills. And we can’t help but look forward to the next Technician Contest in four years, where the service staff members will continue to elevate their skills.
Group photo opportunity on the day of the competition
Original article issued on November 17, 2023
I originally majored in automotive at a technical school. I had a strong interest and passion for technical things, so I wanted to work for AHASS to improve my own technical skills, especially gain more knowledge and technical skills related to abnormal noise and vibration diagnosis. I am proud to be part of Honda, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Indonesia with the largest user and after-sales network.