How to become Valentino Rossi’s mechanic

The world’s leading professional nutcases, daredevils and racing heroes reveal their expert knowledge on the most ridiculous biking feats you can imagine...

Australia mechanic, Alex Briggs, tells us how to become Valentino Rossi’s mechanic!

Alex says: “It’s all about word of mouth! I was a decent motocross racer, and became an apprentice mechanic for a bus company to support my habit. I became friends with great riders and worked on their bikes, which led to people asking about me when they were successful. One day, I was at home with a broken tailbone from a motocross crash and the phone rang.

“It was the manager of the Australian Yamaha Motocross Team, asking if I would like to work for them. I took a huge pay cut and went for it. I then got offered a job in the ’93 motocross season, which led to a call from Jeremy Burgess with a job offer in road racing.

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“Nearly every mechanic in MotoGP has a similar story. Almost all have no official qualifications in mechanics. Most started helping a friend at a local club or bike shop, working for free to get better and meet more people. That’s how it starts.

“You need to be able to get on with others and talk to everyone about everything because that’s how others find out about you. Word of mouth is the most powerful employment tool in this game.”

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