Vol. 14 Hands Like His Father: Inheriting Skills and Spirit

At the biennial Yamaha World Technician Grand Prix, there was still a youthful look to the motorcycle mechanic representing Taiwan. This story is about a father and son who strove to be the best in the world at their profession, the respect and gratitude held by the young man for his father, and of their passion and pride as motorcycle mechanics.

For many customers, their motorcycle technician is the representative of the Yamaha brand they are closest to. The technician possesses the knowledge and skills to properly inspect and maintain their Yamaha product, and is responsible for providing service that brings peace of mind to the customer’s motorcycling lifestyle.

The ideal shared by all Yamaha mechanics is to provide “One-to-One Service,” to build a positive relationship of trust with each and every customer. Yamaha also runs the Yamaha Technical Academy (YTA) mechanic training and education program according to a single global standard in order to ensure customers get the same high-quality service at any Yamaha dealership around the world.

As of 2018, there are some 34,000 YTA-trained and certified mechanics worldwide, and the Yamaha World Technician Grand Prix is the biennial contest where the top technicians compete against their counterparts from around the world. The 2018 event was contested by 21 technicians from 19 countries that had won their regional qualifiers, all determined to test their skills honed day by day against the best in hopes of winning the title of No. 1 in the world.

Young mechanic Wu Chang Wei was Taiwan’s representative at the 2018 Yamaha World Technician Grand Prix. Yamaha Motor Taiwan provides extensive support and training towards fostering the next generation of leaders at key Yamaha dealerships nationwide. With this assistance, Wu devoted himself to polishing his craft to an exceptional level. His father—an accomplished technician in his own right—also represented Taiwan at the competition in 2005, taking 2nd. Wu looks up to his father with respect and gratitude and brings the same pride and passion to his profession. This is a story of a father and son who put their years of knowledge and repertoire of skills to the test in an attempt to be crowned the best in the world.