Kawasaki Donates Motorcycles, Engines To MMI

Kawasaki Donates Motorcycles, Engines To MMI

© 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

KAWASAKI DONATES NEW MOTORCYCLES, WATERCRAFT AND ENGINES TO MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS INSTITUTE Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., recently delivered eight new motorcycles and 18 new engines a donation with an equivalent retail value of $100,000 to the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI), a division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI). Included were Vulcan® cruisers, NINJA® sport motorcycles and JET SKI® personal watercraft, which MMI instructors are now utilizing in the K-Tech Specialist Program, a curriculum focused exclusively on Kawasaki products. Bill Schuette, director of business alliances at MMI, said the donation is just one of the many reasons the school values its long-standing relationship with Kawasaki. “When we receive new products such as the NINJA ZX™-6R, the students get excited, and this brings a real enthusiasm to the classroom,” he said. “Plus, it provides extra motivation to our instructors because it helps them to keep abreast of the latest technology.” Jim Wagnon, K-Tech Specialist chief instructor at MMI, echoed Schuette’s comments. “Kawasaki’s donation is helping to make the K-Tech Specialist Program the best it’s ever been,” he said. In addition to donating parts and motorcycles, two former MMI students who are now technicians for Team Green™, Kawasaki’s amateur racing support program, drove their race trailers to the Phoenix campus and spoke with students about how they’re now living their dreams in the powersports industry. Ryan Collins and Matt Leach each talked about the challenges of going to MMI, then fielded questions from students and relayed their experiences in the industry. Wagnon said the discussions with Team Green employees serve to raise student interest to an even higher level. “These visits help to ensure that Kawasaki dealers have the qualified technicians they will need both now and in the future,” said Wagnon. With schools in Phoenix, Ariz., and Orlando, Fla., MMI provides hands-on training for motorcycle repair technicians and is supported by Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. and other major powersports manufacturers and distributors within the United States. Both of MMI’s facilities 114,000 square feet at Phoenix and 118,000 square feet at Orlando are fully equipped with modern equipment and technology for training service technicians. After completing MMI’s core program, students take elective courses that help to familiarize them with specific product lines. The K-Tech Specialist Program, for instance, utilizes engines from the popular KFX®700 sport ATV, NINJA ZX-10R sportbike and JET SKI STX®-12F watercraft as training aids for maintenance procedures such as valve adjustments and engine teardown. Don Church, manager of service training and communications at Kawasaki, compared MMI’s K-Tech Specialist Program to a finishing school. “By working closely with MMI to develop these programs, we’re helping to ensure that students understand Kawasaki products and are prepared to give professional-level service upon graduation,” said Church. With an estimated seven million motorcycles already on the road, the powersports industry continues to grow, and with it comes a need for qualified service technicians. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of service technicians in the U.S. is expected to increase between 10-20 percent from 2002 to 2012. About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. is a provider of technical education training for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. The company offers undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs at eight campuses across the United States, and manufacturer-specific advanced programs at 22 dedicated training centers. Through its campus-based school system, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. offers specialized technical education programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI). For more information, visit www.uticorp.com. About Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and sells at wholesale Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft and utility vehicles through a network of more than 1,500 independent retailers, with an additional 8,400 retailers specializing in power products and general-purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 2,400 people in the United States, with more than 350 of them located at the Irvine, California headquarters. Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.™”, is recognized worldwide and the brand is aggressively carrying its heritage of leading-edge power, performance and exhilaration into the 21st century. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of recreational products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com.

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