From cop to shop: A police sergeant’s journey to the SAIT Motorcycle Mechanic program

When Jon James was growing up, his parents kept a scrapbook documenting his school pictures, height and dreams. Every year, they asked James what he wanted to be when he grew up. Every year, save one (and honestly, who didn’t want to be a rock star at some point?), James answered the same thing: a policeman. But it was more than an exciting job away from a desk that spoke to James.

“When I was a little kid, I had a plastic model of a police motorcycle. It had functioning lights and a siren — and, one year at the Calgary Stampede Parade, I saw traffic cops on those motorcycles. I thought that was the coolest thing,” James says. “I remember thinking, ‘one day I'd love to do that.’”

James is a lifelong lover and long-time owner of motorcycles. From riding on the back of a neighbour’s motorcycle when he was just a tween to owning his own bikes as an adult, he’s drawn to them as a rider and a hobby repairman.

While many of his peers joining the force wanted to work with canines or in the tactical unit, James knew right away what he wanted: traffic. For the majority of his career with the Calgary Police Service (CPS), he worked on the street in uniform but spent the last five years as a traffic sergeant, responding to collisions and incidents, escorting VIPs and dignitaries and keeping Calgary’s roads safe.

“You wanna talk about a childhood dream come true? I got to ride the bikes in the parade.”

But James is honest about the challenges of policing.

“It’s a very difficult career. You’re always seeing people on their worst day. It’s psychologically, emotionally, spiritually and physically draining.”

Looking for a fresh start, James retired from the CPS in 2019. While exploring options for his next career, he continued tinkering with motorcycles and engines — but relied on professional technicians to repair and maintain his vehicles. He would observe the repair process, recalling, “it was like magic to me to watch these guys take stuff apart, diagnose things, put it back together and make it run.”

When SAIT began offering its Motorcyle Mechanic program, James flashed-back to a since-retired Continuing Education course he had enjoyed called Motorcycle Maintenance. Deciding to bridge his personal passion and his professional skills, he returned to SAIT in September 2023 for his first period of training.

Hands-on learning

The Motorcycle Mechanic program is divided into four periods, ranging from 6-8 weeks each. To successfully complete the apprenticeship training, students also must complete each period, as well as almost 3,000 hours of on-the-job training.

Students’ days are divided into morning lectures and shop time. For James, shop time was the highlight.

“I really enjoyed the hands-on part. Personally, I learn best when you explain it to me, demonstrate how it’s done, and then let me try. And you’re in a safe environment for that. If something goes sideways in school, there aren’t really serious consequences. You can take time to review your error and talk about why it happened.  The consequences can be much more severe if that same mistake happens to a customer’s motorcycle.”

Although James is a hands-on learner, he also appreciated learning the theory of his morning lectures.

“When I started working at the shop,” James says, referring to his first stint as an apprentice, “I was given kind of basic stuff to do with somebody looking over my shoulder — which is great, because they were making sure I didn’t do something catastrophic, but I didn’t really understand what I was doing. Knowing the theory and basic knowledge improves your confidence.”

James now works for a shop in Calgary, where he focuses on Ducati repair. He currently owns two bikes, one of which is the Harley Davidson he rode as a police officer. When the bike was retired from duty and auctioned off, James secured it as his own. He’ll be coming back to SAIT later in 2024 for the third period of his apprenticeship.

Let’s ride

If you enjoy precise work, love motorcycling and like mechanical problem-solving, this could be the program for you. Check out program details and entrance requirements.

Join SAIT’s Motorcycle Mechanic program