Meet Skylar Penn: Traveling Technician for the Yamaha bLU cRU

There’s one thing Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) graduate Skylar Penn has always known: He was going to become a mechanic one day.¹

“My fifth-grade teacher made us write a book on our future goal before we entered middle school, and in that book, I said I wanted to go to MMI to be a dirt bike mechanic,” Skylar shares with us.

It's not every day you meet someone who's turned their childhood dream into a reality, but that's precisely what Skylar Penn did. He’s now a traveling mechanic for the Yamaha bLU cRU and supporting races all over the East Coast. Check out Skylar’s incredible story below.

The Love for Mechanics — A Lifelong Affair

Skylar has had a lifelong knack for fixing things, from cars and trucks to bikes and remote controls.

“I have always had some type of four-wheeler or dirt bike in my life,” says Skylar. “I grew up racing dirt bikes and always, I mean always, had my hands on something to work on whether it was trucks, cars, bikes, remote controls etc. You name it—I tried to fix it.”

As he grew older, his interest narrowed down to dirt bike mechanics. The thrill of building motors, adjusting suspension and selecting tires captivated him. Fast forward a few years, and a young, ambitious Skylar packed up and headed to Orlando, Florida, for motorcycle and powersports technician training.

An Institution That Felt Like Home

When the time came to choose a school, MMI was Skylar's first pick. It didn’t take long for him to connect with like-minded individuals and establish connections in the motocross industry.

“The comfort of all teachers being real and straight up with you, and the interaction between everyone was probably my favorite part of MMI,” Skylar tell us.

As a student during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, this class had its challenges, but they soldiered on, learning and growing together.

“COVID affected my class but the skills were still hands-on and I thoroughly enjoyed that,” recalls Skylar. “My favorite classes were definitely my electives K-Tech and Yamaha as they both had their perks of hands-on learning.”¹⁸

Skylar also completed the Kawasaki K-Tech and Yamaha YamaPro® specialized training programs, which helped prepare him for what he calls his dream career in his home state of Virginia.

Working With the Yamaha bLU cRU

Transitioning from MMI to the workforce was seamless for Skylar, thanks to his hard work and a well-rounded education, as he puts it.⁶ Growing up, he often visited a local shop called Triangle Cycles. He made a great connection with the owner, Rusty, and he managed to land a job after graduation.

“While in school at MMI, I messaged Rusty and asked if I could come hang out at the trailer at Mini O’s at Gatorback MX. He allowed me to come hang out and ever since then, I’ve been hooked,” Skylar tells us. “Not long after that, Rusty asked if I would want to come work for his shop following graduation and I agreed.”

Skylar tells us he attends most East Coast races and amateur regionals, including one of the biggest amateur races, known as Loretta Lynn’s. When there’s not a race to work at, you can find him at his home shop of Triangle Cycles.

“One of the best feelings is after working on a bike at any race and then the rider coming back saying how great the bike ran and that they made it to the next round or race weekend,” Skylar shares. “You can’t beat the feeling of that!”

Following Your Passion With MMI

Skylar's advice for anyone looking to follow in his footsteps is simple: Follow your passion.

"You can do anything you put your mind to. Stick with it through the good days and bad days,” Skylar advises. “It will all be worth it if you truly love the sport of racing/bikes."

Having achieved his goals, Skylar now dreams of working for a pro team someday. When he’s not busy working, you'll find him fishing, riding dirt bikes or spending quality time with his wife and their baby boy.

“MMI is excellent for a well-rounded education,” shares Skylar. “I believe it helped shape me into the mechanic I am today.”

If you’re interested in hands-on training on small engines, MMI could be the place for you. We have two locations in Phoenix, Arizona, and Orlando, Florida. You can learn more about it on our Motorcycle Mechanics program page.