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GRADUATE TESTIMONIALS

A New Outlook on Life: Harley Motorcycle Technician Blake Keeffe

"I was paying to go there out of my own pocket, so I tried to really take advantage."

*As part of the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) family of schools, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) began operating under the UTI brand in February 2025.

Blake Keeffe sports an impressive beard and two full tattoo sleeves. You might keep your distance if you walked by him on the street, but he smiles like a kid when he talks about motorcycles. The intimidating exterior fades and he’s downright giddy once you get him going.

Just like the best roads for Harley riding, Blake’s life has been perilous and windy. He was 18, unhappy and working in an auto shop when he started riding motorcycles. That’s when he began dreaming of riding in the Himalayas. Then his life turned into a nightmare. “I was killed in a motorcycle wreck,” he says. Blake was in an accident, had to be resuscitated and spent a month in the traumatic brain injury unit. It was three months before he was strong enough to go home. 

The accident delayed everything, it put Blake’s life on hold. He was already 27 by the time he went to school. At this point though — after his accident — he had a little more perspective about his life, certainly more perspective than the pre-accident 18-year-old. He hated working on cars but was a good mechanic. He loved motorcycles. It just made sense to combine the two. 

On a whim, Blake called UTI Phoenix about their Motorcycle Technician Training program--just to ask questions and explore the options.1 Then he promptly sold all his stuff, moved and started classes three weeks later. 

He enrolled in the core program along with the Harley-Davidson® advanced program, and completed both while working 40 to 50 hours a week. “I was paying to go there out of my own pocket,” he says, “so I tried to really take advantage. I went to class early. I stayed late. Every break I was bugging the instructors trying to get as much information as I could.” 

After two years of going to school while working full time, Blake felt a little disenchanted. It was emotionally and physically draining, he admits. William Conner, a motorcycle instructor, was the one who reminded him why he was doing all this. “This is what you love to do,” he told Blake. Whenever he’d lose his way, other professors corrected Blake’s course. Remember your passion, they reminded him. Make the most of this experience, they encouraged. Blake graduated in 2012 and immediately landed a job in San Diego. Three years later they returned to Phoenix so his wife could go back to school. Since then, Blake has worked at a variety of shops—some good, others, not so much. The one he’s at now — Desert Wind Harley Davidson in Mesa, Arizona — is the best one yet. “They care about their people,” Blake says. 

Blake likes diagnostics and problems solving. He likes figuring out what’s wrong with a bike and addressing owners’ concerns. To stay efficient, he sticks around his bay and deals with a dispatcher who brings him bikes and parts. “This one has a runnability concern,” he points to a bike, then to another one. “That one is damaged. That guy wrecked his bike.” 

In the next year or two, Blake will begin working toward becoming a master tech, but he has no intention of slowing down. Harley bikes change every year and he wants to keep current. And he still daydreams about his future ride through the Himalayas—the same one he’s daydreamed about for 15 years. The only thing that’s changed is the bike he sees himself riding: a 2018 Harley Road Glide. Even when things are going well, you have to remember why you’re doing it.


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1) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.2) For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.6) UTI graduates’ achievements may vary. Individual circumstances and wages depend on personal credentials and economic factors. Work experience, industry certifications, the location of the employer and their compensation programs affect wages. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.7) Some programs may require longer than one year to complete.8) Does not include time required to complete a qualifying prerequisite program such as UTI’s 51-week Automotive Technology program.9) Does not include time required to complete a qualifying prerequisite program such as UTI’s 45-week Diesel Technology program.10) Financial aid, scholarships and grants are available to those who qualify. Awards vary due to specific conditions, criteria and state.11) See program details for eligibility requirements and conditions that may apply.14) Incentive programs and employee eligibility are at the discretion of the employer and available at select locations. Special conditions may apply. Talk to potential employers to learn more about the programs available in your area. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.15) Manufacturer-paid advanced training programs are conducted by UTI on behalf of manufacturers who determine acceptance criteria and conditions. These programs are not part of UTI’s accreditation. Programs available at select locations.18) UTI now offers all of its automotive, diesel, motorcycle and marine technician training in a blended-learning format consisting of online lecture courses along with in-person, hands-on lab training.20) VA benefits may not be available at all campus locations.21) GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website.24) UTI prepares graduates to work as entry-level automotive service technicians. Some graduates who take NASCAR-specific electives also may have job opportunities in racing-related industries. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.79) UTI aviation maintenance programs prepare graduates to apply and test for FAA mechanic certification. Graduates who don’t obtain certification may have fewer career opportunities. Some graduates get jobs in aviation or related industries other than as aviation maintenance technicians. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment, salary or FAA certification.128) UTI will pay for certain third-party FAA certification exam fees for qualifying students. See catalog for details and requirements.

Universal Technical Institute of Illinois, Inc. is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

*Registration Fee Waiver will apply to any student who enrolls by July 31, 2025, with a start date between March 31, 2025, and September 25, 2025.

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