Posts Tagged ‘automotive’

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Tips On Shipping Your Motorcycle

Friday, July 30th, 2010

There are quite a few differences between car and motorcycle shipping. While a car has a reliable handbrake and four wheels for extra stability a motorcycle is quite different by design having only two wheels amd nothing to keep the bike stationery except the stand. You might think that motorcycle shipping would be cheaper than car shipping because of the difference in size of vehicles but this is rarely the case. The closed carriers that are often used should be specially designed to carry motorcycles and this will mean that there will either be palettes specially designed for the purpose or there will be specially fitted tracks that serve the same purpose. What this means is that a motorcycle basically takes up the same room as a car when it needs to be shipped anywhere.

How expensive is motorcycle shipping?

This is dependant on two main factors. How far you are travelling and what services the company you intend to use has to offer. There are a variety of different services that a shipping company can offer you. You would be better using a specialist motorcycle shipper than a car shipper that offers motorcycle shipping as an extra service.

The further you are travelling and the more services you require the higher the price is likely to be, but you will receive a discount from the right company if you are transporting more than one motorbike so shop around for quotes.
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Auto Leasing Scams

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

Car-leasing has been lauded as a more attractive alternative to buying, offering in the process the flexibility to drive a new car for less. The reality, however, is that leasing is an option that is fraught with many pitfalls for the average customer. Leasing regulation does not require as much disclosure as buying a vehicle. This has given rise to many leasing scams that trick the customer into believing they are into a good deal when, in effect, all he is getting is a rough deal on the dealer’s terms.

Here we look at some of these common scams and how to avoid them

Artificially low interest rates:

Some dealers quote a lower interest rate when in reality it’s much higher. They do this by either purposefully quoting the money factor as the interest rate or calculating the loan without amortizing some closing fees, like the security deposit, into the loan lease. Take the money factor for example: this is typically expressed as a four decimal digit, something like 0.004. Some dealers quote this as a 4% interest rate when in fact you need to multiply it by 24 to get a rough idea of the interest rate on your loan. In this example, the interest rate is a much higher 9.6% than the “quoted” rate of 4%. Make sure you crunch the numbers and understand the formula they use to calculate their interest rate. Look out for any fees not factored into the calculation. If you are not satisfied, do not enter into the lease agreement.
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Are Truckers Going Soft?

Monday, May 10th, 2010

The answer is … yes! Actually, truckers are going for trucking software to make their life a little easier. A trucker’s life is not all about being behind the wheel of a big rig. They have a lot of paperwork and information to keep track of for themselves as well as the trucking company that employs them. There is a variety of trucking software programs out on the market today, so it depends on what needs to be accomplished as opposed to which of the variety of trucking software programs you will purchase.

Let’s stop and think about why a trucker would need trucking software. What do they do for a living? Drive! These truckers cover a lot of miles and have to fill up their fuel tanks periodically. There are trucking software programs that assist the trucker in recording the miles they traveled as well as each time they stopped to fill their fuel tanks. The trucking software can keep track of all the mileage and expenses accrued during a trip. So if the truck driver pays for fuel and maintenance out of pocket, they need accurate records to turn in to their trucking company for reimbursement. Otherwise, they are out of a lot of money.
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Caring For Your Motorcycle When It's Being Stored

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

As the weather gets cooler, is your motorcycle ready to be put up for the winter? Even if you plan to ride your bike through the cold winter months, here are some ideas on winter care. Or, maybe your have another reason for not riding your bike: travel, business or family commitments. The good news is that this shouldn’t take more than a few hours of work to be sure that your motorcycle will remain in tip-top condition in terms of looks, mechanical condition and trouble free riding.

First, be sure the fuel system is drained and conditioned. The best way to do this is to get the level as low as you can, then add a fuel stabilizer additive. Then run your bike for a few miles to be sure the additive gets into and through the entire fuel system. Then, when your ready to ride, simple fill up with fresh gas and you’re ready to go.

Next be sure and clean you motorcycle thoroughly. Use a good degreasing agent to get rid of all that grime that collected over the past several months. Be sure to remember to get the brakes and suspension systems. Clean out the brake calipers with a brake cleaner and re-lubricate.

Make sure that your bike is completely dry. If you have compressed air available, use it.
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