Showing posts with label motorcycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motorcycle. Show all posts

Tips For Buying A Motorcyle

When shopping around for a good motorcycle, keep in mind that, like every other business out there, the dealers are out to get your money. It may seem like a harsh thing to say but their main goal is to get your cash, but let's face facts. No business is out to give away things for free. Every dealership is going to be looking for ways to maximize their profits at the expense of you, the buyer.

To avoid getting your wallet unnecessarily drained, keep in mind that when shopping for a good motorcycle, you shouldn't simply look at the flat-out front end price of the bike. Since many dealers will have their front end prices vary, some will seek to make a profit by offering a seemingly rock bottom front end price, but will have other additional fees and charges that will make them a kickback.

These additonal charges have to be factored into the overall price when you compare motorcycle dealer offers, so that you can pick one that will offer the least strain on your budget. These additional areas to look for are the following:

Installment Payment - while the ability to pay for the price of your bike with monthly installments seems to take a huge burden off, as opposed to making a much larger 1-time cash payment or credit charge, look at the terms of payment involved in the installment package. Usually, the overall amount of money you'll be spending will be subtly higher.

Motorcycle Loans - loan programs may seem useful too, but dealerships which offer partnerships with a bank and give you a bank loan option for financing your new motorcycle will usually tack on an added amount into the interest charges of the loan. The banks in these cases often give the dealers a kickback from the additional interest.

Warranties - extended warranties beyond the basic necessities will usually involve extra cash. Check the terms of the warranties including overall price and the duration of the warranty, as well as it's coverage to make sure you get the best possible comprehensive warranty.

Freight, Shipping, and Handling Charges - while seemingly innocuous, quite a few dealers actually subtly hide their additional kickbacks in additional freight charges for delivering your motorcycle. Find out beforehand how much damage (financially speaking) you'll be taking from the dealer for freight.

It is your duty as a consumer to make sure that you get the best possible deal for your money, so being able to detect these little areas where dealers make an extra (at your expense) profit are a must.

Motorcycle Won't Start? Here's One Thing You Don't Want To Do!

It’s bound to happen sooner or later. You’re ready to ride, but your motorcycle won’t start. Before you call for help, consider performing a few simple steps on your own. Quite frequently, the cause and the remedy are both very simple.

First, try starting your motorcycle again, but this time pay careful attention to your starting procedure. Are you forgetting that the sidestand has to be up or that the motorcycle must be in neutral to start? Modern motorcycles are equipped with safety lockouts to prevent starting your bike in gear and riding away with the sidestand down. Starting routines become second nature and sometimes even these simple steps are overlooked.

Once you’ve checked the safety lockouts, determine if you are getting power to your starter. Turn your motorcycle on again and press the starter button. Does the starter turn? If yes, does it turn at its normal speed? A slow cranking starter means that the starter is getting power, just not enough to start your motorcycle. If all you get is a clicking noise, there isn’t enough power to activate the starter solenoid. Insure that your battery is fully charged and the cables are clean and tight. No matter how tempted, never jump start a motorcycle with a car! The excessive current can be devastating to a motorcycles’s sensitive electronics. For more information please see my article on motorcycle starting systems.

The next check should be fuel supply. Is there gas in the tank? I can’t count how many times I’ve “fixed” a motorcycle by filling the tank. Don’t just trust the gauge; check the level visually. For those of you with fuel petcocks make sure they are on. If your fuel petcocks are on reserve don’t assume that all of the fuel in the tank is usable. The bottom of the tank is where sediment and water collects. This often doesn’t cause a problem until the tank is almost empty.

If your starter turns normally and you have a full tank of gas your motorcycle should start, right? Not necessarily - so if your bike still doesn’t start, it might be time to call for a tow. Your motorcycle needs the fuel to enter the cylinders and be ignited by a spark at a precise instance for proper combustion. Components that might still be at fault are clogged carburetors or fuel injectors, an inoperable fuel pump, or ignition system. See “Advanced Diagnostics” to find out more.

You can get more essential motorcycle info and tips including what you need to know about motorcycle shipping, motorcycle parts and accessories, motorcycle tours and rentals, motorcycle insurance, motorcycle repair, motorcycle buying and selling, and motorcycle racing all at http://www.mototechtips.com/