Saturday, January 24, 2009

Choosing an Insurance for Your Motorcycle

Buying insurance for your bike isn't only wise, it's could also be a good investment. Some factors that could affect your motorcycle insurance coverage are:

Your bike's value

Always ask about insurance before buying a motorcycle. Your dealer or supplier should be able to inform you whether your new bike is covered or not. Usually, insurance for a later model, souped-up bike will cost more than that of a regular motorcycle.

Your age and home address

If you're younger, you'll usually pay more. If you're older and have more riding experience, your rate could be much better. Where you live will also factors into your insurance payments. High-risk addresses where there's a higher probability of crime or accident will mean higher rates.

Your job and driving history

Where you take your motorcycle on a regular basis will also affect your insurance payments. For example, bringing your bike to work in a construction site could raise the rates. Your past driving experience will also have an effect on your insurance payment, regardless of whether or not you've driven a motorcycle before.

Usually, your regular motor insurance company will provide enough insurance coverage and options for you, but you might want to check out insurance coverage specific to motorcycles to see what your options are. Full coverage can be quite expensive and very often, only provided for high-end motorcycles.

What your insurance should have

Ideally, your insurance should include the following: passenger, collision, liability, no-fault, uninsured and service coverage. Another insurance coverage that you might want to consider is medical, which will cover medical costs in case of injury and hospitalization.

You might also want to get insurance for bodily injury. This covers your liability in case you cause a collision that resulted in another person's injury or death.

Mind the cost

Shop for at least three insurance quotes before deciding on one. Call as many insurance agents as you can to have a better look at the coverage and rates that's available, because rates do vary.

If your motorcycle mileage is low, you could get better rates. Using your motorcycle only occasionally could get you a better insurance deal. You might also want to take a DMV class that specializes in motorcycle training. Once you get your certification, you might just be able to haggle with your insurance company for a better price.

Comprehensive coverage can be quite expensive, although it will cover instances of theft, vandalism or total wrecks. You don’t want to overpay your insurance, but if you think you are at a high risk of having your motorcycle damaged or stolen, you might want to get a comprehensive/collision coverage.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Tips on Selling your Motorcycle

Sometimes, you have to let go of the things that you love the most. You probably want to sell your motorcycles for one reason or another, say, you need extra money, or you’re buying a new one or simply because there’s lack of space in your garage.

So, where do you start? How do you find good buyers and how do you communicate with them? Here are some useful tips:

-Bring the bike’s glory first

The first thing that you need to make sure of is that your motorcycle needs to be in top shape when you sell it. Getting the dirt off and changing a few peripherals can really shoot up the value of your motorcycle. Also, make sure that you ask a mechanic to check if there is anything to repair or replace. A bad motorcycle component can ruin a deal and ruin your reputation as a seller.

-Browse the names from your current network

If you already know someone who has interest in purchasing a second-hand motorcycle, then you should offer your motorcycle to them first. Choosing people from your own network can remove many of the hassles and obstacles that come along with the selling process. If you are inclined towards selling the motorcycle at a “friendlier” price to someone you know, make sure to weigh the amount that you would have spent in waiting for another buyer from outside. You shouldn’t be on the losing end of the bargain.

-Try selling it online

An online auction is a very effective way of doing transactions. You can opt to sell your motorcycle online with such websites as ebay.com. These auction sites connect to the whole world and everyone can practically participate in the bidding process. Make sure that you write the profile of our motorcycle in such a way that you highlight its strengths. Do include high resolution pictures that are taken from different angles. These will encourage people to inquire about it.

-Local newspaper

There’s no harm in posting an advertisement in your local newspaper. There might be people out there in your own town who are dying to buy your motorcycle.

-Try your local dealer

You may opt to ask for the help of your local dealer. You will have to pay him some amount but at least you will be freed from the problems of selling it. Selling motorcycle is their core expertise and it would be much faster to do it their way.

Try different options and get the best deal from selling your motorcycle.