Cars and Motorcycles

They say that buying a car is the cheapest part – and this is often correct. When buying a car there are many other cost factors to consider, and how much road tax you will have to pay each year is an important one. In this article we explain how road tax works, and how much you can expect to pay today.

The tax you pay to keep your vehicle on the road each year has many names. Officially it is VED, or Vehicle Excise Duty. However in the day to day this phrase is rarely used. You also may hear it referred to as ‘road tax’, ‘vehicle tax’, or ‘car tax’.

Vehicle Excise Duty is paid to the Driver and Licensing Agency, also known as the DVLA. The DVLA is a government organisation charged with keeping a database of all registered vehicles and registered drivers in the UK. They are an agency of the Department of Transport, and are based in Swansea. While they hold the responsibility for driver and vehicle details, they do not endorse penalty points on driver licenses, this is a matter for the police.

If you wish to drive or park your car on a public road you must make sure you display a current Vehicle Excise Duty disc in the windscreen at all times. This not only proves that you have paid your tax but also that you had a valid MOT and insurance at the time (and hopefully still do!). A registered car owner who has not paid tax is flagged up on the DVLA computer system. Technology in this field is so advanced now it is quite easy for the DVLA to track down those avoiding their car tax responsibilities. Failure to pay car tax will result in a fine of up to £1000, and in extreme cases such as repeat offenders, you may be prosecuted.

If you have a vehicle but do not wish to drive or park it on the road for a period of time you will need to make a Statutory Off Road Notification, or SORN for short. If a registered vehicle’s tax runs out and you do not supply a SORN to the DVLA they will assume that you are still using the vehicle but not paying tax, and it is very likely that a fine will be issued. By declaring your vehicle off the road via a SORN notice you are telling the DVLA that you will not be using the vehicle and therefore no tax is due. A SORN needs to be renewed every 12 months unless the vehicle is re-taxed.

Vehicles registered before March 2001 pay vehicle tax as per below. This data is calculated by engine size and is correct as of January 2012.

- Vehicles with an engine size not over 1549cc pay £130 for 12 months tax or £71.50 for 6 months.

- Vehicles with an engine size over 1549cc pay £215 for 12 months tax or £118.25 for 6 months.

Vehicles registered on or after March 2001 pay car tax that can vary from £0 up to £1000 per year depending on the class of vehicle, its emissions, and fuel type. Band A cars, such as the Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, have such low emissions that the owner does not need to pay car tax at all. Those paying £1000 per year are paying for the high emissions on their car which must be over 255g/km. Band M cars are usually high end sports cars such as some Lamborghinis.

When thinking of where to get saddle bags for your bike, you should always consider the manufacturers’ variety of bags. They can give you a lot of good stuff for your money, not to mention warranties, great packages and the matching saddlebag for your very model. Honda, a well-known manufacturer of motorcycles, has its own collection of saddle bags. You may want to check out Honda saddle bags before deciding which bag to buy for your bike.

Buying Honda panniers may have its advantages. Not only do you get product specifications matching your needs, but there are bags for almost every model in the market. There are all types of bags like saddle bags, tool bags and sissy bar bags. What could be a better way to save the time searching for the right bag to go with your bike, then getting one that’s made for your exact model? Don’t worry if the price is slightly high, it’ll pay off in a few years when your friends’ saddle bags start wearing out but yours is still in a pretty nice condition. Yes, I’m talking about durability: the main thing to consider when thinking of paying a few extra bucks.

Honda lives up to its reputation, by making high quality bags and competing with its rivals. With the experienced professionals at work, it is committed to give you the right bag for your money. Honda products can also be purchased online. However, care needs to be taken when selecting them as each company has its own version of small, medium and large size. It would just turn out to be a waste of time and energy returning or replacing the product.

Honda saddle bags come in different shapes as well. Some hang on the sides of the rear wheel while others mount behind the biker seat on the splashguard. They have a bunch of pockets for keeping all sorts of small items like medicine or a first aid kit for emergencies. You could also keep some extra clothing, a snack and other devices like cell phone chargers, even a net book! It would be wise though to keep some tools to deal with any unfortunate situations on the road or help a fellow biker stuck on the road.

If you are in the mood of making a good investment for a durable Honda pannier, you might want to take care of it too. Leather cleaners keep leather bags as clean as if they were brand new. Bikes are the most vulnerable to snow, hail or rain. Water treatment products protect them from the adverse weather conditions, but only if they’re applied on a regular basis. Honda’s official licensees have them as well.

You can buy Honda saddle bags online too. If you can’t find the motorcycle luggage section on the home page of the official website, go to motorcycle > accessories > Apparel and you’ll find a number of official licensees. Two licensees ‘Power-Trip’ and ‘JoeRocket’ in particular make saddle bags for Honda. They usually have a warranty period of a year or more, and are available in straight or slant styles.

There are a lot of different cars on the market. Each one has a slightly different shape to all the rest. Each shape has been designed specifically for that car. The idea is to make the car as attractive and aerodynamic as possible, especially your sports cars. Let us take a look at the purpose of the design of hatchbacks.

When you mention the term “hatchback” most people automatically think of cars that look like a sedan with the back cut off. This is not actually what makes a hatchback a hatchback. It actually refers to the internal design of the vehicle.

The design used by hatchbacks is a two box design. This means that the pillars of the car divide the interior into two main areas which are rectangular in shape. There is the engine compartment and there is the passenger and cargo compartment. Most of your sedans make use of a three box design in which the passenger and cargo compartments are separated into two different rectangles. In a three box design the main pillars of the vehicle are the ones that form the frame of the front and rear windscreens. They attach the roof to the base of the car. In a two box car the main pillar is the one that forms the frame of the front windshield. The two box is not less stable or more stable than the three box design, it is just different. You do not need to be concerned that hatchbacks are less safe to drive or have an accident in than sedans are. There are still the same number of pillars in the car to give it structural integrity, they are just placed differently.

You can get hatchbacks in one of two styles. There is the three door and the five door. The difference is the presence or lack of rear passenger doors. The lid of the boot is considered a door. The option you choose will depend on you and how easily you would like to be able to get gain access to the rear passenger seat.

The design of hatchbacks is meant to give an impression of space when in fact, there is no more space in a hatchback than there is in a sedan. It just feels larger because of the two box design. The cars tend to b a lot lighter than most sedans which means that they tend to be more economical than a sedan with similar specifications. This is the main attraction for a lot of people since saving money is quite a priority at this point in time.

The hatchback has been carefully designed to maximise the impression of space inside the vehicle. This was done by making use of the two box design. Hatchbacks are still just as safe to drive as they have the same number of support pillars for the roof as a sedan would, the pillars are just placed in a way that allows the passenger and cargo areas to be within a single rectangular section.

Let me start this article off by saying I love technology. I mean the advances in tech we’ve seen over the years are just mind blowing! Now what makes tech and gadgets even better is when you combine them with my number one passion…motorcycles. The awesome gear that has been coming out the past few years is proving that the biker industry is heading in the right direction. Now out of all of the gadgets to come out, I’d say my favorite by far is the Bluetooth motorcycle helmets.

The reason I dig these lids so much, is because it eliminates the one major drawback of riding a bike…lack of communication. Back in the day, bikers had to shout over the loud roar of their exhaust to try to talk, which as you can imagine was very ineffective. Even worse your loved ones couldn’t keep in contact with you while you’re riding; you had to stop somewhere and talk, which if you’re on a schedule, can put a damper in things. Now thanks to Bluetooth helmets, those troublesome “First world” problems are a thing of the past. So let’s dive into the three main advantages that these helmets provide over the rational lid.

Stay In Touch

Since these helmets are using Bluetooth technology, you can wirelessly connect your phone to them. So now you’ll be able to receive and make calls to anyone you please, which can really help if you’re on the road but still need to stay in touch with the office.

Also since the connection is wireless, that mean you have a total hands free setup. All you have to do is use voice commands, to call, or text someone (if you have that feature). All the audio is played through your helmets built in speakers, and your voice is picked up through the built in microphone.

Listen To Music

I love riding bikes; it offers a certain freedom and excitement that cars and trucks just can’t touch. However, I also love music and unfortunately that is one feature that bikes don’t offer, unless you want to drive a big touring bike. Well with a Bluetooth helmet bikers can jam out to music. You can blast music through your Smartphone, or iPod Touch.

This is by far my favorite feature, because I do a lot of trail riding. Now off-roading is exciting by itself, but when you’ve got some Metallica or Deftones blasting, and you’re hauling butt through the mountains, it is an awesome feeling.

Never Get Lost Again

Now one of the best things about owning a bike is just cruising around and seeing where the road takes you. Unfortunately this can end getting you lost, or even worse stranded somewhere you don’t want to be. Fortunately GPS has pretty much eliminated the issue lost and asking for directions, and for guys that is a big deal. You can connect your GPS to your Bluetooth motorcycle helmet, and it will give you audio directions through your helmets speakers. This is really important if you, like me, tend to go off-roading a lot, and easily get lost.

London has been the hot spot for several years now when it comes to exotic cars. Wealthy tourists from the Middle East visit the European city during the summer months in order to escape desert heat and when these billionaires travel, they like to bring their cars with them along for the ride. The cost to ship over a car from the Gulf is not cheap; it’s around fifteen thousand dollars each way. You’ll find a plethora of exotic cars in the area around Knightsbridge; cars you will be able to spot include Ferrari’s Bentley’s, Maybach and Rolls Royces.

Most of the car owners are from UAE but some are from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and even Iraq. You can spot the cars right away by the foreign license plates. Many of the cars have been modified and are painted in bright colors including gold, silver, pink and yellow. London has surpassed Monte Carlo and Monaco as the exotic car capital of the world. Even though these cars can easily reach speeds of over 200 mph, many end up being driven in first gear due to gridlock traffic.

One of the most rarest cars spotted in London is the Koeningsegg CCX. It is one of the most expensive cars in the world with a price tag of over a million dollars. The CCX made its grand debut at the Geneva Motor Show and has been a sensational hit with automotive enthusiasts ever since. The engine is a V8 4.7 Liter. The CCX can accelerate from 0-60 in just 3.2 seconds which makes it one of the fastest exotic cars in the world. It’s a gorgeous 2-door roadster meant to impress and it is definitely one of the rarest hyper cars in the world. Top speed for the CCX is 245 miles per hour. The CCX actually beat the Mercedes SLR Mclaren in head to head racing competition.

So who do these cars belong to? Some of the owners are businessmen while others are members of various royal families. The majority of cars are from the UAE and a Qatar while a few are from other Middle Eastern countries including Iraq.

Many automotive enthusiasts enjoy admiring these exotic super cars and capturing video footage of them in action. There are many videos online which show these cars driving through the London streets. It looks like London is becoming the hyper car capital of the world.

It’s a new year, and sooner than we know it spring will be upon us – which means motorcycle riding will resume! I personally do not have a bike, but I do know quite a few avid riders who are already excited for the snow to melt. Before heading out, checking out safety of your bike is most important. Although excitement is hard to suppress, be sure to take a look at the following gauges and gadgets before you take your first ride of 2012.

Check your oil. Whether driving a car, motorcycle or other motor vehicle, this should be the simplest procedure to remember to do. Oil running smoothly will help your engine run at its best and will help you get the best gas mileage. After sitting all winter long, it’s likely that you’ll need to perform a complete oil change; although some riders are able to get away with no oil change after the winter months if they gave their bike fresh oil just before winter. In this case, it’s up to the owner’s discretion – but I would change it just for precautionary measure.

Lubricate. Lubrication always helps stiff parts back on their feet. Giving your brakes and engine fresh lube protects the parts and provides you a smooth ride. This is also a great time to check brake pads and to replace them if necessary. If they don’t need replacing now but are looking quite scant, make a mental note or set a date on your calendar to take a second look in a month or two.

Adjust. Ensuring valves and plugs are in proper shape and tightened as they should be will result in a great ride.

Charge your battery. After sitting all winter, it will be more than necessary to check your battery charge. A great way to avoid having to do this is to keep a slow trickle charge on the battery throughout the winter to help it stay alive and in good shape. Think about replacing it if it looks a little battered or the charge is low.

Fill up. Before you can take off, gas will be needed. Unless you used a fuel stabilizer, if you filled up before storage it was for naught. Over the cold winter months, fuel stored in your tank stratifies – or separates into layers – and can get thick and clumpy once it warms up. Replace with new gas.

Believe it or not, there can be a lot of hassle involved with an unwanted car. If it’s not about trouble with finding a buyer or thinking of a way to pay whatever bills may be involved, you may just want to get rid of your car all together but don’t know what to do to. That’s why simply junking the car can be a good option for you.

That’s right. Your car may be too old already or has too many problems to even be worth trying to fix. Even a missing title or registration, flat tire, accident, or a failed inspection can be a reasons. Junking the car can get you some quick cash that you can use for a newer, better car or whatever else you may want to buy.

The car doesn’t just have to be a piece of junk in order for you to make some money off of it. You can have a damaged vehicle that you want to get rid of and you can get the insurance payment check PLUS the check from the junk yard. So that might be a good enough incentive for you to junk the car.

Another incentive for some is that it’s environmentally friendly. Being that cars contribute so much pollution to the environment, junking the car can help to reduce the impact of chemicals since state laws require that junk yards remove all fluids from the car, and its metals are recycled for use in other industries.

You should really think about it, though. Factor in all the details, like what it might cost to repair the car (which can be pretty high depending on its condition) vs. buying a new one. Make sure that there’s not much other use for the vehicle, that there’s no one in the family that might benefit from the car or will need it in the near future, or that it won’t even be worth keeping as a backup.

Driving the car until it is basically a piece of junk is very good advice financially. You can always do simple things like keep it clean and paint jobs in order to keep it looking nice. Once it’s over, try looking for a local ‘junker’ that will take your car and pay you cash quickly. If you are thinking of junking your car, you will probably want to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

I hope you enjoy this article about my favorite motor cycle and that you enjoy this Triumph Speedmaster review. I passed my motor bike test in July this year at the age of 43. It was something I had intended to do for some time but had continually put it off. In the United Kingdom there was an impending change in the law which would take place in February which would make the practical driving test more difficult. I therefore decided that I had better get a move on and finally get it completed. To cut a long story short, I eventually passed the test in July this year 2011 which was a great relief. Just as a side note on my first test I fell off the bike during the manoeuvres section and had to repeat the test which was a tad embarrassing.

I liked the Speedmaster and originally intended to buy a second-hand one. After checking out a few, I found that they held their price really well and a 2-year-old one was only £1500 less than a brand new one. When I drove the old and new model together there was no comparison. The new Speedmaster was a totally different machine. It is a bit shorter, but in my opinion comes with a better sitting position. However the main difference that I found and liked the most was in the handling. The old Speedmaster is terrible for cornering, it felt heavy and unsafe and was not a pleasant riding experience. The new bike, however, not only looks better with nicer bars and rear guard, but the handling is much improved. It feels safer on the road and is very easy to ride which is extremely important for me as a fairly inexperienced biker

The older model that I tested belonged to one of my friends, so I let him have a quick run on my new model Speedmaster. He could not believe the difference and has decided since then that his bike’s handling is nowhere near up to the standard he would like and as such, he is going to change. As a Triumph man, he has tested both the Storm and the Rocket.

Although the Rocket is the ultimate machine with its 2.3 litre engine, it is very heavy and cumbersome at slow speeds. It’s also very difficult to move about when stopped. That being said, it is still an awesome machine. In the end he decided to go for the Thunderbird Storm and it is now on order from the dealer. With a 1.7 litre engine it still has amazing power but feels great on the road. Well, that is according to him and I will have to wait until he gets it before I can give it a full test drive.

I will let you know once I get out on it and I will bring you a full analysis on how it performs along with its benefits and shortcomings. That is likely to be in the spring time as I won’t be out on the bike over the winter. The salt on the roads causes untold damage to bikes and is very hard to get rinsed off.

I hope you have enjoyed my first review on the Triumph Speedmaster and I will post regular articles when I get some more on the road experience and an overall better feel for the bike.

It’s still sitting out there, beside your garage, right were you parked it all those years ago. You’re not quite sure what to do with it. The snow has fallen to cover it, then melted and refrozen so many times that it looks like a poor attempt at an ice sculpture. Then a thought comes to mind, ‘why not donate your junk car’?

There are millions of unused vehicles out there that are just languishing where they sit. Their owners do not have the time or the inclination to fix them up, it could potentially cost more to get them running again than they would be worth, even in good working order.

Towing a vehicle to a salvage yard is expensive to have done. It is dangerous, as well as time consuming, for you to do yourself. So these old junkers just sit, year after year. This is a shame because they could be put to good use. Whether as a fixer project for someone else, or as a handy tax write off for you, if donated to charity.

These old vehicles can become a liability or even hazardous if left to sit for too long. An internal combustion engine has some pretty exotic and dangerous chemicals inside of it. Over time, as metal components rust away, these chemicals can be released into the environment and are exceptionally expensive to clean up. What’s worse, they can be a danger for pets and children. If it were donated; it would no longer be a worry.

There is no other single thing that will make your home look nicer, for less effort and expense, than removing that old four wheeled eye sore. It might be an important first step in improving your relationship with your neighbors as well.

The time and expense involved with selling a used vehicle can add up pretty quickly. Taking out classified ads, fielding phone calls, and an endless line of window shoppers and tire kickers. This is sure to be much worse if the car isn’t in running condition. Nobody wants to buy a car that doesn’t run unless it is a classic or unique auto, very few people will be interested in taking it on as a project themselves. The easiest solution is, to donate your old junk car. Many organizations who would like take your old car off of your hands, will gladly arrange to have it towed away at no expense to you. All they need from you is; the title and keys. They’ll take care of everything else. You’ll have the satisfaction of helping those less fortunate than your self. To say nothing of improving the look of your home and avoiding a potential threat to: children, animals, and the environment.

The best reason for you to donate your junk car is, it becomes a handy tax write off. You just need to obtain a receipt for it, to show that it went to a good cause, and your CPA will see that you get credit for it when tax season comes around.

Motorcycles have always been a thrilling and efficient way to get around. Since its invention in 1867, the two-wheeled machine has memorized thousands upon thousands of people. It has been used by some for daily transportation and others as a weekend hobby. Motorcycle Development In 1867, Sylvester Howard Roper’s invention called the motorcycle featured a two-cylinder steam-engine that was powered by coal. By 1885 Gottlieb Daimler used a wooden bike frame to produced the first ever gas powered motorcycle. As the years passed a number of start-up motorcycle manufacturers developed the motorcycle. One of these companies was formed by the inventors William Harley and the Davidsons brothers who later launched the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Although there have been many improvements since the introduction of the motorcycle in 1867, there are still a number of safety concerns for motorcycle riders. Motorcycle riders suffer from catastrophic injuries and even death with colliding with a car or truck. Unlike other vehicles a motorcycle does not protect the rider from the road in a crash. There are no airbags, no seat-belts and no barrios between you and the asphalt. Motorcycle Safety There are a number of dangers that could harm you when operating a motorcycle. A mechanical malfunction while riding at freeway speeds, right of way accidents at an intersection and other vehicles colliding with a motorcycles due to blind spots are all common reasons why you could become injured in a motorcycle accident. To keep you safe when you are on the road there are a number of important factors that you should consider. Some of these motorcycle safety tips could save your life. Others you may already be aware of. Because safety should be a top priority, I have included seven important motorcycle safety tips that every rider should read and share with friends and loved ones. The Seven Motorcycle Safety Tips 1. Always Wear A Helmet. A good helmet is priceless. Choose a helmet that displays the DOT label, which indicates that it meets the federal safety standards. 2. Use Both Brakes. When braking apply both breaks at the same time. Using only your front or back breaks individually could throw you off balance. 3. Watch Your Seed. As a motorcyclist, it is easy to pick up speed. With more speed also comes less time to react and a longer breaking distance. Follow posted speed limits at all times. 4. Know Your Limits. Your motorcycle has limits and so do you. 5. Keep Your Distance. No one likes a tailgater. Keep a safe distance between your bike and other vehicles. 6. Signal. Use your turn signals to allow other vehicles time to react and anticipate your maneuvers. 7. Be Seen by Other Vehicles. Avoid blind spots and always use your headlights day or night. What to Do If You Are Involved in a Motorcycle Accident If you are injured in a motorcycle accident it is important to seek medical attention immediately. If another party is negligent for the accident, you may have a claim for compensation. In this case, it would be a good idea to consult with a skilled motorcycle accident attorney who can help you receive compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and any other damages you may have.