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Getting the best deal on your car insurance

Thursday, 24 March 2011

In these tough economic times, it makes sense to ensure that we find the best possible price for all major purchases. Just as you would research into the best savings rates available before selecting which account you would like to open, you should do your utmost to source the best deal on the products and services you use on a day-to-day basis.

Car insurance is one of those things that can see unsavvy consumers spend way over the odds year after year, purely because they're unaware that there are better deals out there. The biggest mistake people tend to make when it comes to car insurance is signing up with a provider and then sticking with them year after year, assuming that they're offering the best price with every renewal. That simply isn't the case - once car insurance providers have you on their books they'll play on your loyalty and charge you a higher premium in subsequent years than they would charge new customers.

The way to combat this, of course, is to shop around every year when it comes to car insurance renewal time. Yes, it's more hassle to seek new quotes every year than to simply let your old policy auto-renew - but when you take into consideration the hundreds of pounds you could be saving by switching it becomes a bit of a no-brainer.

Luckily, it's possible to acquire a whole host of car insurance quotes in a matter of minutes nowadays by using one of the many online comparison sites. Once you enter some basic information about you and your vehicle, these sites will provide you with a long list of insurance options, allowing you to pick out the one that suits your needs best.

One thing to remember, however, is that some of the big insurance providers don't provide quotes via comparison sites, so to get the full picture you'll need to go direct to their websites or give them a call to find out their best price.

When it comes to significant expenses such as car insurance, cashback sites - such as Quidco - are another incredibly handy tool. If you visit your insurance provider's website via a cashback site link, the site in question receives a commission from the insurance company. The cashback site then passes a percentage of that payment directly back to you as the consumer as a ‘thank you' for earning them commission. Depending on the deal, the cashback generated by going through one of these sites can make a huge difference to the cost of your insurance.

As long as you do your research you should be able to make big savings on your premium, so head online and get the best deal you possibly can.

source : http://www.articletrader.com/automotive/getting-the-best-deal-on-your-car-insurance.html

Things to Remember When You Take Your Motorbike Out of Storage

Lots of people take their motorbikes off the road in the winter months. But once the sun breaks through the clouds and the weather turns a bit warmer, many a motorbiker's fancies turn to getting back on two wheels.

However, when a motorbike is taken out of storage there are basic, and potentially life-saving checks to be made before setting out. Bikesure, the specialist biking arm of Adrian Flux Insurance Services, has put together this eight stage checklist for taking a bike out of moth balls.

Fuel: Take off the filler cap and look inside. Is the fuel clear or does it need changing?

Oil: Check the level and if you didn't change it when you put the bike into storage then now is the time to do so. Sites such as White Dog Bikes have a good range of oils, filters and other motorcycle accessories.

Battery: Top up and don't ride till you can be sure it holds a charge: you don't want to be stranded on your first trip. Alpha Batteries stock a comprehensive selection of batteries if you need a replacement, from budget brands to top of the range names.

Leaks: Check clutch, brake and also coolant levels if your bike is liquid-cooled

Tyres: Inspect both tyres carefully for any distortion caused by storage, especially if the bike has been left for a long time. Inflate the tyres to the correct pressure and check for leaks. Some specialist online sites like Moto-Tyres have tie ups with local fitting stations.

Helmet: This is your most precious piece of safety equipment, check it's not been damaged over the winter lay off.

Toolkit: Go through your on-board tool kit, you may have been tempted to raid it over the winter months.

Yourself: Are you physically and mentally ready for a long run? Take plenty of shorter rides to get your stamina back before tackling a bigger trip.

If in any doubt about the road-worthiness of your bike take it to a motorcycle repair shop and let them give it a thorough service.

source : http://www.articletrader.com/automotive/things-to-remember-when-you-take-your-motorbike-out-of-storage.html

Buying Tires shouldn't have to be hard

Out of all the original equipment parts on your car or truck, tires are most likely to wear out first. This only stands to reason as they are the only part that is constantly in contact with a varying textured surface under a verity of climate conditions. So knowing when and how to replace them will be a need to know situation sooner or later.

Ok, so it's time to replace your car's tires. Are OEM (original equipment manufacturer) tires what you should replace with? Let's investigate that question just a bit. How long did the OEM tires last? Did you get sufficient mileage out of the tires? Did they perform well in all the conditions you subjected them to? If you answered yes to all these questions, then replacing your tires with tires of a like kind and brand as were on it from the factory will probably be a good choice.

If you didn't answer yes to all the above questions, then there might be a need to investigate the purchase of a tire that better suits our particular driving needs. It isn't as difficult as it might seem, especially with so much information provided by different tire manufactures available on the internet today.

Let's say you are not satisfied with the mileage you got from your OEM tires. You only got 35,000 miles and you feel they should have lasted longer. If you can honestly say that your driving habits were not such that caused excessive and accelerated tire wear then you may want to investigate buying a tire with a better tread wear expectancy. This will mean doing a bit of research to determine which tires will have a longer tread life then what you have. Compare the tires you now have to other tires available. Most manufactures will rate their tires in several different categories, one of which should be tread wear.

Achieving longer tread wear requires tons of research, on the part of the manufacture to come up with the proper hardness of rubber compound. The hardness of the rubber is what will, in most cases provide for a longer tread life. But in going with a longer tread life, the manufacture must also consider that using a harder rubber will decrease the overall traction of the tire. So they must find the perfect balance between traction, stability and wear. They do the hard work for you. You only need look carefully at the data they provide to determine if a tire will meet your tread life expectancy.

The next question to answer is "Did they perform well in all the conditions you subjected them to?" If your answer to this question is no, then you may again want to look for an alternative to the manufacturer equipped tires you now have. For this you need to determine under which conditions did your current tires not meet your expectations for performance? Was it highway driving at higher speeds, was it on wet or snowy roads, or was it some other condition where they didn't meet your satisfaction?

Where surface conditional changes such as snow and rain are the performance issue, it may be that a simple tread design change is needed to meet your operational need. Tread design is one of the most important aspects of a tires overall design. It is after all, to coin a cheesy cliché, where the rubber meets the road.

Again, most tire manufacturer will rate their tires as to how well they perform under varying conditions, all you need do is find a tire that performs well for the condition you find yours lacking in. Let me stress, to determine a tire that better meets your need, it is always wise to find the manufacturer rating for the tires you now have for comparison to those you might prospectively purchase.

The next area where you may have concerns might be the overall handling of the tires you now have. This would be things such as corning, or stopping performance. It might be your OEM tires have a tendency to squirm a bit too much under certain conditions. Handling issues are generally determined by doing a fine balancing act between the other two areas, tread hardness, tread design, and sidewall construction. Again manufactures will rate the tires they make in the area of overall handling.

The sad fact is that there is no magic tire that will perform to the highest standard in all arenas. But armed with what you know about the tires you have, and the information you can easily find on the internet from tire manufactures, you should be able to easily find tires that will satisfactorily meet your particular driving need. If it all seems a bit too much for you, and you know a trustworthy tire dealer, you can present your tire concerns to them and they should be able to meet your need.

There is one more thing to consider if you let the dealer suggest your tires. Deal with a tire dealer who sells more than just one or two brands of tires. Choosing a dealer who sells multiple brands will avail you to a broader range of tires for them to better select one that will work well for you.

source : http://www.articletrader.com/automotive/buying-tires-shouldnt-have-to-be-hard.html

Party Bus Rental and Charter Bus Information

If you are you planning a special event in an outside destination and looking for the right way to transport your guests, you should obviously consider using a party bus rental. The party bus will be able to take your group from location to location, provide you with all the travel comforts and entertainment facilities, and make sure that your event goes as scheduled.

If you decided on a party bus rental, then it is necessary you know a few things. You can opt for a bus rental for 10 to 50 people to one or multiple destinations. The bus sizes are available for 10, 20, 25, 30 or as many as 50 people.

The types of charter buses available in your local area will include charter bus, luxury bus, minibus, executive coach, limousine bus, double-decker bus, van etc. There are many different packages the bus company offers and you can opt for the one that is in keeping with your personal preferences and fits your budget.

You can hire a party bus for a variety of events including wedding, prom, birthday party, casino trip, picnics, sightseeing tour, bachelor party, excursions, corporate event, girls/guys night out, sports meet etc. During certain seasons, the party buses will be in great demand and it will be prudent to reserve the buses sufficiently in advance so that you are not disappointed.

If there is something unique that you want available for your party bus, you can inform the bus company in advance and they will make the necessary arrangements. This means you can plan your event exactly in the manner you want it and provide all your guests fun and excitement.

You can ask for a wet bar, dancing pole, iPod hook-up, stereo (with CD/DVD player), a flat screen TV, video games, a karaoke machine, disco lights, pony keg, fog machine, leather seats, built-in coolers, drink holders, and everything else you fancy. The bus operator will certainly comply with all your demands that are feasible except that you may be required to pay extra for all non-standard amenities.

The price will also vary depending on what type of services you wish and the likely distance to be covered. When booking party bus rentals, check if there is any special package available for your type of event. Most operators will demand payment of a safety deposit upfront – though refundable. Find out if the quoted price will include meals, refreshments and other entertainment during the trip.

Most party buses have commodious and plushier seats and are fancifully built with mirror ceilings and action packed lighting, music systems, loud sound to keep all passengers awake all night, plasma TVs, flowing liquor and lot more.

There are some companies who will be willing to specially get the bus ready for the event by adding certain unique features so as to make the occasion a memorable affair. So, it may be preferable you make the necessary enquiries so that you do not lose out on any of the freebies.

Proper etiquette is of paramount importance particularly when a large group is traveling. Find out beforehand what is acceptable within the bus and let your guests know about them. In many buses, use of alcohol will be allowed but not smoking. But your guests must maintain discipline and not drink in excess and create unruly scenes.

David William is an expert SEO copywriter for charter buses. He has been written many articles like charter bus rentals, rental buses, bus charters, bus rental, bus rentals, charter bus, rental bus, chartering bus, bus charter and more. For more information visit our site www.metropolitanshuttle.com. Contact me at metropolitanshuttleair@gmail.com
source : http://www.articleclick.com/Article/Party-Bus-Rental-and-Charter-Bus-Information/1666585

Audi Used Cars- The A4

Audi used cars like the A4 is an entry level automobile from the famous German automaker. This small compact luxury vehicle when bought new would cost you as much as $40,000 dollars at an Audi dealership. The Audi A4 was engineered and designed to compete against the likes of the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-series and other high end brands from Acura, Lexus and Infiniti models. Not everyone can afford the A4 brand new, so I have done some research on this particular model to see how this car would be to buy used.

Audi A4 used cars:

There is one thing I love about German car manufactures; they really know how to design a car from the inside as well as the outside. The A4 is a small compact four door sedan; it comes with high end leather seats, the speedometer and engine lights are easy to read and they almost have a racing look to it. The center console is easy to use; it comes with AM/FM radio, heat/air and a CD player. When researching the A4, I looked at models from 2003 to 2007 and found that these models basically have the same look and feel when it comes to interior design.

I found two fuel statistics for the various different engine sizes that the Audi A4 has. The four cylinder engine has a fuel rating of 9.5-litre, per 100km for city driving and 6.5-litre, per 100km, for highway driving. The six cylinder model has a fuel rating of 13-litre, per 100km, for city driving and 8-litre, per 100km for highway driving. As you can see the six cylinder engine really likes its gas, so if you’re going to buy the A4 I recommend getting the four cylinder.

Audi used cars like the A4 come with two different engine types. The base model has a four cylinder, 1.8-litre engine, which comes with 220 horsepower that is turbo charged. The next model up has a V6, 3.0-litre engine, which has 220 horsepower under the hood.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the Audi A4 as a used vehicle to buy:

1- It much cheaper to buy used than its biggest competitor the BMW 3-series.
2- There is a problem with their power windows due to electrical issues.
3- Another problem is that there sunroofs don’t close properly.
4- It was giving a four star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a frontal crash test done to it.

I think if you’re in the market for a small luxury compact vehicle then the Audi A4 has better value that the BMW 3 series because it’s cheaper.

If you’re Canadian and looking to find great savings in Audi used cars please check out YouPaidWhat.ca, they provide Canadians with an alternative option in buying American used cars for sale. With the Canadian dollar being so high, American Audi A4 used cars are much cheaper than ones sold in Canada

source : http://www.articleclick.com/Article/Audi-Used-Cars-The-A4/1667174