Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Choose the Right Vehicle Lift For Your Scooter

!±8± Choose the Right Vehicle Lift For Your Scooter

Using a mobility scooter or power chair means you have to have a way to transport it with you when you ride in a vehicle. There are a variety of options available to help you transport your scooter either inside your vehicle or outside it. Even if you have a scooter that breaks down for travel, the convenience of a lift can come in handy when you'd prefer to leave your scooter intact and ready to go. Choosing the right lift means more convenience. As a general rule, the more you pay for a lift, the more of the work it does for you.

Manual Lifts

Manual lifts, also called hand-operated lifts, are an economical choice. These cost less than electric lifts but do require a little manual labor. These lifts come with a ramp that you lower to load the mobility scooter onto them. They attach to a trailer hitch, so you'll want to make sure the model you're interested in works with the type of hitch you have on your vehicle, as not all models work with all types of hitches.

You should also consider whether the cost savings is enough to warrant the manual operation of the lift. Someone a bit unsteady might have trouble lowering and lifting a steel ramp, for instance, and loading the scooter onto the lift. In that case, a model with a steel frame and undercarriage for sturdiness but a lighter weight, aluminum ramp will probably be much easier to manage. Someone with hand mobility issues may want to avoid this type of lift altogether and opt for one that does more of the work.

Electric Lifts

There are two basic kinds of electric lifts available: drive-on lifts and swing-arm or boom lifts. Drive-on lifts work much like a manual lift. These transport the mobility scooter on the back of the vehicle or lift it inside the vehicle. These lifts are ideal for people who want to avoid lowering and lifting a ramp and loading the scooter by hand. Instead, they offer drive-on convenience. Simply drive the scooter onto the lift and it automatically raises it off the ground and locks it in place behind the vehicle, or lifts it into the back or side door of the vehicle. This is one of the most convenient lifts you can buy, because it's as fast and easy as driving your scooter on any surface.

Boom lifts use a swing-arm to lift the scooter into a vehicle or into the bed of a truck. As with the other lifts, it's necessary to make sure the lift you choose can support the weight of your particular scooter. Some models are more heavy-duty than others and can handle 300 to 400 pounds, or more. These can typically be installed inside a trunk or cargo area of a vehicle, or they can be freestanding outside the vehicle. They lift the scooter automatically and allow it to be moved, via the arm, into the vehicle or truckbed.

Another option is a pull-behind trailer which can allow you to take a scooter along even with the smallest compact car. Loading is manual, so it might not be the best option for people with hand and upper-body mobility issues.


Choose the Right Vehicle Lift For Your Scooter

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Hitch Bike Rack Guide

!±8± Hitch Bike Rack Guide

Riding bikes on rough terrains is a sport many adrenaline junkies love to do. A mountainous terrain may be a few hundred miles from home if you not fortunate enough to live close to the mountain trails. It does not make sense to ride the bike from home to the adventurous locations.

The solution lies in carrying the bike to the rough terrain on a 4x4 vehicle. It is quite difficult to fit a bike into the trunk of a car or SUV and that is where a hitch bicycle rack can just do the trick. It is basically an extension which fits at rear of the vehicle. The extension consists of a set of bars which support the structure while a set of clamps on the bars to keep the bikes steady. The number of bikes one can carry in a single go depends upon the type of hitch bicycle carrier.

The important features of a bike carrier are

Bikes are mounted parallel to the rear of the vehicle at shoulder height.
Certain bicycle carriers allow mounting of five bicycles
Since these are at the rear, one will not face any problem in driving them through a garage
Fender benders on the bicycle carrier might be necessary to protect the bicycle from possible collisions and damage
Modern bicycle racks do not need the removal of bicycle tires

Bike carrier considerations

The type of vehicle one drives
The type and style of bicycle
The type of Receiver hitch bicycle rack

Receiver Hitch Bike Carrier

A receiver hitch bike rack is a factory modified bike carrier which allows interchange of towing accessories. The receiver hitches come in two sizes, the two inch and one and one quarter inch. This size is proportional to the weight of the bikes. Usually the first class of receiver hitches only allow two bikes to be carried while the class two allows up to four or five bikes at a time.

Bike rack tradeoffs and solutions

The trade off with a bike carrier is that it makes the cargo access or the trunk access difficult in a vehicle. A folding hitch bike rack is the solution to the cargo access problem. Not every body has the strength to fold an already loaded bike rack. Thus the most convenient bike rack is a swing away rack. In this second type one can simply swing aside the loaded bike rack with little effort. The only tradeoff of this kind is that they look a bit awkward when compared to regular bike racks.


Hitch Bike Rack Guide

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Motor Bike Insurance and Coverage Plans

!±8± Motor Bike Insurance and Coverage Plans

Motor bike insurance can cover different amounts of damages and liabilities and how much coverage you have will greatly influences how much you will have to pay. Motorcycle can be expensive to insure, but you have to be realistic as to how much should be covered. There are also many rebates and discounts that insurers can offer that can reduce how much you have to pay for coverage.

One factor that insurance companies keep in mind is you and your driving record. If you have just gotten your motor cycle license, then you are a high risk driver and will also have to pay more for insurance coverage. The insurance carriers will also look at your driving record. If they see that you have a record of traffic violation and accidents, then this will be weighed against you. That once again means having to pay more money for the motor cycle insurance. Your age is also important. Drivers under 25 will have to pay more for motor cycle insurance, just because the carriers know that this age group has a track record of causing the most accidents.

On the other hand, there are many ways to reduce the amount of money to pay each year for motor bike insurance. One of the most important considerations is your motor cycle and driving experience in general. If you have been driving for a long time without violations and accidents, then you will probably pay a very minimal rate for the coverage. If you are older than 25, then that is also better, since younger people automatically have to pay more for insurance. If you already have another vehicle insured with the same company, then you have good chances of receiving a discount on motor cycle insurance.

The motorbike insurance is also very dependent upon the type of motor bike you have. In fact, you cannot even get insurance quotes without first knowing the exact type and model you will be driving. You may get rough quotes, but the final price of the motor bike insurance will have to include several factors. You should have an idea how many miles will be added each year, because the less miles means less risk of something happening and this is less expensive to insure than if you plan to travel tens of thousands of miles with your motor bike.

There are many kinds of motor bikes, ranging from cross machines to choppers and super fast motor bikes. The motor bikes that are known to be used for leisure riding will be the least expensive to insure. The fastest motorcycles are the most expensive. On top of that, the horsepower is a factor. The motor bikes with the least horsepower do not cost as much to have insured. How new, expensive and if there is a side car or not also can increase the amount due each year for coverage.

Shopping around, comparing quotes and choosing the right motor bike is how you will get the best coverage rates. Affordable motor bike insurance gives you peace of mind and protection necessary so that you can enjoy your machine.


Motor Bike Insurance and Coverage Plans

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Why You Should Never Store Your Bike Outside

!±8± Why You Should Never Store Your Bike Outside

Many people store their bike outside and do not realize the big mistake they are making. If you store your bike outside then you need to read this. Here is why you should never store your bike outside.

If you want your bike to last and perform at its peak efficiency you must not store it outside for extended periods of time.

There are many reasons why people keep their bicycles outside. Perhaps they have limited room for storage inside their home or garage. Maybe they keep their bike outside because they live in a rented room or a dorm room and there is no extra space. Sometimes it is because it is just easier than bringing the bicycle indoors or often people are just too lazy.

But what these people do not realize is that this type of behavior is shortening the life of their bicycle, making it so that it will need repairs more often and will not run as best as it is designed to.

When a bike is stored outside it makes it vulnerable to theft. No matter what type of anti theft device you have installed, the determined thief can still make away with whatever they want. The real problem is that most people are too trusting and don't protect their bike well enough and just make it too easy for thieves.

The weather and sun are also harmful to bicycles. The sun fades the paint and dries out tires, brake pads, seats and anything that is made of a rubber or plastic. As the weather changes from hot to cold that is not good for these same items. As well, moisture or salty air will speed up corrosion and that is never a good thing.

If a bike sits for a long period of time the weight of the bike bears down on the tires and the tires can become distorted and even develop weak areas on the side walls. The exposure to sun and the weather accelerates this process.

Here is the big problem. Most people do not want to or will find an excuse why not to bring their bike indoors because the bike is dirty. A bike should be washed and cleaned every time after it is ridden. But most people do not do this. All the dirt and grime that collects in the chain and gears and other mechanical parts is not good. If the bike was washed clean, then it could be brought inside or so the thinking goes. Best advice: rinse the bike off and bring it indoors to store it.

There are many options for storing bicycles inside. There are hoists that lift them off the ground and then suspend them from the ceiling. There are all sorts of bike racks that are specifically designed for inside storage that take up minimal space. These all work very well and make a lot of sense and will help to extend the life of a bicycle.


Why You Should Never Store Your Bike Outside

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