New Rider Motorcycle Safety Guide

New Rider Motorcycle Safety Guide

               

                Getting a motorcycle can be a fun and exciting experience, but people should take certain precautions to stay safe. New riders will benefit from these safety tips:

1)      Make sure the bike fits you, your feet can rest flat on the ground comfortably when the bike is stopped. Another tip is don’t buy too much bike. 250-300cc is enough power for a beginner and handles better compared to bikes with bigger displacement.

2)      Get a bike with ABS. An Anti-lock braking system consists of valves from brake lines connected to the brake pump. The controller and master brake cylinder measure the rotational speed of each tire. The slower tire indicates that the wheel is locking up. As a result, the controller shifts the braking power onto the other wheel. The controller opens and closes the valves from the wheel that is locking up: that’s why it feels like the wheel that is locking up is pulsating. That’s the controller applying the brakes on and off in rapid succession. An ABS system allows for the rider to have more control under extreme braking situations.

3)      Taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation riding course will help improve your operation of the motorcycle. The Basic “Ridercourse” also allows eligible new riders a waiver for the motorcycle license skills test and in most cases an insurance discount is applied.

4)      Invest in protective gear. A 55mph accident will take about an inch of skin off of you if unprotected. DOT or ECE R22-05 certifications are the newer helmet certifications issued to helmets. The EE R22-05 helmets use more impact-absorbent material in the helmet. The debate between full-face helmets versus half-face helmets is often full of misinformation. Full-face helmets do not impair peripheral vision. Most full face helmets provide 105-degree field of vision in either direction. Riders only utilize 90 degrees at most.

5)      Other areas to consider padding are elbows and forearm areas, these areas are protected with any quality riding jacket. Most motorcycle gloves armor the knuckles; higher-end ones are equipped with palm sliders. Boots are integral for your safety. It will provide grip when riding on the bike and if you fall off support the ankle.

6)      Riding in the rain is a challenge for some experienced riders: newer riders are highly advised against it. When it starts raining, the leftover oils and residue makes the road slippery. This only reduces your margin of ear as a rider.

7)      Avoid road hazards if you can. Potholes are nasty obstacles for riders. New riders should also watch out for leaves and loose gravel: they can your motorcycle to lose traction. 

Should I Replace or Repair my Windshield?

During the lifetime of your vehicle, this question will arise. Whether it is better to repair that quarter-sized chip or crack, or replace the whole windshield? Many motorists worry if dime or quarter-sized chips in the middle of the windshield are serious? Normally, they do not compromise the windshield’s structural integrity. Cracks near the edges of the windshield: that is a different story.

Stress cracks form from the edges of the windshield and are caused by weaknesses/defects in the glass itself.  Coming out of the factory, the windshield glass is heated up and cooled down very rapidly to form the shape necessary for that windshield. There may be defects in the manufacturing process: improperly heating and cooling of the glass greatly reduces its durability. This is the number one cause for the windshield displaying stress cracks early on.

From the factory, the windshield is held in place by a strong adhesive. Turbulent wind pressure could trigger small pressure changes along the glass causing stress cracks. Another common cause for windshield stress cracks are changes in temperature. Extreme changes in temperature can cause the glass to crack, such as washing your car with cold water after it has been outside on a hot day.

These stress cracks normally start out small and expand along the length of the windshield. If caught early enough, most windshield repair companies can repair a crack up to three to four inches in length. The repair usually involves injecting industrial-grade resin into the chipped or damaged sections. After the resin bonds to the chips and cracks, it is polished to remove any visual imperfections in the windshield.   While windshield repair companies try their best to make everything look perfect, sometimes the damaged areas are left with blemishes.

The other alternative is replacing the windshield. Depending on the extent and position of the crack, a new windshield may be the better alternative. When looking at windshield replacements, the first thing to consider is using an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Windshield or a Non-OEM Windshield that is compatible with your car. The OEM Windshield will cost more but in most cases fit perfectly. Non-OEM Windshields should adequately fit your vehicle. With the right amount of sealant, it will work for your car at a fraction of the OEM cost.

Some insurance plans offer one complimentary windshield replacement per year, other plans require you pay the deductible.  Contact us at AllState when you need your windshield replaced, we’ll help you fix the problem.

Saving Money as a Young Adult while Repaying your Debt.

In your early 20s, many young adults get an abrupt wake-up call as they try to make sense of their personal finances. While a steady job opens up doors to affording certain luxuries (e.g. new car, or vacationing aboard), it’s also very easy to acquire new debt.

Credit card companies are quick to issue young professionals credit cards. Often with low or no interest for certain time periods: this makes it easy to maintain balances on these credit cards. Allstate recommends that an average person use 25-32% of their monthly income towards paying off debts: credit cards, student loans, etc. Credit card debt higher than 8% should be aggressively paid first and followed by student debts.

Reducing the debt means paying enough to cover the monthly interest charges and reducing the principle balance. Paying off the balance quicker will lower the total accruing interest costs of the debt.

There are different strategies for people with multiple credit cards having debt on each card. The first strategy is to pay off the card with the highest interest rate first and work at eliminating the balances of the remaining cards one at a time.

Another strategy is to consolidate the debt of the credit cards into one payment with a lower interest rate. If Jane Doe has three credit cards with $2,000 each, Card A has 10% Interest; Card B has 12%; and Card C has 11%. It’s an average of 11%, with a $6,000 total balance: it costs her approximately $660 per month to maintain. Consolidating the credit card debt into one loan with a 6% interest rate, would save her $300 per month in interest. It would cost Jane $360 per month to hold that debt.

Maintaining debt vs. Saving for the future

After settling credit card debt, most people think about setting up an emergency fund or retirement account. Some financial advisors recommend saving for your retirement before paying off your student debt. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) suggests the opposite. They prefer young people pay off their student debts as soon as possible. If John Doe contributed $3000 to an IRA CD with 1.25%, he makes $37.50. Compare that to John’s student debt of $10,000 at 1.00% interest, it costs him $100 to maintain that debt. If John uses the $3000 to pay off the student debt, next year a $7,000 balance will cost him $70 to maintain. He saves $30 of interest during year 2 of the loan.

While contributing to a retirement account, NAPFA recommends aggressively putting money into a rainy account until you have 2-5 months of living expenses covered. This helps people avoid charging emergency purchases on high interest credit cards.

Hitting the Open Road with All State’s Motorhome Insurance

Summer is almost here and vacation planning is on everyone’s mind. If you’re going to get away this summer and choose to travel the open road in a motorhome, you’ll be able to experience the beauty and excitement of the country’s landscapes and its diverse people all in your mobile “home away from home.” However, did you know that just as your permanent residence can be insured, so can your mobile home by Allstate with our Motorhome Insurance? Our insurance offers coverage for accidents, theft and damages, and if anyone in your party is injured, we also over options for medical coverage. None of these may be on your vacationing schedule, but we can put it on our schedule for you.

As both your means of travel and temporary residence, your motorhome will experience just as much fun AND exhaustion as you will. Our insurance can help cover costs of repairs or replacements if you are involved in any sort of collision during your vacation. If you are liable for an accident and either cause damages to the other vehicle or injure any of the members of the other party, we will able of help cover both the costs for any property damage and costs for medical bills. We want you to travel as safe as possible, but as many of us know, not all goes as planned. Allstate can help ease your worries if your plans go awry and your vacation is put on hold.

                

There may be events that are completely out of your control that will try and put a damper to your vacation. If you are the victim of theft or vandalism, our coverage can help repair or replace your motorhome. If it’s not other people, it could be the scary and hectic weather. You may run into storms and hail, so drive as safe as possible. If any damage is caused by weather we can cover it, as well as cover any damaged content such as appliances and personal belongings.

It takes a lot of planning and preparation to vacation especially in a motorhome. I want to help you ease your worries of any unfortunate events that may come your way as you try and enjoy traveling with your family and friends. Visit Allstate’s website here to know more details about all the coverage options for our Motorhome Insurance. I want to help you have the best vacation this summer, so connect with me, Gino Mattunts, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ if you have any questions and want to discuss a coverage plan that best fits you.