The Benefits Of Motorcycle Windshields

When youre out on the road do you have to deal with flying objects hitting you in the chest, bugs hitting your face, or do you have trouble steering because of high wind force? If you do, then you might want to think about purchasing a motorcycle windshield for your bike.

One of the biggest benefits of motorcycle windshields is blocking gusty winds that can often times make a trip more uncomfortable than it should be. Winds can be distracting to riders which can take away from the attention that they should have on their driving skills.

Another huge benefit of motorcycle windshields is the fact that they can block flying dirt and debris and prevent flying items from hitting the rider. Its very common to see pebbles or rocks bouncing around on the road because of gravelly road shoulders, and when rocks get rolling down the road there is the chance that they can bounce up and hit motorcycle riders. Windshields help deflect them so they do not hit riders while driving.

Also, motorcycle windshields can block bone chilling winds that are often experienced in the cooler riding seasons. If you want to experience the most comfortable ride when it comes to temperature, then you can install one that is tall enough so it can block all of the wind that would normally hit you and penetrate your clothing.

When a motorcycle does not have a windshield installed, then the rider will feel the force of the blowing winds directly on him when he is riding down the road. The winds will attempt to push him back on the motorcycle, so the rider will have to use extra strength and energy to hold onto the handlebars and not be blown off. Motorcycle windshields can block the wind and keep the pressure off of the rider, which will make it easier to handle the bike.

BMW X6-Either You Love It Or Hate It

BMW X6-Either You Love It Or Hate It

The BMW X6 is the third in BMWs X line up. The concept car was shown in 2007 in Frankfurt Motor Show and the production followed the March next year. The X6 is a coupe-SUV -based on the X5- with a sleek style and fun drive but it has limited off road ability. There are options of two diesel and three petrol engines. Diesel engines are better with X6 40d giving the best balance of performance and fuel consumption. The X6 boosts a “love it or hate it” design which is not everyones bread and butter. This might be the only car having so many different buyer opinions. From the bottom it looks just like the X5, while above the waistline, is a coupe with a shallow glass area and sleek roof making it a Sports Activity Coupe as BMW calls it. 19 inch alloys and xenon headlamps come as standard across all models.

There is no doubt that the petrol engines return an excellent performance but they prove very costly to run, the diesel engines are better in the sense that they give similar figures of performance at comparatively low running costs. The basic 30d does the 0-62mph in 7.5secs which results in easy overtaking on the road. The 40d does the same in 6.5secs and the range topping M50D gives 0-62mph in jus5.3secs. X6 has very agile drive for its size, weight and height. It handles very well on sharp turns and corners. The X6 has a incredible road grip thanks to the Dynamic Performance control technology that adjusts the torque across each axle.

The BMW X6 has not be tested for Euro NCAP rating yet but it sure can get five stars when put through the test. It comes with a decent amount of safety feature that include ten airbags, electronic stability control, Isofix child seat anchors and tyre pressure monitor. The engines that and technology that power X6 have already been tried and tested in other BMW models and no major issues reported. All of these increase the drivers confidence in driving X6. Though the BMW X6 is a bulky car, still there are only two individual seats at the back making it a strict four seater.

It boasts a decent 570 litres of boot space and underneath there is a storage space for items you dont want others to see. The rear visibility is poor but parking sensors make up for it and come as standard across the range. Going for a diesel engine surprisingly lowers the running costs, the 35i is the most efficient petrol returning 28.0mpg with 236g/km of carbon emissions. On the other hand even the biggest culprit in diesels the M50d does 36.7mpg with CO2 emissions at 204g/km. Insuring the X6 will always be expensive but BMW offers a Service Inclusive deal for just 400 that covers the vehicle for five years or 60,000 miles whichever comes first.

How Advertising in Social Networking Sites Helps Your Automotive Business

With the increase in number of social networking users, the Internet has added up another potential arena for marketing online social networking sites. Especially for automotive business, where branding will be the major marketing objective, advertising in social media is not worth ignoring. Here are some benefits of advertising in social networking sites for automotive businesses:

Reaches wider audiences
We are now in an era where an account in social networking site is as important as having a mobile. Facebook alone has 175 million users logging into the site each day. When you place your ad in a social networking site, it is more likely that your ad is watched by a large number of visitors.

Moreover, users are becoming more offended with traditional advertisements as they seem to invade their privacy. The ads in social networking sites may not seem intrusive as they mingle with the flow of conversations in them.

Improves traffic
The effectiveness of target-based advertising has long been recognized by businesses. It is much easier to promote your auto dealership to niche consumer base through wide number of options such as forums, marketplaces and groups on social networking sites. Such targeted online ads are more likely to increase click-through rates of your ads, from potential consumers. Thus, advertising in social networking sites will not only improve your landing page traffic, but also is more likely to convert the traffic into leads.

Builds good reputation
More and more consumers are turning to social networking sites for advice on purchasing their car. There are many credible automotive forums, blogs or groups on sites like Facebook, which have already built their reputation by helping many such people seeking advice. These conversations are re-visited and referred by many others who require similar advice. When your ad is displayed among those conversations, chances are more that you can build good brand reputation out of it.

Highly interactive
Interactive advertising has become one of the popular online advertising techniques today. The best option available for interactive online advertising is social networking sites. Unlike advertising in traditional media, advertising in social networking sites enables auto dealers to interact with their customers.

Post offers and discounts: There are certain social networking sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, Scoutmob, etc. that have become popular these days by allowing businesses to post offers and discounts at faster pace. They already have gained much popularity among consumers, thus leaving enough chances of increasing your advertising ROI.

Your social media marketing campaign can turn more effective, when supported by social networking advertisements. As the ads belong to the same platform that the users are using, it is more likely to get them to subscribe or sign up to your messages. This further helps you achieve your marketing goals easily.

Get feedback instantly: Social media enables two-way interaction between you and your consumers. Queries and feedback related to cars or services from consumers will reach you instantly. However, it is not likely that the feedback is positive always. But responding appropriately and quickly even to a negative feedback, will prove you more credible in the market.

You will require an effective social media strategy to gain success here the major reason most auto dealers do not succeed with it. Since the competition is less, there are more chances that you can use it to your advantage with the help of an experienced social media strategist.

If you are one of those auto dealers, who are still struggling to get enough ROI out of their advertising campaign, the problem might be with the advertising space you are investing in. It is then the right time to move to social networking sites for promoting your auto dealership.

Motorcycle Repair Restoring Your Bike

Soaring fuel prices have made gas-guzzling cars very unpopular. Welcome to the resurgence of the motorcycle. Why? Because properly maintained motorcycles and motorcycle engines can get between 40 and 60 miles a gallon. Smaller scooters get upwards of 90 miles a gallon, pretty good for an economy with $4-per-gallon gasoline.

Because of this, bike sales have soared. Motorcycle repair, too, can come in handy. Do you have a bike in storage that you haven’t dusted off for awhile? There’s a good chance you can be among those restoring motorcycles so that you can ride your old road hog again.

Restoring your older motorcycle to working condition starts with some basic steps:

Check Fuel
If you didn’t use a fuel stabilizer before you put the bike into storage, drain your old fuel (including tank, fuel lines and carburetor as applicable) before you run the engine, and put new in. Lubricate spark plug ports with a little oil, too, before you start things up.

Check Oil
Change the oil and filter if you didn’t do so before you started. If you did, top levels off.

How Is Your Battery?
Make sure leads are not corroded and that the battery will fully charge and then hold a charge. If it doesn’t, replace the battery.

Inspect The Chain
Because your chain transfers power from the engine to the rear wheel, it is very important that it be in excellent shape. Look the chain over for the following:

— Is the chain the proper tension? You should be able to grasp it in the center and move it about one inch in either direction, up or down.
— Are front and wheel sprocket teeth in good condition? If the teeth have grooves or “waves” in them or they show other signs of wear, you probably need new sprockets (chain will probably show similar wear and need replacement).
— Check every single section of the chain for signs of wear and for proper tension. It should move about an inch when you pull on it. Tighten the chain if it’s loose, and loosen it if it’s tight. If the links themselves are too tight, you might need to replace the whole chain.
— Clean dirt off the chain with a clean towel or rag before you apply lubricant. Make sure you thoroughly lubricate all sprocket teeth and links.
— Lubricate the chain well. Remember that some solvents should not be used with rubber if your chain has rubber parts to it. Use a proper solvent and wipe off any excess lubricant with a clean rag.
— Set chain tension properly by moving your rear wheel and axle forward or backward. Both sides of the axle should be aligned properly before you tighten things up or the chain and sprockets might wear out quickly. Tighten the axle nuts and replace the cotter pin with a new one if needed.

Fluid Levels
Brake, clutch and coolant levels should be checked as necessary. Make sure you replace missing brake fluid with a new container of the same brand you used last time. Let your bike idle for a few minutes before you take off so that all fluids circulate properly.

Tires and Suspension
Inspect everything thoroughly before you take your first ride. If you kept your bike stored upright on a kickstand, make sure your tires aren’t cracked, marked, or flat. In addition, check to make sure tire wear and air levels are good.

Brief About Automotive Fault Codes

All cars and light trucks built for sale in the United States after 1996 are required to be OBD-II compliant. The European Union adopted (directive 98/69/EC) a similar law in 2001 for gasoline powered vehicles, and in 2003 for cars with diesel engines.
OBD II mandates a standard scan tool (SAE J 1978) with a single standard plug for all vehicles manufactured in U.S.A.
The Universal interface (SAE J 2201) requirements for Scan Tool (SAE J 1978), Data Communication Network Interface (SAE J 1850), (SAE J 1850), Interface connector (SAE J 1962) requirements, Test Modes (SAE J 1979), and Diagnostic Trouble codes (SAE J 2012), and Enhanced test modes (SAE J 2190), are described in detail in the standard. General characteristics, electrical and mechanical characteristics are also described in the HS-3000 standard. EPA regulation is that SAE J 1978 must have the capability to perform bi-directional diagnostic control. Vehicle manufacturers will use manufacturer specific messages to perform these functions, and later use SAE J 2205, (Expanded Scan Tool protocol) to enable these functions with SAE J 1978 automotive Scan tool.

SAE J2012 (Diagnostic Trouble Codes1) defines a set of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) where industry uniformity has been achieved.
The medium of communication is the serial data link described in SAE J 1850.
OBD II mandates that all trouble codes are logged when they are set and are retrieved by auto diagnostic scanner when commanded. And the diagnostic data must be made available when requested by the auto diagnostic scan tool. So the auto diagnostic scan Tool is to collect diagnostic messages from the vehicle. Which consists:
Analog inputs and outputs
Digital inputs and outputs
System status information
Calculated values

Important Note:
Only one Code must be stored in OBD II for each fault detected.
DTCs consist of an alpha character followed by four characters.
Pxxxx is reserved for powertrain DTCs
Bxxxx is reserved for body DTCs
Cxxxx is reserved for chassis DTCs
Uxxxx is reserved for network DTCs (UART the body electronics like door and roof control, air conditioning, and lightning, as well as for the entertainment control).

The second character designates whether the DTCs and a generic SAE DTC or a manufacturer specific DTC.
Powertrain codes
P0xxx – Generic
P1xxx – Manufacturer-specific
P2xxx – Generic
P30xx-P33xx – Manufacturer-specific
P34xx-P39xx Generic
Body codes
B0xxx – Generic
B1xxx – Manufacturer-specific
B2xxx – Manufacturer-specific
B3xxx – Generic
Chassis codes
C0xxx – Generic
C1xxx – Manufacturer-specific
C2xxx – Manufacturer-specific
C3xxx – Generic
Network Communication codes
U0xxx Generic
U1xxx – Manufacturer-specific
U2xxx – Manufacturer-specific
U3xxx Generic

The remaining characters designate the system associated with the fault. The characters are hex and can range from 0 F.
The third digit defines the specific system or sub-system within the car where the problem is located:
1.Fuel and Air Metering
2.Fuel and Air Metering (injector circuit malfunction only)
3.Ignition System or Misfire
4.Auxiliary Emission Control System
5.Vehicle Speed Control and Idle Control System
6.Computer Output Circuits
7.Transmissions
8.Transmissions
9.Control Modules, input and output signals