The Classic Motor Show has started today at the NEC, Birmingham and is the traditional ‘season grand finale’ for classic motor enthusiasts. The show is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors during the 3-day event and Sureterm Direct are there to greet you with open arms. If you’re quick, there will be a free glass of champagne too.

You can find us at stand 4T122 in Hall 4, where we are celebrating the show in a classic 80’s style. There are some beautiful classics to be seen in every corner of the show, but you will be hard pushed to find a stand more entertaining than ours!

We are celebrating the launch of online live pricing which allows you to get the best rate for your Classic Car Insurance up to the minute and straight from your home computer! Home computing was just beginning back in the 1980’s and for this reason you can find some fantastic 80’s memorabilia at Sureterm’s stand such as early computers from the era and an amazing Audi Quattro in pristine condition taking centre stage. We at Sureterm are classic car enthusiasts too and would love to see you at the show.  

Classic Car Club Members

Members of classic car clubs get an instant 15% discount on their insurance courtesy of Sureterm Direct. This is on top of the very best deals that we can find for you. So if you are looking to buy your very first classic, or you’re already an enthusiast and looking for a great renewal quote, then drop by for a chat.

Sureterm are the understanding insurance specialists and would love to find a great classic insurance deal just for you. Give Sureterm a ring today for FREE on 0800 999 2030.

For further details about the show and ticket prices, visit http://www.necclassicmotorshow.com

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Last year Sureterm took us back to the halcyon days of the 1970s with British Leyland, Slade, big Collars, Spaghetti Hoops and platform shoes.

This year we are moving back in time to the 1980’s to celebrate the launch of online live pricing which allows you to get the very best rate on your Classic Car Insurance in real time on www.sureterm.com – so you get the very best price up to the minute from your own home computer. 

But back in the 1980’s, home computing was just starting out – so get your leggings on and flashdance your way over to Stand 4T122 to witness a time in your life when Kajagoogo and Erasure were in the Charts.  There’s even 1980’s Yuppie style hospitality too – free Champagne – see you there!

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Fancy a ride in a classic car? Well, at the show will be the Sporting Bears Motor Club whose one primary aim is to raise money for childrens’ charities through social and touring events. With an agreed minimum donation to the Sporting Bears, there is the opportunity to ride as passenger over an 8-10 mile circuit in a variety of cars. Last year there were classic cars such as rare Lamborghinis, TVRs, Morgans, Ferraris and Jaguars displayed and this year is expected to be the same.

For anyone looking to buy a classic car, the NEC offers many respected classic car dealers and manufacturers covering all marques and budgets. As well as cars there are also motorcycles and live attractions including the Restoration Theatre and Dream Rides. Mike Brewer and Ed China will be hosting seminars, restorations and drive-throughs for those interested in expert demonstrations.

Sureterm Direct specialise in Classic Car insurance. Please call Free on 0800 999 2030 or get an online quote and see what Sureterm can do for you.

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At the show, Toyota will be revealing their new Land Cruiser which is due to go on sale in the UK on 1^st December this year. The five or seven seat off-roader will come with a 173PS 3.0 litre diesel engine and a 5-speed automatic gearbox. Toyota claims it will come with a best-in-class fuel figure of 34.9mpg.

The Land Cruiser will also have better off-road performance and a more defined on-road experience thanks to their advanced 4×4 technology.

Sureterm Direct specialise in 4×4 insurance. Visit our 4×4 insurance page for a competitive insurance quote, or call FREE on 0800 999 2030.

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Several clubs will mount displays including The Kempsford Classic Car and Motorcycle Club, The Jaguar enthusiast Club and Sunbeam Rapier OC. In addition to over 100 club vehicles on display, approximately 150 private individuals will be displaying their classic vehicles and will be judged in their respective categories.

Prizes and trophies will be awarded in pre-1950’s, 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s – as well as racing and off-road categories. The public are also invited to bring their classic cars to take part in the judging and there is an pre-booking discount available for those interested.

A standard ticket will enable access to Blenheim Park, Formal Gardens and Pleasure Gardens (including Adventure Play Area). Access to Blenheim Palace is also available for an addition fee.

For more information visit the Blenheim Palace website.

If you own a classic car then give Sureterm Direct a call for a fantastic insurance quote. Sureterm Direct are specialists in classic car insurance and can build the right policy to suit your needs.

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Make sure your bike is in great condition. When snow and ice make an appearance, it’s crucial that your motorcycle has been well maintained or serviced. 
 
• Maintenance free and gel-filled batteries require very little maintenance once they have been correctly charged and installed but they can still be temperamental if not properly looked after – and they won’t take much abuse. Correctly charging your battery and checking it at least once a month will usually guarantee trouble-free biking. Your battery has to work much harder in the winter and can fail without any warning.
• Ensure your tyres have a good tread depth and are inflated correctly – the slightest signs of over-wear will be accentuated in snow and ice.
• Make sure your engine’s cooling system contains antifreeze at the correct strength and recommended type for your make of bike.
• Check that your headlights and brake lights are clean and working properly.
Make a note of weather conditions. OK, weathermen get it wrong every now and again, but generally speaking, spells of bad weather rarely come without advance warning.

• Look at local and national TV and Radio for travel and weather information. Short and long-range forecasts by city can be found on the internet too, using services like Yahoo or Google weather.
• Before setting off on a journey, ensure all bike visors and mirrors are clear from mist, frost and snow.
• In extreme weather conditions such as falling snow, ask yourself:  “Is my journey really essential?”

Be prepared. We’d all like to think our journey will be trouble free, but when wind and snow combine it’s easy for main roads to suddenly get closed or cut-off. That’s why it pays to take these precautions.

• Ensure your motorcycle insurance is up to date, ring Sureterm on 0845 20 20 30
• Check that you have a full tank of fuel
• Always let someone know your destination and your expected time of departure and arrival.
• Take a mobile phone if you have one, but remember you could break down in a “dead area” where reception is poor. So pack warm clothing, hot drinks, food and a torch. It could be a long walk to a phone.

Being out on the road in poor conditions sometimes can’t be avoided. So follow these general rules for safe biking.

• Use main roads which have been salted whenever possible.
• Allow extra time for your journeys
• Reduce speed in poor visibility and particularly where there is snow, or if ice may have formed.
• Avoid hard braking and acceleration.
• Maintain longer stopping distances – two seconds between vehicles is for good conditions! A wet road surface means you’ll take twice as long to stop, so you need to be at least four seconds behind the vehicle in front.
• Watch out for other road users, including pushbikes, pedestrians and children, who may also be having difficulties in the conditions.

In the rare instances you do break down, put these simple guidelines into operation
• Stay with your vehicle if possible, until help arrives
• If you do have to leave your bike, use a viz-vest or reflective clothing to make yourself visible to others
• If you have to abandon your vehicle, give local police the details and park safely. 

Winter can bring patches of wildly differing weather on just one journey. So here’s Sureterms’ advice for specific weather conditions

Fog is always a winter danger and is a major cause of accidents. In these conditions, slow down, keep your distance, and turn your lights on. Drive very slowly using dipped headlights and use fog lights if visibility is seriously affected. Don’t hang on the tail lights of the vehicle in front – this gives you a false sense of security and means you may be driving too close. Don’t speed up suddenly – even if it seems to be clearing, you can suddenly find yourself back in thick fog.

Ice,  slush and snow significantly reduce the ability of your tyres to grip the road, which means that slowing down, speeding up, or changing direction all become hazardous. The trick to biking in these conditions is to be as smooth as possible.

Drive slowly, allowing extra room to slow down and stop and remember it can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin, manoeuvre gently (especially into and out of bends), and avoid harsh braking and acceleration. If you skid, ease off the accelerator but do not brake suddenly.

At Sureterm, we take bike insurance seriously, so make sure you call us on                0845 20 20 230 for an up to date competitive insurance quote.

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This encourages them to take out their own insurance early on and build up their own ‘No Claims Discounts’ rather than adding themselves as a named driver on their parents’ licences – a practice known as ‘fronting’.

Other motor insurers are tightening up on parents who add children as drivers on their policies to save costs. But instead, we believe our 30% Discount Scheme is an attractive way to help both young drivers and their parents get the best from their car insurance.

Call us on 0845 20 20 230 and we’d be delighted to discuss our great new scheme.

Background to ‘fronting’

‘Fronting’ is when young drivers appear as a named driver on parents’ policies but effectively become the main driver of a vehicle. Churchill, Privilege and Direct Line, are all reviewing their underwriting criteria to exclude the loophole.

Churchill will still provide “young additional driver” cover but has amended the questions completed on its proposal form to identity potential cases of fronting.

Esure has also changed its underwriting criteria and now bases its premiums on the highest-risk driver named on the policy, as opposed to the “main” driver.

This means that where a risk would have been based on a parent as the policyholder with, for example, a 17-year-old named as an additional driver, in future the premium will be based on the 17-year-old as highest-risk driver.

‘Fronting’ is commonplace – two-thirds of the 1,733 adults questioned in a recent survey said they would consider “fronting” even though it is fraudulent.

Insuring a car in a name other than the main driver and adding other higher-risk motorists can have serious consequences.

Insurers who uncover cases of this nature are at liberty to repudiate a claim, cancel the policy or charge the correct premium as a lump sum.

Drivers who have had a policy cancelled are obliged to declare the fact in future applications and this can increase premiums or even make it difficult to find cover.

“Fronting” also prevents young drivers from building up a no-claims discount.

About PassPlus

You can find out more about PassPlus here…

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The Australian concept bike has been developed by the IAG Research Centre in conjunction with renowned motorcycle design consultant Tim Cameron, and it was unveiled by MotoGP championship leader Casey Stoner at a launch in Sydney.

The bike features automatic brake drying, traction control, an accidental tip-over warning device and lots of sensible, clever other ideas such as a speed limiter. Expensive and essential parts of the bike are protected by ones that can easily be sacrificed in a low speed crash.

Research into motorcycle tip-over crash tests have revealed that design features which prevent damage to expensive or essential components can reduce the total cost of repairs by as much as 40% compared to an unprotected motorcycle.

Key safety features of the concept bike include -

• low tyre pressure indicators compare the front and rear tyre rotation speeds and detect any change which could be attributed to loss of air;
• rider-controlled speed limiter function enables the rider to temporarily preset a speed which cannot be exceeded inadvertently;
• blind spot warning sensors indicate to the rider whether there is likely to be unsighted nearby traffic, by using side-looking proximity sensors linked to warning lights adjacent to each of the rider’s rear view mirrors;
• traction control ensures that power can be applied without tyre slip, particularly on wet or greasy surfaces;
• anti-lock braking compares wheel rotation speeds and regulates braking pressure;
• emergency brake assistance is able to sense the rate at which the brakes are applied and then increase the brake line pressure if emergency stopping is required;
• electronic brake force distribution reduces stopping distances by directing brake line pressure to the tyre which has the most traction;
• automatic brake drying picks up input from a rainfall sensor and occasionally applies gentle pressure to the brake pads to keep the discs dry and ready for an emergency;
• self-cancelling turn signal indicators measure distance traveled and time elapsed;

To find great bike insurance deals, contact www.sureterm-direct.com.

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