Indian Motorcycle Celebrates 115th Birthday

Indian Motorcycle is marking its 115th birthday, tracing its beginnings back to when George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom first started building motorcycles in 1901.

Hendee started manufacturing bicycles with the name “American Indian” in 1897 but this was soon shortened to “Indian.” A former bicycle racer, Hendee was joined by fellow racer Hedstrom in 1900 and the two decided to build a motorized bicycle to be used as a cycle racing pace bike.

A prototype and two production units were built in 1901 and the first Indian motorcycles were sold to the public in 1902. In 1903, Hedstrom set a world motorcycle speed record of 56 mph and in 1904 the company introduced the deep red paint scheme that would become Indian’s trademark color. In 1905 Indian built its first V-twin factory racer, putting a road-going version of the motorcycle on sale in 1907.

Throughout these early years Indian motorcycles were officially sold by the Hendee Manufacturing Company. That was changed in 1923, when the company name was changed to the Indian Motocycle Company. Note the lack of the letter “R.”

The Indian name grew in popularity and prestige throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s, but bad managerial decisions and a challenging post-war economy saw the company suffer bankruptcy in the 1950s. The strength of the name, however, was enough to keep the Indian spirit alive over the next half century –– with more than half a dozen attempts made at its resurrection.

Minnesota-based Polaris became the modern day custodian of the brand in 2011. In the five years since, the number of models in the lineup has grown rapidly to nine, with the most recent additions this year being the Scout Sixty, Springfield and Chieftain Dark Horse.

While it’s an American brand, the appeal of Indian has spread rapidly beyond U.S. shores. The European version of the Indian Motorcycle Riders Group was launched less than a year ago and already has more than 6,000 members.

See a timeline of Indian Motorcycle’s past 115 years here.

Read more at: https://rideapart.com/articles/indian-motorcycle-celebrates-115th-birthday

If you get called for a warranty scam

A group insisting to be “Chrysler warranty services” is again calling owners with intent to scam, possibly using falsified caller ID numbers.

Customers buy extended warranties from dealers; Chrysler Service Contracts, which covers Ram, Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler, does not call customers to sell extended warranties.

The scammer sounds real, because the person claims to be calling from Chrysler (not Fiat Chrysler, so far) and knows what car you own and when you purchased it — abusing public records to get that data.

The only real recourse may be teasing the caller’s contact information from them, hanging up, and sending it to FCA US Legal in Auburn Hills — and, for users of the free nomorobo service, reporting the calls to them so they will be blacklisted.

Read more at: http://www.allpar.com/news/2016/06/if-you-get-called-for-a-warranty-scam-31942

Which RAM Truck is Right for Your towing needs?

Those in need of a new RAM truck have an impressive lineup of choices. From the 1500, to the 2500, and even the 3500, all are top-of-the-line choices in terms of towing your boat, RV, or camper trailer. If you aren’t sure how to choose the best RAM truck for your towing needs, we at Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Dick Scott Motor Mall have broken your choices down for you by model, so you can be sure you’ve made the right choice.

RAM 1500

The RAM 1500 kicks off the pickup truck lineup with a choice of three powerful engine options. The base 3.6L Pentastar® V6 engine gives the Ram 1500 a commanding 7,160-lb. towing capacity as well as a 1,880-lb. payload capacity. You’ll also have 305 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque. There’s also the choice of the 5.7L HEMI® V8 engine, which upgrades towing to a 10,650-lb. towing capacity, as well as a 1,810-lb. payload capacity. You’ll also have 395 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. of torque.

If you prefer to drive a diesel truck, the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 delivers in a big way with a 9,210-lb. towing capacity and a 1,600-lb. payload capacity. This engine also has an output of 240 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. The Ram 1500 also has commanding towing features, so you can do so with confidence, with features like Hill Start Assist, an Integrated Trailer Hitch, and Trailer Sway Control.

RAM 2500

If you are looking for a RAM truck with a little more horsepower for your towing needs check out the RAM 2500. This heavy-duty pickup truck spares no effort with three engine options of its own. First up is the 5.7L HEMI® V8 engine with Variable Valve Timing. This engine choice delivers a staggering 13,890-lb. towing capacity and a 3,060-lb. payload capacity. You’ll also have 383 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. For more power, the 6.4L HEMI® V8 gives the RAM 2500 a 16,320-lb. towing capacity, a 3,990-lb. payload capacity, 410 horsepower, and 429 lb.-ft. of torque.

The RAM 2500 also has a diesel engine: the 6.7L Cummins® Turbo Diesel, which produces an impressive 17,980-lb. towing capacity, a 3,160-lb. payload capacity, and a 10,000-lb GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). Drivers will also have a breakdown of 370 horsepower and 800 lb.-ft. of torque. In terms of towing features, the RAM 2500 boasts heavy-duty hooks, a trailer harness connector, a tow/haul mode selector, and more.

RAM 3500

For the utmost in power, there’s the RAM 3500 for the toughest of jobs and biggest of items. Starting things off is its own 5.7L HEMI® V8 with Variable Valve Timing, but with a more powerful 13,910-lb. towing capacity and a 4,480-lb. payload capacity. The 6.4L HEMI® V8 in the RAM 3500 now has a maximum 16,520-lb. towing capacity and a remarkable 7,390-lb. payload capacity.

For top-of-the-line power, the 6.7L Cummins® Turbo Diesel choice has a best-in-class 31,210-lb. maximum towing capacity, a 6,720-lb. payload capacity, 385 horsepower, a maximum 14,000-lb. GVWR, and a best-in-class 900 lb.-ft. of torque.

We hope this breakdown of each RAM truck has made it clear how to choose the best RAM truck for your towing needs.

Do Not Take Out A Home Equity Loan To Pay For Your Car

I recently heard what is possibly the worst piece of car buying advice I’ve ever heard: my father-in-law, who is in the market for a car, was told that rather than get a car loan, he should take a home equity loan instead. Here’s why that is a horrible idea.

For those of you not familiar with a home equity loan, sometimes called a second mortgage, it basically works like this: if the market value of your home is greater than the balance owed on your mortgage, you have equity. The bank will use the equity to loan you money for a specific amount of time, usually at a fixed rate.

Let’s say, for example, you have a home mortgage of $150,000 but your home is worth $225,000. You could take a home equity loan of $75,000. But just because you could, doesn’t mean you should, and in this case my wife’s father was told to take such a loan to pay for a car.

The philosophy behind using a home equity loan often is rooted in the myth that you are getting screwed by taking dealer financing. Some people view using a home equity loan to buy a car as some kind of financial life-hack because it gives you the flexibility to pay the loan in a shorter or longer term and you can use the interest as a tax deduction.

This sounds good in theory, but the risks far outweigh the benefits.

The most obvious downside is the interest rate. While home equity loans are typically lower than traditional mortgage rates, for folks with good credit they simply can’t compete with the auto loans. According to Bankrate.com, the average home equity loan is about five percent. Experian’s data shows that new car loans are averaging 4.46 percent for new cars and 8.56 percent for used.

But these averages don’t tell the whole story, borrowers with FICO scores above 700—aka, good credit scores—can often get new car rates as low as zero percent depending on the automaker, and used car loans as low as 1.99 percent.

Another disadvantage has more to do with personal discipline than dollars and cents. Home equity loans typically have terms of 10 years or more. People will tell themselves, “Oh I’ll take a ten-year loan for this car and pay it off in five years.”

In reality, what tends to happen is that other expenses pile up, and you start telling yourself that you don’t have to make that $400 car payment when $200 will be sufficient. This means it will take you forever to pay off your car and you will risk being upside down on your loan.

Furthermore, a home equity loan is essentially leveraging your house on a depreciating asset—the car. (Your 2016 Hyundai Sonata is not a vintage Ferrari. It is not going up in value. End of story.) So not only are you taking on debt, which is not necessarily a bad thing if managed right, you are using your home’s value as collateral against a purchase that rapidly goes down in value.

Many Americans learned a hard lesson about relying on their home’s equity during the last housing crisis. If the market in your area drops and the home is now worth less, you could end up being underwater on both your home and your car.

Some people use a home equity loan to pay down and consolidate debt at a lower rate. This can be a smart move if you have credit card balances with an 18 percent APR.

However, when car loans are at record low rates, there is no good reason to put your home at risk for a vehicle.

Read more at: http://jalopnik.com/do-not-take-out-a-home-equity-loan-to-pay-for-your-car-1780755188?rev=1465397682423&utm_campaign=socialflow_jalopnik_facebook&utm_source=jalopnik_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Construction Alert: Months-Long I-94 Repair Project Set To Begin Monday

A $9 million I-94 repair project set to begin on Monday could affect travel to and from Detroit Metro Airport.

The Michigan Department of Transportation says work along I-94 near the airport, between Telegraph Road and I-275 in Wayne County, will start at 8 p.m. on June 13 and should wrap up in mid-November.

Nearly 11 miles of freeway and ramps in the Romulus and Taylor area Taylor will be repaired with resurfacing, concrete pavement repairs, drainage work, and pavement markings — including the common ramps to Middle Belt Road and Merriman Road, along with Vining Road and Wayne Road.

The majority of the work will occur during overnight hours and full-time during weekends.

MDOT says overnight work on the westbound side of I-94 is expected to begin early next week, just west of Telegraph Road, and will occur between 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next day and around the clock on weekends.

There will be single and double-lane closures on I-94 that will sometimes leave only one lane open. The common ramps to the airport will remain open as much as possible until mid-August, when concrete repair work will close the ramps. Traffic will be detoured to an alternate airport entrance off southbound I-275 and Eureka Road.

Ten message board signs will be placed on I-94, I-275, US-24 (Telegraph Road), and M-39 to advise drivers of the road work and ramp closures.

[VIEW A PROJECT MAP]

To avoid any delays with this construction, drivers are strongly urged to use the I-275 and Eureka Road airport entrance.

If there’s a weather delay, MDOT says, work will begin on Tuesday, June 14.

Read more at: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/06/08/construction-alert-months-long-i-94-repair-project-set-to-begin-monday/?cid=facebook_99.5_WYCD