If you’re a keen biker, you may be wondering how you can use credit to enhance your day-to-life and truly embrace your hobby. Bikers can use credit for a host of purposes, and these include upgrading their equipment and managing unexpected expenses.
Let’s look at some of the things that you can do if you want to use credit to finance your biker life right now.
Upgrades
Credit can come in really handy when you need to upgrade your biking experience. You could use it to fund a new model, or accessories or enhance the performance of your vehicle.
Avoid being overcharged for credit by shopping around for the best finance options available including low-interest loans. Credit can help you spread the cost of upgrades, maintenance, and new equipment.
Cover the Cost of Repairs
If you’re lacking in savings but need to cover the cost of repairs, credit can be very convenient. Having access to a credit card with a sufficient limit can mean having a financial safety net when repairs need to be made.
Credit can help you keep your bike in great condition when you don’t have other funds available or want to protect your savings.
Travel and Adventure
Credit can also be helpful when you’ve got the opportunity to explore new places on your motorcycle.
You could consider applying for a travel rewards credit card that allows you to accumulate points or miles via your day-to-day spending and use them for fuel costs, hotel stays, and other travel expenses.
Build a Good Credit History
A good credit score can be a really valuable asset if you’re a passionate biker. Using credit responsibly can help you build up your credit score so you can borrow higher amounts to fund your hobby.
It can also help you if you want to make purchases that aren’t related to biking such as a new car or a house. People with good credit scores tend to get the best terms and interest rates. A good credit score may also help you to get lower insurance premiums. This is because insurers often think people with good credit ratings are less likely to make claims.
If your credit score isn’t quite perfect and you need motorcycle finance for bad credit, you may have more options available to you than you think. You may still be able to get credit even if you have a poor credit score or credit history, although you may need to pay more interest and compromise on terms.
Invest in Education and Training
If you’re passionate about biking and want to improve your skills, you could use credit to enroll on an advanced biking course or to attend a workshop. This can improve your riding abilities and ensure you keep yourself and others safe whilst out on the road.
Fuel Efficiency
If you’re worried about fuel costs, you could use credit to make your hobby more fuel-efficient. Buying a new bike or modifying your current one can be a very good move when you want to boost your fuel efficiency. Upgrades can help you reduce your fuel expenses too.
Using credit for biking can be highly beneficial, but you’ll need to manage it responsibly. Pay your bills on time and don’t use all of the credit available to you if you want to maintain a good credit score to help you cover and spread the cost of biking.
Here are some things you can do if you want to improve your credit score to make borrowing easier and cheaper in the future:
Check Your Credit Score
Your credit rating can be affected if there are any errors on your credit report. Get hold of a copy of your credit report to find out if there are any mistakes on it. If you do spot any errors, you can contact the credit referencing bureau or the lender to get them removed so your score is a better reflection of the way you manage credit. You should also check it for any fraudulent activity.
Get on the Electoral Roll
Adding yourself to the electoral roll can also have a good impact on your credit score. Lenders use information on the electoral roll to verify people’s identities and residences.
Keep Using Credit Wisely
Poor credit management can make it much harder to borrow. Don’t max out your credit limits – in fact, some experts advise you to use no more than 30% of the credit that’s available to you. Always make your repayments on time as late and missed payments can have a big impact on your score and stay on your report for six years. If you think you might forget to make a repayment, you could set up a Direct Debit so the payments come out of your account automatically.
Keep Your Oldest Credit Accounts Open
It can be advantageous to keep your oldest accounts open. This is because the length of your credit history is one of the factors that are used to calculate your credit score.
Space Out Your Credit Applications
Try not to make too many applications for credit in a short space of time. This can cause lenders to see you as a risk and result in your applications being declined.
Review Any Financial Associations
Are you financially associated with someone who could be bringing your credit score down? If so, tell the credit referencing agencies if the link nobody exists. For instance, you may have had a joint account with a former partner that you have closed down. Make sure the agencies know about this.
Use Credit Builder Products
There are several products on the market that can help you build up your credit score. You normally have to pay more interest on credit builder cards and loans, but it can have a good effect on your score in the long run.
Demonstrate Stability
Stability is very important when it comes to building your credit score. A stable address, employment situation plus a consistent income can make you more creditworthy.
Biking can be a fun but expensive hobby, and many bikers have to take out credit in order to access the equipment and upgrades they need. Thankfully, there are lots of things that you can do if you want to become or stay creditworthy so you can enjoy your hobby to the full.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fred Felton
Content Creator / Editor
Fred Felton is a copywriter, editor and social media specialist based in Durban, South Africa. He has over 20 years of experience in creating high end content. He has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. Currently Fred specialises in the motorbiking adventure space, focussing on all types of biking both on and offroad. He is also a keynote speaker and has presented talks and workshops in South Africa.
