MODERN MOTORING.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 172, 22 July 1924, Page 12

MODERN MOTORING.

UP SNOWDON BY MOTOR CYCLE.

Snowdon was conquered; but the victory was not sufficiently decisive to make of the mountain a "motorists' playground.'' The proud peak is not vc-t so humbled that the motor cycle ascents can be anything but an extremely perilous undertaking. But is tlicre not ground for a common sense of pride in the fact that so mighty a peak should have boon vanquished in tho almost incredible time of 24 minutes 0 seconds? Surely one docs not need to lie a keen motorist to appreciate what climbing four and a-half miles to a height of odGO feet with the snow still lour or five feet deep in the drifts means? This test, undertaken by two B.S.A. machines, had the two-fold purpose of demonstrating their "go-anywhere" powers, and their suitability for ioloni.il use. where, though the riding conditions are very bad, they are incomparable with the extremes of climbing Snowdon. More facts about the climb cannot give the faintest idea of the task which confronted man and machine. Two routes were taken: one up the railway and the other by the foot track. The former afforded the more graduated climb of the mountain, as the steepest portion is about one in five. But to make the ascent a motor cycle is restricted to a narrow strip on the right of tho sleepers, rarely more than ten inches wide and sometimes less than six inches, where the slightest instability uf steering might precipitate the rider a thousand feet over tho precipice. When obstructions were met, or where even the minimum space of six inc!ie3 could not bp found, the rider had to take to the sleepers, which project three to four inches above the track, necessitating the greatest care to maintain a hold on the machine. It is a fact that in one place H. S. Perry, to whom stands the credit of making the fastest time of 24 minutes i> seconds on a 2} h.p. machine, was actually riding two inches from the edpc of a precipice 1000 feet deep, while another rider, G. Savage, who clambered up the foot track in the amazing time of 41 minutes 8 seconds, had to fall off )ii= machine on the knife edge of a 200 feet drop to save himself, and his machine was only kept from slipping over the edge by the front stand catching on to a projecting rock. MONEY-SAVER FOR OWNERDRIVERS. An important source of revenue to the garage owner is what is called "car maintenance." In brief, this means the care of the car in sickness and in health for the owner-driver who is too busy—or too lazy—to attend to it himself! Everyone is not a born engineer, but men who have no interest at all in things mechanical are few and far between. The gentler sex, on the other hand, often display a charming but regrettable lack of intelligence so far as the " innards " of their cars are concerned. This is to a great extent a pose. Once the average woman has really had her interest awakened she becomes as apt a pupil as any man. It is amazing how much money can be saved in a year by an owner-driver who cares for the car himself. Even the most reliable car needs washing and greasing at intervals, while it runs the better for a little adjustment now and again. Think how many pounds can be saved yearly by washing the car oneself instead of paying the garage hand several shillings a time for doing it ! Think of the odd sums charged up every month for greasing such parts as the spring shackles and steering heads ! There are quite a number of other tasks which the owner-driver can perform in half a day and thus save considerable expense, while gaining in experience. It is when one does one's own work that one realises how much the manner in which one drives influences the wear and tear of the car. One acquires, at the same time, an intimate knowledge of the principal components of the chassis, and such knowledge invariably results in it receiving better treatment, besides adding greatly to the interest of driving. Given decent treatment on the road, the average modern motor-car calls for very little attention. Proper use of the clutch, careful gear-changing, sensible use of the brakes, and consideration for the steering and springing systems inevitably reduce running expenses, while a little knowledge judiciously applied will often effect an economy in fuel or oil consumption. The external appearance of the car also deserves consideration, as on it depends its second-hand value quite as much as on its mechanical condition. Care in washing and polishing, careful " touching up" here and there when necessary, will enable the keen owner to derive a twofold benefit—he will save the money previously spent on having the car washed, and he -will lose less on the resale than he would if the car were scratched and shabby. THE SELF STARTER. So far as the mechanism of the self s tarter is concerned, it is very Tellable, and nothing more serious than a temporary sticking of the pinion, due to grit having got into the thread, is liable to occur. It is a good plan occasionally to clear out the teeth on the flywheel with a stiff wire brush, and at the same time to examine the entering edges of the teeth to see that none of them is slightly burred. If so, a brushup with a file would be advisable. The starter pinion is made of very hard chrome steel, and the teeth are backed off to ensure ease of engagement similarly to the pinions in a gear box. Starter mechanism should -work reasonably quietly, but absolute silence is not to be expected. Many starters engage with a shrill note, and there are some that give a screech which is rather unpleasant. The provision of an end bearing to the starter shaft for ensuring its rigidity is a good feature. There are several detail points of a practical nature in the mechanism of a starter which it is necessary to explain to make it fully understood. The quick thread is not actually formed on the starter shaft, but consists of * sleeve fitting over the shaft and connected positively thereto by a strong spiral spring. The eleeve is connected to the actual power shaft of the starter by the intermediary of the spring to provide a certain amount of . elasticity in the drive and thereby minimise shock on the engaging of the pinion when it runs along the screw and abuts against the collar. The pinion is a free fit on the quick thread, and it is an important point in practice that the thread should be always perfectly clean and lubricated to allow of free movement of the pinion. For this reason it is preferable to have the gear enclosed and protected.