ALMOST A CAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 266, 9 November 1937, Page 18

ALMOST A CAR.

I ITALIAN MOTOR CYCLE ATTAINS TERRIFIC SPEED. ENCLOSED STREAMLINE MODEL. It was cabled recently that Pictro Tariiffl, one of Italy"s leading motor eyelists. established a fortnight ago a new world's motor cycle record by attaining a mean speed of !(»!).4 m.p.h.

ThU performance would be achieved on his fully enclosed streamlined Gilera machine, upon which Taruffl last May covered 121 .38 miles in the hour on one of the special motor roads near Brescia. Although the speed over the flying mile recorded l>y the Italian ae<? establishes new world's figures, a hijiher speed in one direction has been achieved, savs the Dinilop "Bulletin." Last April the English rider Kric Fcrnihoujrh (Broiigh Sliperior-Duillop) was officially clocked to cover a mile on the road near Budapest at a speed of 17". m.p.h. Unfortunately, when making his return run over the mile, and with the speedometer showing 1""> m.p.h.. a chain sprocket sheared when the frreiitcr portion of the course had liecn covered. As the mean of two rides in opposite directions U necessary to secure official recognition of the world's sliort-distancp records. Fernihoujih's clfanco of bettering the world's mot<ir cycl<> miln record was thus wrecked. On the same machine and course the Britisher put up the world'* fastest motor cycle speed for the stand--1 injr start mile, his mean speed being 10!>.7 m.p.h. Taruffi's machine is a most unusual one. It has a ">OO c.c. four-cylinder, water-cooled enjrine. It has twin overhead camshafts and is supercharged. The engine is said to develop SO b.h.p. at 8000 r.p.m. The rider, when in the saddle, is completely enclosed in an aluminium shell, the domed front of which is glassed in.