MOTOR NOTES ARMY CYCLISTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 141, 17 June 1941, Page 10

MOTOR NOTES ARMY CYCLISTS

! ALL "CRACK" RIDERS

TRAINING IN BRITAIN

The Knglish Army motor cyclist is being trained under cross-country conditions as bad as could be found anywhere. He is. in motor-cycle language, a crack rider and knows

his evele down to the last nut and bolt. * His officers match him well. Kvery officer in the British Army is now a motor cyclist, well trained in riding and in the maintenance of his machine.

"I spent some days with the Northern Command on wild, precipitous and muddy moors watching officers and men train." writes an bnglish correspondent. "The first day was devoted to a demonstration by eight army and civilian experts The standard of performance may be judged from the fact that seven of these riders have represented Britain in the International Six Days' Trial.

"Kach "expert was in charge of a hazard, these being chosen to represent eight different kinds of obstacles a motor cyclist may meet in action. With clockwork precision, the teams arrived in turn at each hazard. Machines were parked in neat rows while the- expert explained the object of the hazard, and demonstrated the right and wrong ways of tackling it. Each rider then made two attempts at the hazard, leaving enough time afterwards for the expert to say a few words of commendation, criticism and advice, befoi c the team passed on.

"Hazard number one was appropriately nemed 'the unclimbable hill.' Its object was to demonstrate the art of turning round and coming down should a rider find himself unable to reach the top. The manoeuvre was neatly carried out by tilting the machine to one side and swinging the front wheel from lock to lock, when it slowly slithered round and finally faced downhill.

"Other hazards included a weedy pond, a slippery up-grade, a two-foot deep ford, a climb up a loose-surfaced hill on a curve and a short, steep climb over fearsome-looking rocks. In every case it was impressed upon the men that their sole aim should be to get through with as little injury to themselves or their machines as possible. Any method that would be unorthodox in trials was permitted, and there were no penalties for using the feet unless in such a way that there was ;> danger of broken "ankles.

"When it was all over. I asked a senior officer his opinion of the motor-cycle compared with the horse or a four-wheeled vehicle. 'The motor-cycle can do everything a horse can do, except jump a" wall.' he said. "But it makes up for that in speed, and it doesn't require feeding and stabling. Its superiority over the four-wheeled vehicle partly lies in t.he fact that it can travel along the side of a very steep slope when a car would topple over—a manoeuvre that frequently has to be carried out when keeping under cover from the enemy. It can go anywhere and do almost anything. It can be lifted and carried when confronted by an impassable obstacle."