MOTORING.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18182, 19 September 1924, Page 6

MOTORING.

SOUTH CANTERBURY

ASSOCIATION. i.-iTTi-TiT. jo "lIEE PEiSE,") TTMARU, September 13. The ißOpthly meeting oi the South CanterVar7 Automobile As6ocl2.il en too held, i-is evening. ?r went—Dr. C. A. Patersen (chairman,, Messrs "ft" H. Oitell, VT. T Eitclue, J. Pailuer, T. Socct, J. Moodi*. sad W. Baxter. The •. chairman reported . tha :■ with Ifessrs Palliser and Bridges he had attended the quarterly meeting* of the South Island Motor Union at Dunodm. Tho South Canter oury \«=3ociauoa's remit with reference to poliro wn-.roi had been favourably rseercd, ea • be doubted whether -it would 'O3 given c ' t- In the -Hetor Vehicles Bill there hsd besa a, good cieaJ of discussion. the i.-o at which von a- people should be licenced to arrive, and ;t had been finally deciaed tJiat 16 should be the lowest a-S« for botu rexes.

Member;. considered that- this was quite low cnoucb. Continuing, the chairman said that, (hero had been force ennosiiion to the method of taxation, but f.s Mr Hawker had pointed out. the 'Bill bad beer, drawn up in conjunction with the represents-i~es ot the South Island Motor Union, and they were practically pledged 4 o support it.. Another important point war. that it was hoped to get the bill through thi3 session, but if it was too much cut about it would not eland the. came cha-cce of retting through. Ho was sure that tho Bill iu its' present form would be generally acceptable to motorists, and personally ho thought that they were getting: off very lighly with the £2 flat rate. He had been greatly impressed with the keenness of every delegate ' present at, the meeting.

Mr R. Appleby, Breast, Hill, Oma.ra.ma., wrote suggesting that where possible tho names of back country station 3 should be shown in tie margin of lbs South Island Motor Union's new road guide.- Tbic would give tourists a truide to tbeir whereabouts, more especially if the station owners could be prevailed upon 1o rrect notices namingtheir &t.i'jot'e. The writer also a.skcd if the A:3Goia.tion ccuid provide him with a supply of petrol aad oil for the uso of passing motorists, a? he'•was rocsidcrably inconvenienced by the demands made upon hi? p rivals eupplv. Tho. chairman said (hal the first request was embodied in the road guide. Mr Orboll expressed the opinion, that it would be creating an undcsira-ble precedent to establish a petrel depot at Mr station, which was just bejqud Licdi'3 Paso, arid iu !he o?maru district. iAftcr discustuon, Mar -Kitchir proposed that ten cases of petrol should be sent up to Mr Appleby without prejudice. This was agreed -to, and it was decided that the cost of transport, plus ten per cent, of the landed charge, .->hould bo added to tho price of. the petrol to the niotoristc who required itMessrs <T. Pallisor, "\ r . H. .OrbelL and tho secretary were appointed a, sub-com-mittee to deal with "details in connexion ■with tha /forthcoming membership paignThe following new members were elected: Messrs T. Corlct, A.-C. Davis, L. Eaton, J. C. Oddie, G. .Gillespie, T. Munro, K. Appleby, A. -G. Valentine, J. Millar ajjd Mrs Elworthy, senior.

MOTOR-CYCLING. THE DOMINION DEMAND. MAKERS .LOOK FOR INCREASE. •".Compar.ed with tho . rest of tlio world, New Zealand has dropped behind in its demand for motor-cycles," said Mr J. 11.. Khodes, Indian.Motor-cyelo 'Company '3 factory' rcprcsen ta tive, who was in.Christchurch last week. "Ford anticipated' the market for motor cycles "by bringing his prices down, and other light, car-makers have had-to follow suit. The motor-cvclo makers are only now catching up by taking a leaf -out of the car-maker's • book and producing on a scale which will enable them to bring down prices. In the past there' has been very little difference between the price in America of a heavy side-car combination and a Ford car, but when I was in the-States recently the cycle outfit was sclling for 365 dollars and the Ford for 265! . Something had to be done to meet that, and the cycle people arc now giving, more attention than ever to the production of light and..middle-weight machines which will sell at prices with which light cars cannot compote. It is in this direction that there is going to be the greatest development in the • motor-cyclc trade in this Dominion. I feel confident that in the next twelve months the market here is going to be doubled."

NOTES. The world's record for long-distance coasting i 3 claimed by Walter Locke and Co., of Lahore, India,, for a pair of local riders. On a recent trip, one riding a solo luount and the other with a side-car, they coasted 20 miles without once starting the motors. This long descent brought them from an elevation of 10,000 feet to practically sea level, and the few up grades and level stretches which were encountered en route were negotiated on momentum alone.

•A ■ recent cable gives the following results of European events:—Speed championship of Europe, held at Monza, Milan, Italy, September 6th, 350 e.c. cJass.. J. H. Simpson, on A.J.S., secured first pla'ec, with an average speed of seventy-,two miles per hour. Gnesa, on an A.J.S., was fourth. The German Grand Prix," run on August. 25th, resulted in a win for Bannerman on a 2J A.J.S. This rider also made the fastest time of the da v.

A speed of two miles a minute has at last been achieved on a motor-cyclc. This fine record was established by an English rider on an English-made machine. the successful motor-cyclist boing H. Le Vack, on a "Brough" machine, which comes under the 1000 c.c. class. This fine achievement was put up under the auspices of the MotorCycle Club of France at the Arpajon speed trials. Hi 3 mean time, riding in both directions, was 119.7-1 m.p.h. for the flying kilometre (1093 yards), and 119.62 m.p.h. for the flying mile. His speed in one direction was 123 m.p.h., over two miles per minute. With a sidecar attached and passenger up, he covered a mile at a speed of 100 1-3 m.pJi. —remarkable travelling! A 6-h.p. Douglas, ridden bv Glover, won last week's 200-mile Brooklands race, according to cable advice received by the Gibbs Motor Co., Ltd.

An interesting SJ-h.p. English motorcycle, designed by the well-known Budge Wbitworth Co., has made its appearance on the market here, 'and includes many exclusive features. The power unit of 350 c.c. is a: four-valve-overhead engine. of exceptionally clean design: fitted • with a Senspray carburettor. The four-speed, gear-box has special- double 1 helical 'gears, and .the pistons of aluminium alloy are machined ■with helical grooves, ensuing perfect ring lubrication. The machine is equipped with the well-known , MXu electric lighting outfit. Interchangeable ■ wheels and brakes are a special feature. Two torque rods from the engine bracket to the back axle give greater ', strength and * rigidity to the

(Conttnuod at foot of next column.)

whole frame. The machine, finished in black, relieved by the green tank, is one of the neatest designed ■ lightweights that has made its'appearance in Chrisiehurch. The .1925 ,Harley-Davidson is expected to arrive early next month, and according to specifications received Borne entirely Dew departures , may be expected. Most important of all,, especially to the "short fellow," is .the lower riding position, which will enable all riders to pot their feet flat'on the ground while astride the machine. Another point of interest ig the tank, which, without being unsightly, is capable of holding A gallons of petroL Much larger tyres are : fitted, and majuT other features which will increase the comfort of'motor-cycling. •