MOTORING NOTES

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 4577, 1 May 1922, Page 4

MOTORING NOTES

NOTES FOR MOTOR CYCLISTS. Correct side-car alignment is very essential if the best sorvico is to be obtained from tho machine,. Four points worthy of note are: 1. Tho machine must be vertical or inclined slightly outwards. 2. The side-car wheel must be vortical . 3. Tho side-car axle should be level with the rear wheel axle or slightly iu advanco 'oi it.. 4. The side-car wheel should be parallel with the motor-cycle. Loose chains not only cause excessive noise and uneven riding, but wear themselves and sprockets mi-, duly. Rubber belts should be kept free from oil and grease, and care -should be taken that dirt does not collect in. the. bottom of the pulley. Causes of failuro to the ignition may bo due, generally speaking, to either the sparking plug, the magneto, or tho high tension cable. Of these tho plug is the most frequent, and tho cable tho least, cause of the trouble.

SOME SPARKS. Practically no foreign automobiles are being imported into Garmany. Avoid sudden 3tops, quick starts, jerk's and skidding. They are hard on springs and tyres. Boiled linseed oil is good for removing spots from varnish and for polishing the body of the car. Tho Automobile Club of America is insuring its 25,000 members for £3OO / each in case of accidental death or' serious accident. Because of automobilo stealing, a large American insurance company is said to have lost £400,000 in payment last year of cars insured against theft. Losses during 1920 amounted to £200.000. The trend in automobile manufacture among the higher grade motor cars is towards simplicity in mechanical operation. Working along these lines, an American firm has produced A touch of the button on the instrument board starts the car. From the official organ of the South African motor trade, the M.T.A. Bui-, letin, comes the following brief butexpressive epitaph:— •'Down in the creek Sleeps Jerryl Bass; The bridge was narrow, He tried to pass.''

An interesting motor cycle contest is to be held in Franco next month, when a 24 hours raco, open to solo and sidecar outfits, will bo decided on a 3i miles road circuit near Paris. Some big mileago should be recorded for the all day run. One of the most ctriking features of aeroplane construction during recent years, has been the big increase in horsepower of the engine. In the early stages of aviation 30 to 50 h.p. was the usual equipment; to-day the power units develop hundreds of H.P. The latest in this direction is a 1000 h.p. petrol engine being made by the Napier Co., England. This engine wil lonly weight 22001b5—2 l-51b of metal per h.p., and will bo used in an aeroplane built for the English war authorities. Despite the fact that two litres has been adopted as the maximum engine capacity by the French and American authorities for this year's Grand Prix and Indianapolis races, it looks as if the "staraight eight" engine will again be selected by tho leading makers for these events. Notwithstanding, the fact that a particularly small bore and stroke will only bo available with an eight cylinder engine under, the now size limitations.

Arrangements are now being made by the well-known N.S.W. motorist, Mr Boyd Edkins for an early attempt on the Brisbane-Sydney motor car record. The existing record for this Inter-State run is Mr F. Eager's 19hrs. 38 mins. 30socs.. a particularly fine performance considering the nature of this 621 miles route. Whilst tho holder of the record selected the run from Sydney to Brisbane, Mr Edkins, who will drive one of the latest 30-98 h.p. Vauxhalls, shod with Dunlops, will tackle the stiff proposition from the Brisbane end.