MOTORING NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17380, 31 January 1920, Page 6 (Supplement)

MOTORING NOTES.

)' ..:;.• A BMmwsmaof booses. ;'. . . Keying draaghfes away';'from- the pas . tengrsa .cl the back seats of cars is neve ;;. .'easy, of *ccon:plirJbirient| but V Binning •ft;S ;! \ r■■ hsra ■ firm has .■ produced 'a screen which i , / - claimed io s«i»mplirh. ''this parpose van effectively. This screen consists of a widi central pane of glass contained in a ligh ori dirk mahogany, waiiut, or • ebooieec wood frame. : At each side is a subsidiary wood: frasie, with glass/ hinged 5 to? th main screen;and fitted with adjustabl :;T.V jointsi s> that these side wings can be lie &%■'''•; afc aay dfsired angle Vor folded inward if parallel with : the j main?glass .when. it i T' " desired -to/abut I the" screen, op. -By thi rflF: means it is to ride in the bad : seats of a fast ca.'/ perfect comfort &v:,-.. - and latliw in particular will welcome thi «4" K screen, : , .■• . ,;.'.*? .-.!••....•".••.,-■;,.,. ■ ELEOTEIO LIGHTS ON CYCLES. jl-- • . There is every promise that Befor* ver ' ' , long elertria,,ligntnig,wll be as general oi motor-cycles '&8 it is on present-day can } \ ':'-. Thero hasjpeotty been - designed a com ■ . hined ignition' and light unit which being practically the same size as a con T«ntonal magneto, is |articuhrly suit able to solo machines of even the sraallce vv ■. . type.' There are v other*,. including on ra - which .will sell at a- figure in tha neigh | #«■ bonrhood of Jis, and another, with lamp y% and a«anaul?,'tc(r ccaiplete, for about M »';. : .v'.' "10a. Only ihose who have used an efficien I •■;;■.■ <: dynamo lighting set on a motor-cycle 4 cai \;,v> ■} appreciate its great convenience am ■< cleanliness. At the present-tune, then j'. ■are many riders who look askance at elec J '-■';■ ■ trical eqaipaient, especially when it' i combined with the ignition, but little neei -~ vbe feared on the •score of unreliability , especially with some of the later systemi whiih do net depend on ,the. storage bat teries for thei.*-efficiency/,. AUTMOBttE WHEELS. Wheels at present in use may be di Tided into four major classes: wood, wire disc, and steel spoke wheels. , The lattei type is practically confined to motortruck construction. The predominating type of wheel is the wood wheel, made of second-growth American hickory. There is no real cause of complaint againsl this type <>f wheel, although many aca demic flaws are picked in ft by experts who favocr other types. Reports thai them would shortly be a shortage oi secoud-gropth hickory appear to be unfounded, «nd it is scarcely likely that any other typ« of wheel will oust the wooden wheel from its position of pre-eminence in the American motor-car industry. Next in popularity to wooden wheeln comes the wire typj. Li Europe, where no secondgrowth i ickory was available and no other wood effluent for wheel construction at hand, wire wheels became standard, and fit; J are As a matter of fact, the modern wire wheel has certain undoubted points ,<>! superiority over its wood rival. The wire wheel is somewhat stronger in resisting shocks than even the best wood wheel, The latter, too, it is claimed, with continual .mice, becomes somewhat distorted, a condition that increases tyre wear, '(he wire wheel, supported at the run by a greater number of spokes, it not liable to this distortion trouble. ' A further advantage claimed for the win wheel is that tin metal more easily d|«j. pates the heat engendered by running. Wood is a poor heat conductor, and gtee is an excellent one. The wire wheel never ?ives annoyance by developing squeaks The tendency towurd covering the wire wheel with steel discs is of comparative)v recent, origin. The disc wheel is consid ered a distinct addition to the appearand of the car, and it serves to keep the whee' beneath from dirt and rust. Franco and England are using the steel spoke wheel%'v for passenger car service, and they ait *% ' giving excellent results. They are ever 'M4S lighter than wood, and stronger, and thvii & heat-radiating qualities are better. It ii j. '; not impossible that the steel spoke, whee , . msy b» the typo of the future. Ik' ' Mi