MOTOR-CYCLING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19838, 7 January 1928, Page 12 (Supplement)

MOTOR-CYCLING.

THE SPORTS CLUB. The Sports Motor-cycle Club will hold an outing tomorrow to Pigeon Mountain. This is a little known spot on the way to Buckland'a Beach and will afford a pleasant site for a social run. Members will meet at the Harp of Erin at 10 a.m. There will be no monthly meeting of the club in January. 24-HOUR TRIAL. The course for the 24-hour trial of the Sports Club is being selected with care in order to test riders as much as possible, but at the same time to fc h o event as interesting as possible. The club has catered for solo machines in the past and has not received much support in any side-car events which it has staged. Bow ever, in response to many requests, this trial is being organised for side-car riders. Competitors will leave the city at 3 P-ln-on Saturday, January 28, and after riding for 24 hours will finish back at the starting point at 3 p.m. on the 29th. BRILLIANT TEST.' The Norton test, conducted by the English Auto-cycle Union, was brilliantly concluded. Of the six 490 c.c. overheadvalve engines which were chosen at random by the - A-C.U. from the complete Norton" stock of over 50, each succeeded in covering the flying kilometre at Brooklands at over 80 mile 3 an hour without any preliminary tuning, and then one engine was used for a successful attempt on the double 12-hour world's record, and another, which was also selected by drawing lots, was fitted to a side-car, and the machine, with Mr. R. A. Prescott, the A.C.U. engineer in the side-car, was driven down to Land's End and then to John o' Groats. No trouble of any sorl occurred, except that at the start the sparking plug oiled up. BROOKLANDS RACING. Several important decisions were made at the Winter Congress of the Internationa] Federation (F.1.C.M.), held in London at the beginning of November. The one which most affects Great Britain is in regard to short distance flying-start records, for it was decided that, owing to the banking, there is the possibility of kilometre and mile flying-start records broken at Brooklands being of an artificial naturo The result of the decision is, of course, that Brooklands can no longer be used for attempts on kilometre and mile flying-start records. ACCESSORIES AND EQUIPMENT,

To the motor-cyclist certain accessories are well-nigh essential, since machines are still Bold to tho public unequipped for ordinary road use. Years ago the average motor-car was similarly unequipped, but with the waning of the sporting spirit in the car world buyers became less interested in the make of lamps, speedometers, and other necessities, and are now prepared to trust to the choice of the manufacturer. The motor-cyclist, however, is more critical, and he possesses greater technical knowledge as a basis for criticism. This is ons of the main reasons why motor-cycles are sold in their present incomplete state, and, although this critical aspect has made the motor-cycle movement and industry, manufacturers should attempt to bring about a greater degree of standardisation. Motor-cycle accessories, if they are to be satisfactory, have to be exceptionally well made and finished, for they are, as a rule, exposed to all weathers, and, in addition, they have to withstand such vibration as would cause the cheaply constructed part to disintegrate in a very few miles. JTOTE3. During the first nine months of last year, 360,000 motor vehicle licences were issued in Ontario. _ This is more than twice as many as in tho whole twelve months of 1921. In the main there is little change in carburetter design for 1928, although almost every manufacturer has added some small refinement in order to improvo the functioning of his instruments. J. Le Fanu holds Ireland's speed record for a 250 c.c. machine. At tho recent Athy meeting he attained a speed of 76.27 m.p.h, on a 246 c.c. New Imperial. The previous best speed was 75 m.p.h. Such efficiency in deceleration has been obtained with the modern internal expanding brake that it is not surprising to find that manufacturers of the proprietary articles have made no radical changes in their programmes for the coming year. A general improvement-in the design of steering dampers for 1928 is apparent. Many machines, of course, are fitted as standard with this accessory, but in the case of those which are not thus equipped riders should experience no difficulty in obtaining a proprietary fitting to meet their requirements.