MOTOR-CYCLING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 14 (Supplement)

MOTOR-CYCLING.

THE SPORTS CLUB. BEACH AND TRACK RACES. The final beach races of the season will be held at Muriwai next week-end under tho auspices of the Sports, Motor-Cycle Club. A very comprehensive and attractive programme has been arranged, uiul given lino weather club members should enjoy a good day's sport. Entries will close on Wednesday next. To-day members of the club will compete at the motor races at Mangere. On Saturday, May 27, the club will itself conduct a motor-cycle race meeting at the speedway. BRITISH IMPORTS. Tho British motor-cycle export figures for January beat January's record total in 1928 by over £IOO,OOO. Tho actual figures are £380,602 compared with £280,465 for the corresponding month of 1928. Considering that the January, 1928, figure was itself £54,000 ahead of January, 1927, the position at the beginning of this year looks particularly bright for the British motor-cycle industry. WORLD'S RECORDS. Recently, during the speed races held at Edsviken, Sweden, Ivar Skeppstadt, riding a 348 c.c. F.N., broke the flying kilometro world record in tho 350 c.c. class, at 104.83 m.p.li. Tho previous record of 104.13 m.p.li. stood in the name of C. W. G. Laccy (346 Grindlay-Peer-less-Jap) who made it at Arpajon, France, on August 25, 1928. Also Edward Magner (980 Royal En-field-Jap sc.) broke the flying kilometre world record in tho 1000 c.c. sidecar class, at 110.60 m.p.li. C. F. Temple (996 0.E.C.-Temple sc.) made tlie previous record (104.12 m.p.li.) at Arpajon, France, on September 5, 1926. WONDERFUL VALUE. Fetter value for money than is offered in the 1929 range of motor-cycles there has never been. Even pre-war machine:! were more expensive than those produced to-aay, yet in completeness of specification and in performance the two are not comparable. Nor is tho quality of material used in any way inferior; the remarkable valuo now offered may be ascribed to (lie adoption of scientific production methods. GERMAN PRICES. A German motor-cycle trade journal has lately published a summary of tho prices of tho motor-cycles exhibited by 22 German manufacturers at the recent exhibition in Berlin. Tho prices ranged from £lB 5s for a 120 c.c. machine to £llO for one of 750 c.c. capacity. Prices of 200 c.c. machines range from £37 10s to £4B 155., those of 300 c.c. from £45 to £49 10s; of 350 c.c. machines from £54 9s to £7O; 500 c.c. - from £53 15s to £92 10s; 750 c.c. £75 to £llO, and 1000 c.c. from £77 10s to £Bl. ( DIRT TRACK RACING. The dirt track recently opened at Wellington is still attracting thousands of spectators weekly. Not only has the public been captivated, but riders are deserting the grass tracks in increasing numbers. Tho latest exponent to try his skill is Percy Coleman, the present recognised leading world's grass track rider. Astride a strange machine and on an unfamiliar surface ho was not an outstanding figure, but given time ho will probably soon master the art and will be in the position to contest honours with those riders who have risen to star positions at the speedway. It has been definitely arranged that Coleman will appear on the Auckland motor-cycle dirt track stadium when it is opened at the end of this year. SUPERCHARGING. Supercharging has been the subject of icsearch and experiment by a great many engineers, and although at present, attention has been focused mainly on mechanically operated blowers, yet there aro many points to bo made for automatic supercharging, utilising crankcasc compression. Research engineers, have been carrying out tosts of a patented dovicc known as the Tuckfield supercharger. The system of operation is extremely simple. As the piston rises air is drawn into tho crankcaso through non-return valves ot the disc type, and is then forced by the descending piston through a passage leading to a port cut in the cylinder wall. This port is so located that it is uncovered at bottom dead centre, when a charge of air is forced into the cvliuder. Tho extra fuel .necessary to maintain tho correct proportions is obtained by fitting a slightly larger jet in tho carburetter. Comparative brake tests taken with the supercharger in and out of action show a slight gaij in power output through the fitting of tho device, as well as an extension of the power curve to slightly higher r.p.rn. THE CARE OP THE MOTOR. The possessor of a new motor-cyclo is apt to follow either ono of two possible policies with regurd to its maintenance. In tho ono case he treats it with infinite care and respoct, both as regards its mechanical condition and appearance, devoting hours to " polishing and cleaning" operations, both external and intornal. In the other ho drives tho motor as hard as it will go for a season, giving it nothing beyonu strictly necessary mechanical attention, and unloads it at the end of the year to mako way for another new model. There aro plenty of men who tako pride in running rusty and battered mounts of a speed that belies their appearance; quite as many, possibly, as delight in keeping their machines spotless. Each school of thought can be defended in argument. Much depends, of course, on the circumstances of tho owner. There aro any nuu.ber of people who ride hard but simply have no timo to spare for looking after their enamel and plate, or the cash with winch to pay somebody else to do it for tlier.i. They assert that they like to buy r. no* machine every year and that in selling an old model very little more is to bo obtained for a smart machine than a shabby ono. Against this, for tho average person, care bestowed on the mount cortainly does pay. Motor-cycles, like horses, repay any attention bostowed upon thom A machine that is really well looked after will give good service indefinitely, and if one is buying " for keeps" maintenance should be thorough. NOTES. The number of motor-cycles registered in Holland is well over 19,000. i Riding a 976 Royal Enfield in tho Championship Ice Raco Meeting, run near Stockholm recently, a rider covered a mile at a mean speed of 111 m.p.li. It is estimated that tho output of motorcycles in Germany during !ast year amounted to about 140,000 machines, compared with 84,250 in 1926. This is an increase of 66 per cent. .