NORTH SHORE INTERESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20288, 22 June 1929, Page 14 (Supplement)

NORTH SHORE INTERESTS.

SMOKE CONCERT. Motor-cyclists residing in the suburbs on the northern shores of the harbour are being effectively catered for by the North Shore Sports Motor-Cycle Club. Various runs and outings are hold during the year with sporting and novelty events to vary the. programme. On Thursday, June 27, o social gathering has been arranged and a smoke concert will bo held at JDevonport at 8 p.m. Local members will welcome as visitors members of other clubs.

AUCKLAND-WELLINGTON TRIAL. A*trip from Auckland to Wellington and back with a 147 c.c. Excelsior ultra-light-"weiglit was .completed this week. The rider, was Mr. J. Stewart, and the 1,092 miles wore covered at an average of 26 ni.p.h. The actual riding time was *4o| hours. Fuel and oil costs worked out at six miles for Id. ' POPULAR A.A. MOUNTS. Automobile,associations throughout the world are using motor-cycle and sidebox outfits' for giving service to members. These are found to bo very economical in operation and are very easily distinguished. B.S.A.'s are popular for this class cf work, and recently the Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain ordered 18 side-car outfits in one batch. Among .other automobile associations who use B.S.A. outfits aro 8.A.C., Victoria; R.A.C., South Africa; R.A.C., South Australia; A.A.A., Auckland; and tho W.A.C., Wellington. RECEPTION TO OVERSEAS VISITORS. On Thursday evening local riders of New Hudson motor-cycles attended a complimentary dinner, tendered by British Cycles, Ltd., to Mr. Austin IJarry, the English factory representative for Now Hudson products, who is visiting Auck land. In responding to a toast Mr. Harry •explained that in order for the factory to keep production up to previous years' figures it was necessary to pay extended visits to overseas countries, where trade was developing very rapidly, and after investigating conditions, to advise what modification, improvements or alterations in design were necessary to meet the wishes of all potential buyers. Mr. Harry, who is an experienced competition and Tourist Trophy Rider, in reply to a question, stated that he would be only too pleased to give any advice he could to riders of New Hudson machines, who contemplated entering their machines for races or general cempetition, and hill-climbing contests. During his stay Mr. Harry is co-Operating with Sir. F. W. Cave, th*c resident factory representative. DIRT TRACK RACING. Tho noiso which is inseparable from dirt track racing is the cause of serious objections .being lodged to many of the recently-constructed quarter-mile tracks in industrial centres in England. The same nuisance was the subject of complaint in Wellington last season, and it appears that tlie Mangere Speedway is ideally situated in..this respect. The district is sparsely settled and the circuit being in a basin the noiso practically does not travel beyond the speedway grounds. At the outset it was stated that fatal accidents. were unlikely, but recently at several English tracks, at the opening meetings of the present European season riders received injuries which ended fatally. It will also be remembered that L. Maughan, who suffered' a broken leg at, the first Wellington dirt track races, is still in hospital. The cinder sport is, therefore, not all that it appears on the surface, and the move of tho Auckland Speedway Company in" training its riders and then allowing only those who are expert to rdce at night meetings is a very wise one, and should tend toward safety. AUSTRIAN T.T. RACE. The Royal Hungarian Automobile Club recently held their Tourist Trophy over a hilly course near Buda Pest. Only one class was won by a British rider, the 350 c.c., in which G. Himing secured first place astride a Zenith. In tho 250 and 500 c.c. classes D.K.W. riders secured honours. These races are not usually seriously contested by British manufacturers. SIX DAYS' TRIAL. The Scotland Six Days' Trial was this year conducted under severe conditions which, it is 'claimed, were sufficiently difficult to have warranted a heavy loss of points. The fact, however, that 49 per cent, of the entry gained first-class awards is a most excellent result and a wonderful testimonial to the reliability of the modern motor-cycle. SENIOR T.T. Thfs year's senior T.T. was won at a faster speed than last year, when unfavourable weather conditions reduced the times considerably. The winner, C. Dobson, finished with the comfortable margin of five minutes, the third man being another minute behind. Dobson, who , won last year's race also, on a Sunbeam, established a record average speed of 72,05 m.p.h. This compares very favourably with his 1927 performance, at 62.98 m.p.h., and is higher than A. Bennett's (Norton) win in 1927, at 68.41 m.p.h. The plucings were:— O. Dobson (Sunbeam) 3h 39m 59a .. 1 A. Bennett (Sunbeam) 3h 44m 47s .. 2 11. Tyrcll-Smith (iiudse-Wlntworth) 3li 45m 37s . . . . .. .. 3 • NOTES. The Sports Motor-Cycle Club will hold a run to Beachlands next week-end. Tho annual subscription of the Sports Motor-Cycle Club has been fixed for the 1929-30 year at 6s. In last week's Senior T.T. race a 250 c.c. O.K. Supremo was pitted against the higher-powered mounts. Several of the light-weight T.T. engines are reported to have been " revving" at 6800 r.p.m. in last week's races. In the 1929 Tour of France, n reliability trial recently revived, only 55 competitors finished, and of theso 39 were motor-, cyclists. ■' - • ' Engines: Tho 1929 \ T.T. showed sev-eral-'improvements which were, however, not very noticeable to the eye when casting a hasty glance over the exterior. The development of extra power without sacrificing reliability were responsible for tho principal modifications.;