BROADSIDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21086, 21 January 1932, Page 13

BROADSIDING.

SPECTACULAR RIDING. FAST TIMES RECORDED. Track records were again broken at Western Springs Stadium last Monday evening, -when N. Key, the popular English cinder track exponent won the semifinal of the "special nine" in lm. 18s., this being 3-ss, better than Farndon's fastest time. Ray Tauser proved himself as a rider above the ordinary by defeating Key in a special match race, but he was outclassed when Key and Frogley, riding as a team, defeated him in the final race of the evening. Duckett met his match in Cairns, whose performance was particularly creditable. Perkins was again included in the programme. In his first race he slid to a standstill within 200 yds. of the start. In event nine he stopped after a couple of laps, but when, owing to a series of mishaps all the other riders bad come to a standstill, his machine was restarted and developed sufficient speed to enable him to hold Tauser in the straights. Later in the evening, Perkins' riding was little faster than that of the 20-yard men. Goldberg again showed improved form, and is rapidly developing championship form. A. Mattson proved himself equal to Frogley, defeating the shrewd Englishman in a special match race. Unfortunately, in the next event, Mattson's fast maciiine was damaged, and he was forced to compote afterwards on a somewhat slower motor. Frogley makes an admirable team mate for Key. He is not r.nlr an accomplished rider, but uses his head and wins races not, only by superior speed, but by superior generalship. Local Riders' Form. Of the local riders. Sheppherd iras -wild, and although he pleased spectators by his spectacular falls, the danger to ether competitors should be considered. The B grade championship was won by J. <V>imack, whose victory was due to superior tactics, which in both his heat and final enabled him to pass the leading man on the last, corner. Silich -was unlucky to have fallen in the final, as he was certain to have made a good show-

This week's racing should provide ;inoth ci r evening's good sport. Tauser is to be paired with probably Mattson, it being ciearlv proved at Monday's racing that, one man alone has practically no chance of winning if competing against two experienced riders paired as a team. This will be Tanser's last appearance in New Zealand. He will be followed next week by Vic Huxley, who, in 1950, won :he world's cinder track championship in England, and at the same event last season was runner-up. Reduced admission charges are announced, commencing Ibis week. LIFE OF SPEEDWAY ENGIBES. The average rider considers himself illused if be nnds it necSssarv to make any replacements in a new engine within the first twelve months. The position with cinder track riders is altogether different, replacement paxts being essential sometimes everv week. A meciianic who is responsible for the upkeep of a number of speedwav engines recently stated tbat in some cases an engine may require such new parts as valves, and tappet guides after "every meeting. This factor depends not. upon the engine, but the rider. One man will take the utmost care to avoid the cinder-wash of the man in front on bends; to another rider it does not occur that " getting filled'* is probably doing untold damage to bis engine. Again, while one rider will at all times use his throttle with sympathy and intelligence, another man will slam it open indiscriminately. perhaps with the engine stone cold; piston rings frequently break through such treatment. Then there is the wild man who may just as soon fall of? as do something brilliant: if be falls, ten to one it is with the throttle wide open, which, with the super high-com-pression used, gives the valves more than a chance of hitting the piston. RECORD-BREAXING CONTRASTS. The very "special" nature of recordbreaking, "air, marine, and automobile ensrines, emphasised lately by the report that the engine in the record-breaking Schneider 'plane was "guaranteed for on© tour* on! v. is sTin.fp COHtXJLSti to the comparatively standard nature of motor-cycle record-breakers, which are not even abnormal in respect of. capacity. UNIT CONSTRUCTION. Verv few riders can honestly say that their 'primary chain transmission never gives them cause for showing annoyance. Chain adjustment is one of those routine jobs which cannot be neglected for long unless the owner is content to put up with a snatchy drive and the irritating rattle of the chain against the_ case, or. before long, to have to replace both chain, and spockets. On some machines the job is a comparatively easy one; on a large number of others it is very much the reverse.

A remedy that lies with the manufacturer is to make his engine and gear bos a unit, and to run the chain _in _ an oil-bath case. By this means the principal factors "which cause chain-stretch and wear—inadequate lubrication, exposure to dirt and water, and malalignment of sprockets doe to frame-whip—are ruled out at one stroke. Further, if he embodies some form of constant-tension device, chain adjustment and maintenance can be almost entirely forgotten. _ It is considered in expert circles that it is only a matter of time before the unit construction system, either with chain or gear drive, becomes universal. CASE OF BACK EXJBS. One is inclined to forget about- the back wheel until a tyre has to be changed, and in these days, when they last so long, that mav very well be at six-month or even twelve-month intervals. Take a spanner at the next oportunpity and run uver the various nuts and bolts that are to be found around the rear hub. It may well prove to be time well spent, for itis nearly always slackness rather than weakness that causes sprocket and brakedrain bolts to shear.