INSPECTING BRAKES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21880, 16 August 1934, Page 18

INSPECTING BRAKES

CHECK STARTS ON MONDAY RESULT OF LI.GHTS CAMPAIGN The! inspection of motor-car brakes in the city and suburbs will be undertaken by traffic officers for a period of about a fortnight, commencing on Monday. Suburban local authorities are co-oper-ating with the traffic department of the Auckland City Council in the matter. The campaign against badly-adjusted and focussed headlights conducted last week met with considerable success, and it is expected the checking of brakes also will result in greater safety on the roads. In recent weeks motorists have been paying attention to the brakes of their cars, and many who would otherwise have unwisely postponed having the brakes relined have had that necessary work carried out. The procedure to be followed in the inspection of brakes will be similar to that adopted for the check on headlights. If motorists are able to show that their brakes have been recently tested and found to be in good order they will not have to submit to an actual test. In cases where doubt arises, however, the efficiency of the brakes will be tested by traffic inspectors.

A proportion of the vehicles inspected in the headlight campaign were found to have their lights out of adjustment and focus, but for the most part drivers had heeded the warning that the inspection was to be carried out,, and had had any faults remedied.

TWO-STROKE WITH SIDE-OAR Although the idea of fitting a sidecar to a 250 c.c. two-stroke motor-cycle would have seemed fantastic a year or two ago, the latest Coventry-Eagle of this capacity makes light of the task. In a road test this week this lightweight combination had not the slightest difficulty in carrying a heavy passenger and gave a convincing demonstration of its capabilities. The total weight of the machine and sidecar, with rider and passenger, was over 6cwt., or nearly one-third of a ton, but even with this heavy weight the 230 c.c. motor successfully negotiated the Kitchener Street rise, one of the steepest inclines in the city.

A pleasing feature of this outfit is its ability to travel smoothly in top gear at as low a speed as 10 miles an hour and to pick up from that rate to a surprisingly high speed. The brakes are most efficient and bring the machine to a standstill quickly and without any "grabbing" tendency. Without being in any way freakish, the cycle itself possesses many splendid points, including a pressed-steel frame, a luxurious saddle, sensible leg-shields and mudguards which are well valanced. fhe rear wheel being semi-enclosed. The 250 e.c. Villiers two-stroke engine is mounted on the same platform as the gearbox, and the primary chain is encased in an aluminium oil-bath. A solo machine has been tested to give a maximum speed of .52 miles an hour in top and 40 miles an hour in second. It climbed really stiff main road gradients at 40-45 miles an hour and petrol consumption on a lengthy trial worked out at almost exactly 90 miles a gallon, lubrication being on the "petroil" system, with half a pint of oil to each gallon of petrol. Summed up, this 250 c.c. Coventry-Eagle represents splendid value for a utility macliino

MOTOR-CYCLISTS' OUTING A most successful outing for motorcyclists was conducted last Sunday to Eamarama by the Waitemata MotorCycle Club. It was organised by Mr. E. S. Brookes, the club captain for the day being Mr. K. Parnell. There was an attendance of 24 and a most enjoyable day was spent. A moving picture was made of various aspects of the trip by Mr. A. R. Carmichael. Results of the programme of events are:—

Acceleration Test, 100 yds.—M. Melhuish (Velocette), 1: C. Buchanan (Royal Enfield), 2. Slow race, 75.vds: J. Castello (Coventry-Eagle), 1. Retrieving competition: H. J. Stewart (490 c.c. Norton), 1; K. Parnell (225 c.c. Royal Enfield), 2. Bending competition: 13. Strickett (148 c.c. Royal Enfield), 1. Mile Race, three laps over triangular course.-—C. Buchanan, scr, 1; K. Parnell, 75yds, 2; E. S. Brookes, 50yds, and H. Falls, 10yds, equal, 3. The finish was very close, only 10 yards separating the four placed riders.

ATJTO-OYCLE UNION EVENT A four-day trial will be held in the North Island by the New Zealand Auto-Cycle Union next Easter. Riders will leave Napier on Good Friday, travelling to Auckland by way of Gisborne and Opotiki. The next day the route will be to New Plymouth and the following day the destination will be Wellington. On Easter Monday the motor-cyclists will return via the east coast to Napier, where the trial will conclude with a specified number of laps round a race track. Handsome prizes will be awarded and all those who finish will be given an Auto-Cycle Union certificate. DRIVING NEW CARS In an American journal, the point is raised that it would be interesting to know how many of the 24,000,000 car owners in the United States have actually driven a 1934 model car. how many have actually driven a 1933 car, and how many even a 1932 model, ff this applies there, where it is popularly supposed that cars change hands quickly, how much truer still might it not be of motorists in New Zealand ? One firm in the United States made the experiment of offering to selected owners new cars for several days' trial Without pressing them to buy, an enterprise which resulted? in immediate sales to about .4 per cent of those who accepted /the offer, without a formal demonstration in any case.