Cycling and Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3033, 1 May 1912, Page 34

Cycling and Motor Notes

BY BEHTON.

Meesns Cooke, Howlison, and Co. ; landed last week a 30 h. p. Buick, nicely j finished in black and grey. This car will probably bo on view at tho forthcoming j Winter Show. j Dr Billie, Naseby, was in Dunedin i last week with his 20 h.p. Buick. Ho : speaks very highly of tho reliability and I power of his car. | Owing to tho largo demand for Bosch 1 magnetos on Ford motor cars, tho Boech i Co. have standardised a set of fittings, which

enables a private owner to easily fit th© magneto to the car. Dr Barrie, Port Chalmers, put up a particularly meritorious performance with his 8 h.p. Rover recently. From Dunedin ho went to Timaru, from Timaru to th© Hermitage, Mount Cook, then through Omarama and Hindis Pass to Pembroke, returning via Cromwell and Naeeby._ Th© cars used for the tourist, traffic on this run are usually specially designed, the magneto being fitted on top of th© engine.

the new 12-16 Rover, 75 x 130 m.m., fitted with standard gear, was recently driven up the Brook land test hill with seven passengers. The car was stopped and restarted on the steepest part of tho hill. The appended list gives the number of points awarded the contestants in the motor cycle petrol consumption tests held under the ausnices of the Southland Motor Association last Wednesday. Although the figures for petrol, weight of riders, are not available, it has been announced that the performances of both tho B.S.A. and King Dick machines in the trade class wore really remarkable ones. The points awarded by tho officials were as follow:

—Amateurs.Hay (Triumph). 17g points. Compton (Triumph), 17 9-102 points. Cowan (Douglas), 14 60-83 points. Small (8.5. A.). 14 IC-39 points. Taylor (King Dick), 8 71-100 points. Nicholson (Triumph), 8 9-35 points. —Trade Riders.— Davis (8.5. A.), 21 5-7 points. Wall (King Dick), 18 5-7 points. Prentice (B.S.A ), 17 8-47 points. Gray (8.5. A.). 16 74-97 points. Jackson (Triumph), 15 26-27 points. Stewart (Rover), 12 1-10 points. Aldridge (Douglas), 11 83-101 points. Merrie (Douglas), 11 7-26 points. Campbell (Douglas), 10 98-119 points. Tho results of the car contest have not yet been made up officially. Some remarkable times were recently established on the Dos Angeles track, California during a motor cycle match between tho American champion, J. M. Rosier, and W. 13. Hosha. The following wore t-mes recorded: —One mile, 39 3-ssec; two miles, Imin 19 2-ssec; three miles, 2min 1 3-Bsec; and four miles in 2min 40 3-sseo—ail new records! Tho U.B. War Department has just ordered throe standard Wright aeroplanes, with minimum speed of 45 miles per hour, one high-speed Wright biplane, with a minimum speed of 65 miles per hour, and a Burge-s-Wright aeroplane, with a minimum speed of 45 miles nor hour The total number of private motor cars in Franco at the end of 1911 was 64,157, of which 14,092 were two-seated “Wore you at the chauffeur’s dinner?” “Yes; it was great. They had tho table laid to look like an automobile.” “Really ” “Yes; and to raako it look more realistic a lot of tho chauffeurs were under the table.” Once again Mr M’Konna, as Home Secretary, has reiterated the formula that since the perfect splash guard has not been invented the Government cannot see its way to make tho preventjon of mud-splash-ing by motor ’buses obligatory. The silver tankard given by the R.A.C. for tho best performance by a British car in the winter reliability trials of the R.A.C. of Sweden has been awarded to Mr Hjalrnar Kjellgren, on a 20 h.p. Vauxhall. This car was the first one to arrive at the finish, and the difference between its actual driving time and the acfual winner of the Gothenburg Cup was only a few seconds, agreement with a time

schedule being the basis of the award. The distance was 1016 kilometres. The French Grand Prix Race is to be held on the Dieppe circuit on June 25 and June 26 next, and several British cars are entered for the contest. The draw has not altogether favoured the English competitors, who seem to be been drawn in pairs. The first English car to start will be the third Sunbeam, which starts third. None of the “first strings” have fared well in the draw, the Singer and Oalthorpe being the first of these at 25 and 26' respectively. Before these, Calthorpe 111 at 14, Sunbeam IV and II at 16 a.nd 17 start. Later the Arrol-Johnston 111 No. 28—Vauxhall I—No. 53 —Arrol-John-ston lI—No. 36—Singer II —No. 39 —Calthorpe lI—No. 43- -Vauxhall II — 51 — Sunbeam I—No. 52—Vauxhall lII—No. 54 —and Arrol-Johnston I —No. 55 —will start. There are 58 entrants, so that the English entrants cannot be accused of any luck in the draw.

That great care should be taken when petrol is used for cleaning purposes (says the Autocar) was evidenced by an accident which occurred recently at Tiverton (Eng.). A garage workman at the close of the day nut his greasy overalls into a bucket and poured over them a small quantity of petrol for the purpose of cleaning them, and took them home. Here he poured over them some boiling water, and the petrol fumes, dispersing with the steam, became ignited by u candle which ivas standing in a window near by, although the candle was Inside, while the operation wa-s being performed outside the house. The man was severely burned, and would no doubt have lost his life but for the presence of mind shown by his younger brother, a boy of 13, who extinguished the flames by smothering them with his own coat.

Someth’ng of a sensation was caused during the last Paris Salon by the seizure at the instigation of Messrs Knight and Kilbourne, on the ground of infringement of patent rights, of a single sleeve-valve engine exhibited by Messrs Rolland-Pilain. The sequel was a patent action, which came to trial at Tours a fortnight ago. The verdict of th e court was entirely in favour of Messrs Rolland-Pilain, who was awarded £2400 damages and costs. The Knight patents wore held to fail on the grounds of non-exploitation in France and lack of novelty. An appeal has been lodged. In connection with this the Daimler Company point out that the French action in no way affects the legal position of the Knight patents in England. ——- A device for the 'ighting of motor lamps from the magneto has just been marketed in America. It is said to be cheap, simple, and effective, and can be at(ached by anyone While it doubtless is true that the inherent laziness of man has had something to do with the development of the automatic lighter for acetylene lamps on motor cars, there really are better reasons for its existence. It, is not mere laziness that makes a man dislike to splash out in front of his car in the mud to light the lamps; it is not indolence that makes him averse to undertaking the task of lighting up in the pouring rain, or in a rollicking wind that blows out the match just before it can ignite th e gas, or in weather that benumbs his bare hands, and it is not slothfuiness that leads him to go without matches and run the risk of being arrested tor running without lights after sundown. On the contrary, the automobile lighter, like the motor starter, comes very near to being a necessity, and doubtless will bo so considered after its novelty has worn off. The simpler and cheaper such a device can be made the nearer it will come to entering the class of necessities of motoring. The growth of motoring and the increasing numbers of automobiles in the streets have had the effect cf calling into existence such bodies as the “Pedestrians’ Protection Society’’ and the “Highway Safety League,’’ as well as others. A re-cently-formed association in Boston has issued a “call to arms,” which reads: “The makers and users of automobiles are well organised, and well provided with resources. We fear they are often inclined, more than they are aware of, to the arrogant use of these powers. We must organise also if wo arc to overcome the abnormal influence of a powerful moneyed interest with those who make and those who administer the law.” It is also stated that when appeals to the human kindness of automobile drivers fail they should be treated as criminals! Between the inauguration and the first public meeting cf one of these societies a few weeks lapsed, and in the interval one of the prime movers himself succumbed to the charms and advantages of the motor. His letter to the chairman of the opening meeting, explaining his falling away from grace,’was a naive composition. “Let me toll you,” ho said, inter alia, 4 that you arc on the wrong track. Neither the cars ror the drivers are so dangerous as you suspect. And if you want any proof, take a drive in a motor car. and you will learn something of this big movement. To know onlv one side of a question is to know very little of that (side.)”

Tho extent and steady expansion of tho automobile industry in the United States is amazing. Detroit, tho hub of motor manufacture, is described as the American Coventry, hut on a much larger scale. There is vo indication that trade has reach-id flood tide; on tho contrary manufacturers are all talking of enlarging their plants, and new motor factories are being started every month. In referring to the number of cars to bo produced this year, no one talks in hundreds, but in thousands, and in several instances in tens of thousands —in fact, one firm hopes to turn out no fewer than 70,000 cars in 1912. There is nothing in Groat Britain or on the Continent u> compare with the extraordinary manner in which the cars in the larger American factories are assembled and put through tho factory. In tho course of the day a car can bo followed through its various stages of manufacture, and put on rough and until it is finished, and put on to the railway trucks waiting. As rnanv os 300 ears per day have been turned out complete from one factory, and for some weeks in succession.

Trouble from failure of brakes, or even to their comparative inefficiency at times, may be traced not exactly to carelessness but rather to thoughtlessness. In a letter recently received, a motorist, .» referring to brake trouble, said that he never had thought to oil the .springs of the brakes, but was otherwise careful as to lubrication. The ’ brakes appeared to bo working satisfactorily until, on a hilly road, lie had occasion to brake rather excessive!vThe result wsn that one of the springs snapped and the shoo seized hard on the drum. Fortunately, the mishap occurred near where aid was obtainable, and an examination revealed the spring to be eaten

awuy by corrosion to such an extent that U was remarkable it had not broken before. Motoring has caught on among the wealthier Maoris, and ouo Wairarapa Native, who already possesses three oars, is contemplating the purchase of a fourth of the latest type. i • cerll hcutos for flying now number 600, including eight granted to women.

SPEED OE AUTOMOBILES. W hat is the limit of speed to be attained by the automobile, and when will that limit be readied ? Experts have endeavoured for years to answer this question, and each succeeding year has broug.nt forth a new f D j' V u r ’ Untl - 1 it; seem «d that the last word had been said; but again and again (writes an American correspondent) som© special speed creation has upset all the prophecies made as to speed limitations, until now the wise ones refuse to make predictions. It seemed that Barman, the world’s speed monarch, had about solved the problem when he reeled off a dizzy mile in 25.405ec on the Daytona Beach course; but now he makes the statement he will accomplish the spued of three miles in a minute this com'ng season.! It is highly probable that human endurance is the only regulator of the speed l which a motor car will attain for the mile or two-mile distance, but when the speed limit of a motor car for 500 miles comes up fdr discussion, another factor enters into consideration. In the last big 500-mile road race, held at Indianapolis, 40 big motor-speed marvels started out to cover the five-century distance in a contest with time and each other. Experts say that TO miles an hour for the ! ong grind would be wonderful speed quality, while others thought that 65 miles an hour would mark the limit. A few guessed that the winner might do 72 miles an hour, and one or two, who were said to be fanatics on the subject, estimated the average speed at 74 miles an hour. The 500 miles was covered in 6hr 42min S?ec. an average speed of 74.61 miles per hour Now comes another chance for the experts to prophecy what will happen when 30 big care start out again over the same course in the forthcoming annual race, which will decide just what, advance the motor car-makers have made as for as speed and endurance are concerned during the past 12 months. It is a remarkable fact that none of the entrants this year so far has failed to state his belief t.hat the average speed will bo better than 77 or 78 miles pear hour. MOTOR CYCLING. MELBOURNE, April 24. The Five-mile Amateur Motor Cycling Championship was won by Doudy in smin 25sec.