Cycling and Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 56

Cycling and Motor Notes

WV DEMON.

Messrs Cooke, Howlison, and Co. landed, ox Pakeha, 12 Buick oars. The >hipment included live four-seater 20 h.p. jars, five two-seaters of 20 h.p., one 16 h.p. {wo-eeater, and one 20 h.p. chassis. The our-seaters are all sold and three twoleaters. The two-seaters are finished in >lack, with grey panejs, and tho four)aators in black, lined with blue. Mr T. R. Fisher, manager of the Standard Insurance Company, who has just toturned from a holiday trip to oio Homo Sounfcry. nss brought back with him a ft-20 Renault laadauJefcto. Tho oar has a

completely covered-in carriage compartment for passengers, which allows of plenty of space. Tne car on an emergency should be able to carry some eight or nine people. Coming through from Balclutha per motor cycle one day last week I could not help noticing the utter disregard shown for the motor cyclist by horsemen met with. The average motor cyclist generally keeps on the correct side of the road, but the average horseman seems to have a. liking for the wrong side, and shows very little inclination to get over to his Tight side to make way for the passing cyclist. Of course, should an accident occur through the non-observance of the rules of the read the atempt is usually made to lay the blame on the motor cyclist—it is hardly ever the horseman w'ho is to blame. The same thing—happily now a memory of the past —used to occur in the early days of the push cyclist.

—— While in Balclutha the other evening I had an illustration of the present shortness of petrol. I took my motor evelo to the southern town by train., intending to ride back the following day, and having emptied the petrol tank at Dunedin I called in at Messrs Marshall and Summers's to get it refilled before starting. However, til© firm were not anxious to part wtih even this small quantity. Mr Summers,

however, recognised my difficulty, and kindly gave me a supply, and in return I promised to try to get a tin or two in Duncdin to send him at once. I take this opportunity of informing that gentleman that although I have tried in several places to get some petrol to fulfil my promise I have not been able to secure even one tin. , Mr W. Trembath, of Oore, has purchased from the Messrs Wimpenny a 15.9 \uloan car. Mr John Ewen, of Sargood, Son, and Ewen, has likewise secured a 15.9 two-seater Vuloan. Mrs Wm. Aitchison, of Kaitangata, has purchased from the'same firm a-50 h.p. Overland Model 59 car. Mr W. Mundell, of Evans Flat, has also gone in for an Overland of 45 h.p. I should like to draw the attention of users of b'he south road to a very bad Diece of metalling on the south side of the Taiori bridge. The whole approach to the bridge for a distance of about six yards is heavily metalled, and anyone coming in on a dark night might have some difficulty in "winning through," as it were. The writer himself, in broad daylight, just missed colliding with the bridge after struggling- through tho metal. An interesting experiment in wireless telegraphy has just been carried out by an American cyclist named J. Wolff, who has been endeavouring to develop a system that can be used successfully on a bicycle. He. succeeded in maintaining communication between his own machine and that of an associate 3j[ miles away. This communication was obtained without a ground contact, for it was found that the rubber tyres insulated tho apparatus completely from the earth. The assistant rode ahead, sending messages as he,went, whilst the receiver managed to keep in constant touch with him. The messages were flashed from a 10ft mast affixed to fc-he back of each machine, whilst the electric apparatus was carried on a small platform clumped on to the buck of tho. steering bundle. finds himself without matches when darkness overtakes him, and it is necessary to light the lamps. If tho motorist be in the country, he usually has a long wait by the roadside until a traveller passes who can supply him with a lights According to the Sun, a Sydney motorist found himself in this dilemma a short time ago. Being quick-witted, he had not waited long before lie endeavoured to think of a pHan by which the difficulty could be overcome. After much thought, the following solution presented itself, and was successfully put into operation. One of the sparking plugs was disconnected, and a piece of cotton-waste tied to a stick with a piece of string. The waste was saturated with pet.rol,. and the starting handle turned until the plug sparked. This ignited the petrolsoaked cotton-waste, and the torch was then applied to the lights. When a knocking sound is heard from below the bonnet of a car, and it cannot be ascribed to loose connecting-rod bearings, several other possible causes may be looked into. The staybolts of tho magneto may have become loose, in which case the magneto is likely to rock on its bracket and produce the sound of knocking. A tooth in the camshaft cearing mav have been broken. The fan belt may strike -p-mii-' <-ne of the fan blades. The bonnet itself may be loose, and knock against its support or against the radiator. An exhaust pipe joint may be loose, and the exhaust will then regularly produce «. sound simila.r to that of a crank-shaft knock. The joint of an inlet pipe may be loose, causing too much air to enter the cylinder affected, and this will cause a knocking sound, oven if the connecting rod bearings are tight. Dunne the past two years there has been a rapid increase in exnorts of automobiles from the United States. Comment inz on the growing export trade", a writer in an American motoring journal states:--" This is in part due to the growing >«■« of automobiles throughout the world, and in part to the cheapness with which our huge factories can turn out cars. In 1908 the export of automobiles from France, tho United States, the United Kingdom. Germany, and Italy aggregated £9,000,000, and in 1910, but two years

later, it had grown to £15,000,000. In 1900 the value- of automobiles manufactured in the United States was £1,000,000, in ;j905 £6,000,000, and in 1909 £50,000,000. That the increased demand for automobiles in this country is being more and more supplied with machines of our own manufacture may be inferred from the fact that imports _have greatly decreased during a period in which production has grown from £1,000,000 to more than £50,000,000." Judging from the number of American cars on the market to-day, these figures can easily be credited. One firm alone—the Studebaker Corporation—which has been building rolling stock for 50 years, claims that during 1912 the factory will place on the road 50,000 motor-cars. Poor compression is often caused by badly-seated valves. The first thing to do after locating the cylinder in which the compression is unsatisfactory is to examine the valve-s to see if there is a little* space between the end of the valve stem and the push rod when the valve is closed. It should be possible to slide a thin sheet of paper between the end of the stem .and the tappet .when the valve is closed, and \vJien the motor is cold this space should amount to about the thickness of an ordinary business card. If the clearance between stem and tappet is found sufficient on both the inlet and exhaust valve-s, then mo3t likely it will be found necessary to remove the valvo, clean "the seating, and perhaps grind in the valve so that it will fit accurately. When a valve is found to be badly pitted, and considerable grinding is necessary to reseat it, care should be taken to afterwards readjust the valve stem clearance. ——lt is the fashion for the speed cyclist, to look somewhat disdainfully upon such aids to ease as the three-speed gear, but to the ordinary rider, who has neither the time nor the inclination to attain a degree of fitness equal to that of the racing man, variable gearing is a great boon. It may be taken as an axiom that the less efficient a man is physically, the greater will b'eVthe value of the changeablo gear. To the expert it may be regarded in the light of a luxury, but to the inexpert it more nearly approaches a necessity. It is irksome "for the untrained rider to pedal raoidlv, and the high gear enables him to avoid this, while maintaining a good pace. Similarly it is toilsome for him to clirqb steep hills, and here the low gear comes to his aid, reducing his labour and saving much breathless struggling with the law of gravity. There is neither mystery nor magic about the .ittle box of tricks that accomolishes these purposes. It is a simole mechanical contrivance that, aims at providing different methods of power application to suit different conditions. It adds nothing to a man s energy, because no mechanism can do that, but it utilises in°the most economical manner such energy as he possesses, and it is that attribute which apoeals to the average rider. The man who* regards cycling merely as an athletic sport may have no use for the variable gear, for here is sufficient flexibility in his trained limbs; but to the everv-day cvclist the variable gear is a boon, for it means easier cycling mouth and P. O'Neil, of Kokiri, have invented a non-nuncturable bicycle tvre for the protection and patent rights of which they have now made r!S- n ®°w 8 i! r - V , a PP licat !?n to the Patent Office. Wellington. Experts who have examined the tyre predict that it will prove a lucky venture for the inventors. AUXILIARY MOTOR T'.'-WER FOR BICYCLES A novel, form of auxiliary motor power for use with a bicycle if; being experimented with on the road in England. Tho attachment consists of a complete engine set bolted on to a framework extending from tho roar wheel spindle, and supported at it? further end by a 14in castor wheel. The stays to the back wheel provide for an up-and-dpwn motion of tho castor wheel to equalise road shocks. The engine used in the attachment is a h.p. J.A.P., and tho drive is communicated to the back wheel of the bicycle '>? means of a rubber-covered friction wheel

ccfcing on the tyre. The pressure is variable, and, according to the inventor, is most efficient, no slip being experienced on the muddiest roads. The tyre used on the machine was a Dunlop, 28in by lain, and the wear due to the friction from the rubbercovered pulley wheel is said to be negligible. The inventor has ridden the machine over £OO miles without a puncture or mechanical trouble, and ha» climbed steep without pedal assistance. The weight of the attachment is about 501 b. and it can be detached in about five minutes. The controls are operated by Bowden wires from the handlebar in tho usual manner. The outstanding advantage of the attachment is that an ordinary bicycle, however lightly built, can be converted into a motor cycle in a very few. minutes. It has this Superiority over the attachment that is placed within the frame—namely, that the engine can in no way weaken the frame. Further, it is a much more quickly detached lin case of failure or v if it is desired to propel the machine by human exertion a'one. Whether there is any future for the auxiliary motor wheel remains io be seen. Certainly it will have to be very light, efficient, and inexpensive to attract the average cyclist. "PLUGGER" BILL'S AMBITION. —Not to be Realised.— When "Pluggor" Bill Martin retired from the cycle track 12 years ago, with winnings which constituted a small fortune, it was thought that his career as an athlete was at an end (says a Sydney exchange). It probably was at an end then, although it is not the one-time great cyclist's fault that the last has been seen of him in the sporting world. He desired to become a boxer, and, whilo in Sydney, made a big effort to get matches at the Stadium, at the Australian light-weight limit—los-t. H. 1). M'lntoah, on being approached, " replied "No; too old." Sydney's boxing promoter knew that Martin was well on towards 40 when this great all-round rider was in his prime, and the best rider in Ausrcalia, so that it was no use the veteran of 52 sumI mors taking 20 years off and stating he was 32, which is the age he looks to-day. Martin enjoyed the reputation of being a very good boxer when racing on the wheel, and that he could use his hands was proved en a conple of occasions when spectators passed offensive remarks to him as he was encircling the track, and he jumped the fence and lost no time in inviting them to "put them up " But youth will bo served, and although Martin looks remarkably, well and looks 20 years younger than he is, he would • problably stand but little chance against the husky lightweights of to-day. Tho veteran was disappointed that he "ebuid not get into this fight game," and is convinced that h-3 is not too old. He declares, in -fact, that he isi "as young as he looks." I ' "Why not tackle the cycle-racing game again," suggested the writer. "I can't get my price, or I would," he declared, and ho added. "I have done such a lot of .cycleracing and training for that sport that I'm tired of it, and would want big money to race again, as it would mean a lot of work on the trairing trade." The writer asked what tho veteran oorisidered "big money/' which led to the reply, "Oh, I would not race unless I got £IOOO for the season,. It would not. pay me; I'm making too much ' money in New Zealand.'* "Plugger" Bill returns to New Zealand by to day's, boat, after having spent a pheasant few -weeks' holiday-making in Sydney, He still has a warm spot in his heart for Sydney, where he won many races, and specially visited (he Cricket Ground a few days ago to hav.- a look at the fine track there; which was the scene of many of his triumphs between 1895 and 1900. . Martin was a great rider He won the first sis-days' race held in America. Thin was a one man affair, and not a team race like the present six-days' race Martin was a long v\ay ft head of his rivals in that event. _4'hen he bumped his knee and injured it. It swelled to an enormous size, but he continued the race. Re was so far ahead that ho coulel rest for a couple of hours at a time and come out on to the track again when the nearest rider got within 20 miles of his score. Despite his bad knee, he won by 60 miles, and. only yesterday, in going over" tho race again with the writer, declared that, but for injuring las knee he "would havo won by a!>oufc 400 miles." This race was run on the old "ordinary" or high machines It was on tho present safety machine that Martin became famous, however. He was one of the finest riders the world over produced, and his name will always be a household word in the cycling world, not only in Australia, but in America and on the GemI tinent as well. ,