Cycling and Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3117, 10 December 1913, Page 56

Cycling and Motor Notes

SI DEMOS.

A petrol consumption tost is to be held by the Otago Motor Club on Saturday, December 13, the' route to be three times round the course selected—namely, from the Crown Holler Milk, Manor place, along the tramline, via l'orbuiy road, St. Clair, Fortuity Park, Queens' drive, Anderson's Bay road, back to the mills. The event is open to four classes of machines.

| After an extended business and pleasure trip through America, the Uirited Kingdom, and the Continent, Mr E. Edwards, managing director or the Continental Rubber Company, returned to Melbourne lust week. Although interested principally in the tyre-making industry, ho visited many of the motor manufactories on both . Continents, atul was genuinely surprised in one American mill to learn that no tower than 800 cars had been completed in the factory on the day of his i visit. Matters in the rubber world, ho said, j wore distinctly quiet, and he further advanced the opinion that there' would not 1 bo a very material rise in the price of ■ rubber for the next three years. Most em- ! phatically he declared that the coming ! passenger-carrying vehicle for city streets i is the motor-omnibus; there was evidence i of it in many parts of the Empire; and to invest more capital in laying expensive elec- ■ trie tram trucks is waste of money. The chief j necessity of the motor bus was fairly good j roads; and that is a matter we are all well agreed upon. j It is very strange why the long--stroke engine has not obtained more favour in the world of motor cycles. In the case of cars, tho short-stroke engine, or, at least, the “ square ” engine, has to all intents and purposes disappeared. It cannot be argued that tho sole reason for this in the case of cars is that cars arc rated for taxation purposes on the boro, the stroke not being considered. Undoubtedly this absurd system of taxation has had a very considerable say in the matter; but at the same time it is by no means the only reason for the predominance of the long-stroke engine in the car world. This is proved by tho fact that the great majority of specially-built racing cars are fitted with engines in which the stroke is considerably greater than tho bore, sometimes more than twice as great. There must therefore bo a reason for this itate of affairs. Some time ago there was a controversy in England concerning the respective merits of tho two types of engine. Mr Pomeroy, tho designer of the Vauxhal! car, took up the cudgels for the 90 x 140 m.m. engine, whilst Mr Coatalon, of Sunbeam car fame, entered tho ring to the merits of the 80 x 150 m.m. engine! Mr Coatalon stated in one sentence the greatest point in favour of the long-stroke engine when he said that ho would sooner save an ounce in the weight of the piston than ono hundredweight in any other part of the car. The remarkable performances of Sunbeam ears this years proved, at all events, as far as cars are concerned, that Mr Coatulon’s reasoning is correct. Crossing the Mediterranean by aeroplane is a big feat. It was recently successfully undertaken by Mons. Roland Garros. The distance from the starting point—viz., the French Riviera to Bizerta, in Turis, where he landed—was 500 miles. This is the longest flight yet accomplished over the sea. Edison’s opinions are always worthy of consideration. One of his latest prognostications is that within 10 years cement roads for motor cars will ho universal in America. Tho opinion among exports is ,jiow general that no macadam road, whether tar-bound or otherwise, will ever prove economically satisfactory where the motor traffic is excessive. 'Cement, of course, would afford a better surface than even tho host granite setts laid scientifically on an unyielding foundation; but tho question is. Would the cement wear as well, especially in view of the fact that for some years to come, at all events, it would be subject to tho action of iron-shod wheels ana horseshoes? When all vehicles are mechanically propelled and rubber-shod cement will doubtless come into its own. Of late years the trend of development in motor car accessories lias been very naturally on the lines of tho abolition, so far as it is possible, of the many little minor annoyances attaching to motoring. Such things as petrol-strainers, and more recently electric-lighting outfits and selfstarters, operated by means of a simple switch from the driving seat, have all tended to simplify motoring. One of the handiest little fitments now on the market is a Bowden wire carburettor “ tickler,” which can be operated by a push-button on tho dashboard. The German road crack cyclist, R : ehard Weise, recently succeeded in establishing at Berlin new figures for the 24 24 hours’ unpaced track record. The distance covered was 437 miles 1574 yards, beating the previous record, held by the French rider, Gone, by 18 miles. Weise’s ride during the first 12 hours was particularly . good, his mileage being 236 miles 1325 yards. W. J. Bailey, the crack English amateur sprinter, who has on four occasions won the world's championship, recently went across to America to meet D. W. M‘ Donga 11. thoir amateur champion. Tho Englishman won two special matches, on the first occasion winning two straight heats over a distance of two-thirds of a mile. In ‘ the second match, over a mile, single paced until the last lap. Bailey won two out of I tho three heats, all of which provided very I close finishes. I Details of (he wonderful 12 hours’ j record established last month by a six- ' cylinder Sunbeam are to hand. The full distance was 1078 miles 460 yards—some 164 miles better than tho previous record; and it is interesting to note that the new 12-hour figures are ahead of the previous 14-hour record. All records from 200 miles and upwards were secured. The average speed for the one round of the clock was j nearly 90 miles per hour. Three crack drivers in PC. Lee Guiness, D. Resta, and J. C'hassa’gne took turn about at the wheel. I The bore and stroke of the mcahinc used

was 80 millimetres by 149.6 millimetres, the R.A.C. rating being 23.8 h.p. Dunlop tyres were used in this remarkable feat. One thing is very certain. If motor-speed continues to increase during 1941, as it lias during the present year, Brooklands track will soon be out of date, and unable to accommodate the pace attainable by the dyers. Many motor cyclists when remonstrated with over the noise their machines make when having open exhausts declare that the muffling of the exhaust diminishes the power of their machine very considerably. This is a misapprehension in the majority of cases, and it is doubtful whether there is any serious falling off in power owing to further muffling of the exhaust —especially when the silencer is scientifically made. Experiments carried out in England some time back with care proved that the loss with the better • types of silencers varied from 1£ to 3£ per cent., the average, being a 2 per cent, loss of power—not much to pay for silence. Similar trials with motor cycles demonstrated that the lose in power was practically nil, thus upsetting the stock argument that an efficient silencer spelt back pressure. It having been proved that a motor cycle can be silent and yet efficient, there is really no excuse for a noisy exhaust, and there is no reason why a motor cycle should not be almost as quite as an up-to-date car; The 24 hours' continuous motor cycle trial organised by the Sydney C.lub proved a highly successful event, Twenty riders started, of whom seven got through 373 miles, without loss of points, and 11 riders finished. The contest was a strenuous one. The riders loft I’arramatta at 9 p.m., rode ail night over Mount Victoria to Bathurst, tlieuco via Mudgte and Katoomba back to the starting point—a severe course at any time. All told, "there were over eight hoursof night-riding. The tr.ai provided further proof of the reliability of the present-day machine, for the riders dismounted on only five occasions—tour ol which were for meals and the other for jietrol replenishment. An average of 15 mnes per Jiour had to bo maintained during the night hours, and 20 miles an hour for the balance of the day. Competitors were allowed to arrive as eany as tney liked at ttie different controls cn route, but one point was deducted for every minute late. Of the nine riders who failed to arrive at the destination in time, one had engine troubles and another gear troubles; the rest were delayed by such happenings as broken saddle springs, damaged wheels, through falls, tyre and belt troubles, etc. The run was sucti a success that it is to bo made an annual affair; The South Australian motor cyclist, J. 0. Ramsay, made his attempt to establisu new figures for the 24 hours' motor cycle road record, and, though he failed, he redo sufficiently well to demonstrate that, with decent luck, he cun considerably add to the existing mileage. Ramsay roue a h.p. Lewis, and selected a 92£-milc circuit on York Peninsula (S.A.). lie started away at 3 in the afternoon, and reeled off Ins first circuit in 2hrs llniiu —fast travelling. The second round took 2hrg 14min, and tno third 2lira 23min, but the rider was suffering severely from a severe bump received along the course, so much so that lie had to receive medical attention, and lost 45 minutes before he set out again. The fourth and fifth circuits both took 2|hrs. In the sixth round a broken valve fell into the cylinder head, and smashed the piston, thereby terminating the ride. At the time Ramsay had covered 541 miles in 16hrs, ins actual, riding time being about 14jlns—splendid travelling. The existing Australian record is 679 mhos, established by P. J. O’Brien (Victoria) on a h.p. Rover last February. Ramsay intends piaking a further attempt on the record at an early date. HOW TO APPLY A TYRE. Before applying tyres remove rust and all other foreign matter. If the tyre has been ridden deflated at any time, mud may have accumulated on the rim, and unless this is» removed the tyre cannot adjust itself properly. Soapstone dusted on the rim will act us a lubrkrint, and make it much easier for the tyro wads to sliji into their correct position, thereby reducing to a minimum the danger of pinching the inner tube. Before placing the inner tube inside of case inflate just enough to round it out. (Do not use a tube of the wrong size, and bo sure that the spreader of the valve is adapted for the particular typo of cruse, whether regular clincher, quick detachable clincher, or Q.D. cable base.) Dust tube and inside of case with talc, which will reduce the friction and prevent adhesion of the tube to case after heated in service. If too much talc is used, however, and any water should work its uay to the inside of the tyre there is danger of grit and attending injury to the tube. Powdered graphite is not quite so nice to handle as talc, but it a much more durable lubricant. THE TWO-STROKE ENGINE. The popularity of the two-stroke engine for motor cycles is growing in England. Very few motor cyclists in this country lire familiar with tho operations of this type of engine, and a brief description of its principal lea lures will bo of interest. One great iKiint in favour of the two-stroke engine is its simplicity, there being only three so-called working parts —viz., the piston, the connecting rod, and the crankshaft. In place of the usual inlet and exhaust valves, with their springs, tappets, earns, and driving gear, there are three ports, or openings, m the cylinder wall, and these are so situated that the piston uncovers them at the time required. Both sides of the piston are used, since partial compression of the mixture takes place in the crank chamber. A charge of gas is sucked into the crankcase from the carburettor on the under side of the piston on its upstroke—owing, of course, to a partial vacuum, through the carburettor port, at the same time tho previous charge in the cylinder—above the piston is being compressed ready for firing. When the piston reaches the ton of its stroke this charge is fired, and owing to the “explosion” tho piston is forced down. The mixture on the under side is meanwhile compressed until the piston, nearly at tho end of its down-stroke, uncovers ■ the inlet port, when the mixture i ashes into t J j-o cylinder, strikes the piston head, which is shaped, and is deflected up to the ton of the cylinder. During this time tho piston has also uncovered the exhaust port, so that the burnt gases escape, helped out by the incoming charge. The piston then ascends, and Ix-gins the same cycle of operations. Thus it will be seen that a “power” stroke i« obtained every two strokes of tho piston, or one revolution of the crankshaft, as against every two revolutions with a four-stroke engine. It will be clear, then, that a great many movable parts arc dispensed with, and this means less complication, with less attention required in oonse-

quence, fewer parG to wear, reduced weight with an increase of power, by getting a firing stroke at every turn of the crankshaft, and also loss vibration together with greater silence. The must, serious disadvantage is the difficulty of scavenging the cylinder properly. With tho engine running fast, the process of expulsion of the exhaust gases is not so complete as with tho mechanical method used in tho four-stroke engine, and the free charge is allowed very little time to enter. Tho result of this is that the mixture is ant to be composed partly of fresh gas and partly of the used exhaust gases, which have not been pushed out in time before the port was covered; in addition, with the ordinary splash lubrication, a certain percentage of oil is mixed with the fresh charg* —not a bad thing for lubrication purposes, but not good for the efficiency ■of the mixture, and consequently the power of the engine. It is interesting to note that tho blue riband motor cycle road event of tho world —the English “Tourist Trophy” .race, has been carried ofT on the last two occasions by a two-cycle engine. A ROUT GEAR CASES. In spite of its manifest advantages, there arc sometimes drawbacks to the use of the oilbath gear case, and one hears of a good many instances of its being discarded. It is certainly a great nuisance to detach if anything goes wrong inside, and sometimes it is impossible to got it off. Of course, provided the chain works properly and there is no need to get at it, the oilbath is quite satisfactory, and can ho left alone from one end of flic year to the other. There is no doubt that for riders who use their machines in all weathers some sort of gear case or chain guard is a great boon. It saves a deal of time which would otherwise be spent in cleaning the chain, for if you are out in the wet without a gear case you will find n n xt day that the chain has tightened up so as to he almost immovable. I arn assuming, of course, that you are one of that wicked hut very numerous band who put their machines away wet occasionally, and not one of these saints in the cycling calendar who attend to their bicycles before themselves. and spend as much time cleaning them as riding them. , : OTAGO MOTOR CLUB. A largo number of motorists journeyed to the Waikouaiti Beach on Saturday to witness the attempt to lower the existing fly- i ing mile record created by A. M'Dougall (time, 65 2-ssce). The weather proved almost ideal, and a moderate breeze favoured tho riders. The tide was suitable, and tha beach in splendid condition. ’There were 10 entries, and as each competitor was entitled to two attempts tho fixture took about three hours to run off. much longer than it should have done had the competitors been marshalled in proper { order, and not allowed to overrun the i course after the commencement of the 1 events, as was the case; in fact, tho com- 1 potitors. and not the officials, seemed to have charge of the course. The method of timing, although very precise, is a longdrawn out operation, end it is tone the club took into consideration tho advantages of an electrical timing apparatus, as this would enable the various events to be run off’ with a minimum amount of delay, and help to popularise the sport. To ensure accuracy in tho measurement, the mile was measured off with a chain measure, this being carried out by Messrs F. W. Mock end S. J. Falkner. The first events were for competitor* rid- .

in" machines up to 350 c.c., the winner to bo the holder of a. silver cup presented by Mceors W. Scott and iSons, and to establish a record for the club in this class. I. Curline made the first attempt, but did not seem to got going well, and his time was recorded as linin 18 2-ssec. F. W. Oak den was the next man, and put up a performance which it is considered would lie the record. He rode well, and covered the mile in Imin Hstc. His 2§ Douglas improving the pace towards the finish. G. Maddox, on the same make of machine, was 6see slower. A. Scott, whoso machine did not give the rider much of a holiday, rccorrd Imin 20 l-osec, but he luul trouble with his sparking plugs, trying at least throe before he could get going. Then came the surprise in this class F. (,'tirline, on his 21 Singer, beating, at his.second attempt, the 23 h.p. machines, and lowering Oakden's time by 3-sth of a second, and securing the coveted Honour of being the winner of the challenge cup. Then came the class for machines up to 500 o.c. A. Woodman, who is a skilful rider, was expected to give the other competitors a still' proposit.on to beat, but he could not get his machine—a Kudgo—to do over 6U miles an hour. His machine was rather new, and would be all the better for running a few hundred miles, when it undouhiedly will be a very fast machine. F. MTJonald, on a 3i Triumph, did not manage to got better time than 60sec, but for a young rider he rode particularly well, and deserves to be congratulated.. Tho star performance of the day was made by F. Thomas on a 3i King Dick. From the way in which lie passed the first timekeeper it could easily be seen that, barring accidents, he would stand a big chance of breaking the record. This ho did, and handsomely too, for his time was registered as 51 4-ssec, nearly 70 miles an hour. The first man to congratulate him was A. M’Dougall, whoso record had just boon broken. M'Dougall referring to the ride as a great performance W. Thomas, a. brother of F. Thomas’s, made second fastest time, also on a King Dick, covering tho distance in 58 2-ssec. 11. Curline, 3g Singer, also got under 60sco, and on his second attempt rocored the time as 59 3-ssec. All the riders made good time, and it will probably he some time before the record pu. up by F. Thomas will be broken. The timekeepers were Messrs J. M‘Shane and F. W. Meek, the latter working out competitors’ times and <h voting a. lot of •work towards running the events off. The following are the results;— Machines up to 350 c.c.— F. Curline, Imin 10 2-ssoc (winner of cup), 1; F. W. Oakden, Imin llsec. 2; G. Maddox, Imin 17sec, 3; A. Scott, Imin 20 l-ssoo, 4. Machines up to 500 c.c.—F. Thomas, 41 4-sscc (winner of the M’Kcnzie Challenge Cup), 1; W. Thomas. 58 5-ssec. 2; H. Curline. 59 3-ssec. 3; F. M‘Donald, 6(Tec, 4; A. Woodman, 61 4 ssoe, 5.