Cycling and Motor Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 60

Cycling and Motor Notes.

BY DEMON

An English motorist claims that water is an efficient clecarboniser for dirty engines. He describes his method of using it as follows: —‘"Fit a small tap on the induction pipe at a convenient place above the carburetter, and obtain a length of small-bore copper tubing that can be attached to the tap with a union joint. When cleaning out the water circulation system with a tank half full of water and soda, attach this tubing, and put the end into a jug of hot water. When the engine is really hot—the hotter the better—open the throttle full, andi gradually open the tap (so that the water can be drawn into the cylinders) to such an extent that the engine will still run strongly. After about a pint of water has gone through with a 15 h.p. engine, the carbon will have all been removed. It is merely, I imagine, a cheap and simple way of employing the oxygon method.

it has puzzled many readers why cars for use at the front should be equipped with acetylene headlamps to the exclusion of electric lighting. The reason is given that with electric lights a driver might switch on when it was inadvisable to show a light at all. —-Thirty-eight per cent, of the motor cycles in Russia were imported from England, 25 per cent, from Germany, £l6 per cent, from America, and the remaining 21 per cent, had their origin in Russia and other countries.

Fighting cars armed with Maxims and other machine guns hampered the German pursuit during the retreat from Mons to the walls of Paris. When the roads were in good order they moved so rapidly that artillery was unable to catch them, and the armour was impervious to machinegun fire. At the start of the war the English had no armoured cars, and the French had very few. What they had were duo to the enterprise of the Schneider firm Cruesot) and the Oharron Company. Both of these designs were turret-cars, which could fire in any direction. The English made up for the deficiency very rapidly, and are now said to have the most efficient fighting car of the lot. That they were not effective in France was due to the fact that the Germans had a superior force of armoured cars.

A transcontinental motor cycle relay riclo is to bo bold across America in July. It is planned to make the ride of military significance in order to demonstrate to the United States Government the utility ■ and value of the motor cycle for this purpose. In all probability the relays -will extend about 100 miles each, and the test will be so arranged that the despatch will be dodelivered across the American continent in about a week. The route selected will probably be along the Lincoln Highway, a 3400 miles road across the States, that has been built largely by public subscription. The fastest time in which a motor cyclist has crossed the American continent—from San Francisco to New York (3734 miles) — is E. E. Baker’s 11 days 12hr lOmin, whilst a motor car driven by L. L. Whitman has accomplished the same trip in 10 (lays 15hr lomin. These times, it is anticipated, will bo reduced to about seven days, if the weather conditions are favourable. In this connection it is interesting to note that a bicycle relay was held across America in 1896. In that test 600 cyclists took part, and accomplished the trip in 13 days Ohr 30min. Some interesting details arc to hand from America in reference to the wonderful racing career of Frank L. Kramer, the champion sprinter of the world, ana the

winner of tho American Champion for 14 consecutive years. Kramer, who has no equal anywhere for consistent brilliancy on the track, started his racing career- in 1897, since when he has won 646 races, besides being placed second 166 times and third on 78 occasions. Beginning as an amateur in 1897 Kramer won his novice race after three starts. That year was not very profitable, as he finished in first place only four times. In 1898 he had a record of 36 firsts, 18 seconds, and seven thirds. In 1899, his third year of riding, he won the amateur championship, and then he joined the ranks of the professionals. Making his debut as a professional in 1900, ho showed up many of the old-time riders, and won defeating such riders as Walthour, Eaton, and Freeman. During the season he won 18 races, finished eight times in second place, and got nine thirds. In 1901, the fifth year of his riding, he won the American Championship, and this was his most successful year in regard to scoring points, as ho finished in first place 49 times, with 13 seconds and 17 thirds. Kramer kept on winning the American Championship (decided on points scored in a number of events held dur-’ng the season) ever since. In 1905 the American champion raced in Europe, and won many events, including the Grand Prize of Paris, the great cycling race in Europe. Though Kramer was regarded a.s the greatest rider of America, it Was not until 1912 he gained the d sanction of actually winning the World's Championship. He had not come into that title before for the reason that the world's meets were being decided in Europe, and ha was racing in America. People in this country have little idea of the gigantic dimensions of the American motor industry. According to Collier’s, one of the most reliable of American journals, a sum of £100.000,000 is annually put into circulation in U.S.A. through the automobile building industry alone. This is apart from the cost of running the machines after delivery to the purchasers. There are some 15.000 garages registered in the States, employing nearly 100.000 hands. Licensed chauffeurs total 175,000, and in round figures another 100.000 are employed in driving commercial motor vehicles. It is estimated that the huge sum of £160.000,000 is spent annually on motoring in U.S.A., giving employment to oyer 750.000 men. In eight of the most important States of America there ’’s an average of one car to every 37 inhabitants. —-—The Ne-w South WaPs racing crack, R. M'Namara, who comprises one of the Australian team now doing so well in the American racing cireu’t. rccentlv rode a mile- in competition in the remarkably f n st time of Imin 43scc. The previous world’s record for a, mile under similar conditions was Imm 46see—by another Australian (J. GlarM ; e America.. In Australia the late Flovd Mac.Farla.nd, in 1904. rode a m : le in competition from scratch on the Sydney Cricket Ground in Imm 49-cc. THE MAZTTRTAN MARSHES. Curiously enough it w r as the Russians who turned armoured motor cars to most account. When Hindcnburg drove Rcnnenkampf into the marshes of the Mazurian Lakes, the Russians left nearly 60,000 men suffocated in the mud, and struggled back to solid earth with about half his army. The Germans could pursue only along the roads, to leave which was to be caught in their own trap—the bogs on either side. They rushed along in great columns to overwhelm and utterly destroy the retreating Russians, when out of the mist and rain dashed a cloud of armoured motor cars, 20 strong, belching fire and streams of bullets as they came. The German cavalry were in close formation, and the men fell in swathes like grass before a scythe, three and four deep. It was terrific. Men and horses were mixed in struggling heaps. Whole troops were mown down. Retreat was impossible on account of the pressure behind, and against these snorting death fountains cavalry and infantry were alike powerless. Nothing could stand against those awful machine guns on these narrow roads, and the Germans simply withered away in hideous helplessness. But machine guns go hot, and motor cars cannot carry inexhaustible supplies of ammunition. And out of the mist-veiled sky shells came screaming from artillery in the rear, sent bv officers who were indifferent whether they killed friends as well as foes so long as they smashed those terrible armoured motors that had. blocked the pursuit for three precious hours. MOTOR CYCLE LUBRICATION. .. There is no doubt that many modern motor cycle engines wear out far more quickly than their predecessors of eight or 10 years ago. This fact may be put down to two or- three causes, but probably the chief one is the inadequate size of the bearings of some of our modern engines, for it must be remembered that though the bearings of a 1915 engine may _ be slightly larger than those of a 1905 engine, the power output or brake power horse power is much larger. In point of fact, in some cases the modern bearings are rather smaller than those of the older engines, this being duo probably to the worship of that groat god “R.P.M.” Whilst on the subject of the size of bearings, it would bo as well to point out that of two bearings of equal surface, that with the larger diameter will last longer than the. one with the greater length. It may seem that by fitting larger bearings all round the difficulty can be overcome; but this is only partly true. It is the opinion of many of the leading experts that the solution of the problem lies in correct lubrication. There are throe systems of lubrication: the “splash,” the method in which the oil is mixed with the petrol in two-stroke engines, and the mechanically forced feed to the bearings. In some cases a combination of these systems is employed, but by far the most usual is the “splash” system, which may be subdivided according to the method by which the oil is fed into the craekcase. Probably the most usual method is that in which the oil is supplied by a hand pump, a charge being delivered every few miles.

This, of course, leaves much to bo desired, as the engine is alternately over and under lubricated. To get over the difficulty a rather refined edition of this system is marketed in which the pump is only charged by hand, and the oil is expelled by a spring placed behind the plunger of the pump. Between the pump and the engine is placed a regulator in the form of a needle valve and a little glass barrel, through which the oil may bff seen .dripping. This gives an obviously more oven supply of oil, and is well worth the slight additional expense. , In some machines gravity is loft to force the oil down past the needle valve; but it is difficult to regard this as reliable when no sight feed is supplied. The second method mentioned is probably the best of the three; but taken as a whole the “splash” system has several failings. Too much is left to chance, and the drag on the fly wheels by the oil is not inconsiderable. The two-streke jumping into the limelight has brought with it that form of lubrication in which the oil is mixed with petrol in the tank. This system is by no means new. There is little doubt that lubrication by tin's means is most thorough, in that oil is conveyed to every bearing, and, of course,_ once the oil and petrol are mixed there is nothing else to worry about. It is therefore not only thorough, but simple; but, like every other good thing on this earth, it has to be paid for, and one’s oil bill will be rather high. Oil is composed of a number of minute globules, and these globules, acting as little balls, decrease the friction of a bearing just as steel balls do, if arranged properly. If a ball cracks or gets badly worn in a ballbearing it is, of course, worse than useless. Similarly, if the oil globules become flattened or split they have no lubricating properly. What is more, these globules do become flattened, even as steel halls wear ; but the .oil globules wear much more quickly. Unlike steel balls, however, the oil globules will regain their true form if released from the pressure before they are thoroughly pulverised; it is therefore only wise to renew them as often as is possible, and so prevent them from becoming permanently damaged. To do this, the oil must bo kept in constant circulation through the bearings. At even moderate speeds the pressure between the shaft and the bearing is very great (especially is this the case with the “big-end” and gudgeon bearings), and, in order to force oil between the two surfaces, it must be supplied at an even higher pressure, and this is the chief argument for the third system, the mechanically forced feed. As has been shown, the oil may be used over and over again, and the consumption will therefore be appreciably lower, and any dust or other abrasive material which might find its way into the bearings is immediately washed out and collected in a gauze strainer before the oil enters the engine. The only weak point in this system seems to be that, in the devices now used, no regulation of the oil loss of pressure. What is wanted is an “by-pass” arrangement, and this means a supply can bo effected except by some oil pump, the output of which can be varied, regardless of engine speed.

“IT’S AN ILL WIND ” In the past, as is well known, the magneto trade has been in the hands of the Germans, partly because of the excellence of the German magneto, and partly because, owing to price-cutting, it was impossible to compete profitably with the Sltuttgart firms. The war, however, has brought about a complete change in this state of affairs. At the present time eight British firms are devoting their manufacturing facilities to the production of magnetos, and are turning out increasing numbers daily. It is already possible to obtain large quantities of single-cylinder magnetos, but twins, and especially those of the V-typ_e. require rather a special design, _ and will prove conclusively that the British workman is at least the equal of the German or anyone else in magneto manufacture as well as in other things.