Cycling & Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 44

Cycling & Motor Notes

BY DEMON.

Some time ago the Electric Power and Lighting Committee of the City Council ottered to charge the battery of the first electrically driven vehicle brought to Dunedin for 12 months free of cost, for the purpose of. popularising this form of power. The offer was taken advantage of by-the New Zealand Express Company, which imported a wagon with a rated load capacity of 2j tons, and with this load a speed of 10 miles per hour can be maintained on a good level road. Loads of five tons have also been carried at a reduced speed l . The wagon is giving every satisfaction, and as it uses on an average about 16 units a day, and the highest rate of the service would be 2d per unit, the power cost is very low, compared with the price of petrol, especially at the present time. There is no doubt that the electric wagon ban in a large measure take the place of the petrol wagon, but it should be noted that its sphere of usefulness is limited! at the present time to 25 to 50 miles a day, depending upon the capacity of the wagon. The battery must bo charged every night, so that for long runs ' into the country jthe electric wagon is not yet entirely suitable. But for short runs about the city it is admirably suited, and it is confidently expected that it will be widely adopted N when things are normal again, and deliveries of wagons can be obtained. As an instance of the progress that this method of traction is making in Great Britain, it may be mentioned that Sheffield Corporation purchased . a 2-ton electric wagon in September, 1915, for refuse collection. By December, 1916, there were five in use, and now there are 10. Harrods' Stores, in London, have 80 electrio vehicles. In the States during 1916 two cities each obtained a revenue of £BO,OOO for charging the batteries of electric A'ehicles. A. T. Goullet, the Australian racing cyclist, who proved the best all-round rideitf in America, enlisted in the American Aviation Corps after winning the last Six Days' Cycle Race in New York. - from a Dutch • source that the Gorman factory of the Dunlop Tyre Company at Hanau has been taken over by a company formed by a number <jf leading German motor car ■ manufacturers. The new undertaking, in which the Adler Company (of Frankfort) and the Opel Cnmnnnv (of Rusfolsheim) are said to be largely interested, has a capital of £150.000. Mr 0. A. Proctor, who some years hack was secretary of the Australian Dunlop Rubber Company, hod charorc of this p'ant when war broke out. A few days before war was doc.ln.rcd he was iri England, but returned to Germany to watch the Dunlop Company's interests, and has been interned in that country over sincft. A series of experiments recently carried out by the British Fire Prevention Committee shows that the best way to extinguish a small petrol fire is to spread over the -burning liquid a mixture of 101 bof bicarbonate of soda and 121 b of common sawdust. The sawdust need not bo wot, but must be free from chips and shavings. The theory is that the sawdust, by floating on the burning liquid, excludes the oxygen of the air, and the heat of the flames perorates carbonic noid isras, which helps extinguish the fire. Sawdust alone gives satisfactory results—indeed, better than sand or similar materials.

The cydo par apptaars to be coming into favour again with certain English manufacturers now considering post-war nolicies. -Certainly there is room for reliable little vehicles, which will provide means for motoring for the masses. There

is every indication that prices will be up after the war, and the gap which was filled by the low-priced light car will again be vacant by the small two-seater being advanced in price to the neighbourhood of the figure of popular 10-12 cars of a few years back. Years back we looked annually to Europe for the latest tendencies in motor car construction; but owing to the makers now being mostly engaged in war work, America is the only country that affords an opportunity of judging the trend _ of motor car construction, etc. ISO far during the past year there is little sign that the war has macte any radical or basic alterations in American passenger car design and price. Two years ago prices reached their lowest limit, and last year there were signs that the price pendulum has commenced to swing the other way. To-day pricea show a tendency to go up on account of the increased cost of labour and materials. Prices current a year ago, compared with those now in force, show that the most popular types are those ranging from £156

to £2OB, £265 to £312 (these the most popu-. ... lar), whilst fhe cars priced from the latter figure up to £624- come next in favour. Block castings of cylinders are fitted to nearly 90 per. cent, of the cars made. Vacuum fuel feed has come greatly into use, 79 per cent, of the cars being fitted with this adjunct. Self-starting and lighting outfits are used in nearly 86 cars out of every 100. The tendency in tyres is for bigger ■/ covers and more air space. Battery, ignition maintains its lead ; 80 per cent. of_ cars being fitted with this form of ignition. The. small runabouts have been shortened in wheel base, whilst the medium-priced touring models have increased a few inches in length. Higher efficiency engines of a' smaller size are .gradually coming into vogue, following more closely the Em-opean practice. TT ~. Messrs W. A. Bovett and R. Halh--day, of Pembroke, T. Hayes (Gromwell), G. Currie (Hyde) J. Geoffreys (Wedderburn), R. Partridge (Lowburn), and_ A. Earl , (Roxburgh) have purchased Fords. I Lieutenant L. B. Clarkson, son of Mr J. B. Clarkson, of- the Royal Flymg Corps, who is stationed at Dartford,'has bad 22 American engineers placed under rnm. He states' that they are extremely keen flying men, and show promise of making very good flights. ■ , Captain Robert Macfarlane Murie, one time well known in the bicycle trade in Invercargill, and also noted for his balloon ascents a decade ago, is now attached to the Royal Engineers; ment, the Americans have given the British manufacturers another strong lead in the same direction—that of the electric engine starter, which has principally been developed there. The convenience, and therefore tha value, of the American motor thus equipped is enhanced quite out of proportion to the actual cost of the car. All else being equal, no one who has owned and driven a car in which the engine can be started from the driver's seat by the mere pressure of a pedal would willingly go back _ to the comparatively crude method of starting by "wanking" with the hand. Although this is so obvious that it need hardly have been recorded, there -was hot more N than one English car, and that one the highest-priced, which before the war had - installed as an absolutely standard fitting an electric engine starter. There' were others, however, in which such equipment could be embodied as an extra, and a very costly extra it was. .. Any knock in your motor or about your car is a fault of one kind or another," and should be cured. Provided your car is properly lubricated, your grease cups, packed and screwed up, your doors adequately protected' by felt or rubber inserts, your shackles tight, and your body bolts drawn up, knocks come only from the engine, transmission, clutch, differentia], propeller shafts, timing gears, or bearings. Of these the most common causes are preignition, valve slaps, piston slaps, or con-necting-rod plays. Probably most knocks can be traced to the valves. Slaps or clicks in these delicate organs of the engines are ■ most annoying. much colder in winter than in this country, ' it is found necessary to keep the temperai ture in the garages at a reasonable height. This is done in order to guard against the* effect of frost upon the motors, and an anthracite stove appears to be an effective means of ensuring warmth in the garages, fire stations, and other establishments where i motors are to be found. ; One hears very "little nowadays about ! the evil odours emitted by motor cars. j The outcry formerly was chiefly due, no doubt to over-lubrication and bad carburation. At one period the police stationed in the' central parts of London complained bitterly of suffering from headache and » hot dry feeling in the throat after being - on'duty, and "which, lasted a considerable time. They laid the blame on the motor omnibuses. ■ • go great is the congestion of railroads in France, large quantities of Red Cross supplies are being transported by motor truck from seaports to Paris and other distribution centres. Drivers are being organised in crews, and will be handled on a military basis as a part_ of the Rod Cross Transportation Service, under Major James Perkins. Many of

the motor truck drivers now in Franco originally signed up lor work as ambulance drivers, but tho congestion of railroads made it more imperative that they drive trucks, and scores of university and college students aro serving under lire while bringing up supplies over exposed highways. THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE. The most striking features of the electrio vehicle are: —• • 1. Simplicity of transmission gear. The motor is coupled to the driving wheels by a small toothed wheel. There is no change gear, no differential, no carburettor. 2. Simplicity of control. This is on the same principle as the controller of a tram car, giving easy starting and very gradual variation of speed, under absolute control at all time 3. For traffic in a busy city street nothing better could be desired, and with a clear run the maximum speed for which the motor has been designed cannot be exceeded. 3. Absence of noise and smell. There is so little gear, %nd this is so well made, that there is practically no noise. 4. Low co&t of maintenance. This has still to be proved so far as Dunedin p> concerned, but there is abundance of reliable evidence to place this beyond all doubt. HILL CLIMBING. Arc not automobile manufacturers and dealers injuring themselves by putting so much etress on the hill-climbing qualities of their cars on high gear? asks an American expert. The amateur driver is told that his car can climb anything on high, and naturally he attempts to do it,_ with tho result that he seriously racks.his car by hanging on to the high gear too long, and then takes- a week's wear out of the gears in attempting a frantic, last second change. It is exceedingly poor policy, and bad practice as well, to hang on to tho high gear on a hill until tho engine begins to pound, in the hope of pulling up the laet few yards without a change, as this pound'ng indicates that the engine is .being strained in a way' that will surely shorten the period of its usefulness. The gear should be' Invariably Lowered while the engine Is still pulling, freely, and further lowered at the slightest sign of distress. The loss in time resulting from this system of driving can be counted in seconds, while the usefulness of the car is measured by months.

INTERESTING MOTOR TRIP.

GOLDFIELDS AND THE HERMITAGE. Mr H. L: Sprosen, who is well known m motoring circles in Dunedin, has recently had a tour through CgHtt-al Otago, thence as far as the Hermitage, returning home through Kurow and Oamaru. Mr Sprosen and a party" of four in a Buick "six" left Dunedin by the Main South road, and journeyed to Beaumont (70 miles), where they had lunch, then making for Alexandra. The Eruitlands orchards were inspected en route. These plantations greatly impressed the party' by reason of the splendid growth the trees had made. The road from Alexandra to Clyde is in good order, while the road through the gorge to Cromwell is fair, but requires careful wheel work, as there are a few very awkward corners. But the surroundings are a relief to the usual road scenery in Otago. The river rushing alongside the highway is very impressive.. The party went on via Lowburn to Pembroke, and spent a day on Lake Wanaka. This part of the trip should not be overlooked. Concerning the lake on Pigeon Island, Mr Sprosen bays: "We went by boat to Pigeon Island; left at 8 and were there by 9.30 a distance of about 12 miles. A climb >of about 20 minutes brings you to a wonderful sight— Paradise Lake. This lake is rather a mystery. No one knows where the water comes from: but, though it is at a much higher level than the water in Wanaka Lake, it rises and falls with the big lake." Lake Hawea was also visited. The crossing of the Lindis River presented no difficulty as the river was low. There is a steady climb to the Lindis Pass, 5000 ft high, and after that a good run down, gates having to be opened and creeks crossed. Omarama was * reached after a good run. The road is good but narrow. A sidecar outfit would have a rough time, as the track is made by motor cars, and the narrower ' tread of a sidecar would mean one wheel in the track and the other side running on a rough road. The road leads through Benmore and over the Ohau bridge and on to Pukaki. The party had a glorious view of Mount Cook —not a vestige of a cloud. The run to the Hermi; tage (about 40 miles) is undulating, with rough patches. The road is hot suitable for motor oycle or sidecar outfit. The return journey was made back through Pukaki and' Omarama, Kurow, and Oamaru. The road from Kurow to Uamaru is lirst-clase. As a guide to those contemplating such a trip as the one described —a trip that occupies about eight days,—Mr Sprosen informs me that the total expenses, including hire oi car, petrol, oil, and hotel expenses for the party of five were close on £SO, or about £lO each, for eight days' travelling. The mileage,-too, will be interesting:— Mis. Mis: Dunedin-Roxbua-gh 99 Pembroke-Pukaki, Roxb'gh-Alexandra 28 via Lindis .. 106 Alexandra-Clyde .. 8 Pukaki-Hermitage 40 Clyde-Cromwell .. 13 'Pukaki - Oamaru Croniwell-Lowburn 7 via Oamarama Lowb'rn-Pembi'oke 30 and Ngapara 108