Cycling & Motor Notes

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 50

Cycling & Motor Notes

BY DEMON. Aviation developed from motoring much in the- same manner as the latter ueveloped from cycling; ttie automobile gave iho aiooplano its engme and made flying possible. Interests, therefore, being almost Identical, it is not to be wondered at fcnat several of the aeroplane factories are now manufacturing cars and motor cycles. It is leurious, however, that while all Governments are fostering aviation and promoting its use in many ways, they will not a-ivo the same offic.aL support to the automobile, the more directly practical and useful, because .domestic, form of motoring. -—Captain Robert Burn, of Wellington, chief production and technical officer m the aeroplane industry, has recently invented an improved tank for aeroplanes. Captain' Burn, who left Now Zealand as a private, hut afterwards became a member of the War Inventions Board, has perfected a number of inventions which have been adopted by the Allied armies. -—.Speeding by motorists on a public thoroughfare near a school was the subject of a letter received by tiie \\ cliington Education Board from Mr R. L. Jones, of Eyall Bay. The gentleman pointed out the extreme danger to life and limb which existed as far as the children who attended the Lyall Bay School were concerned. Motorists and motor cyclists acted as though they had a special license to exceed all speed limits in traversing the Queen's drive, and this they did past the school grounds, although there was a warning notice. The board agreed with' the writer that there was a real danger in the "scorching mania" of motorists, and hoped that it would be checked before many, more accidents occurred. It was really a matter for the police. The registration of motor vehicles in the United States in 1918 totalled nearly 5 500,000, of which over 5,000,000 were passenger cars. These figures represent an increase of about 12i per cent, over the 1917 registrations. The past year saw a great increase in the number of motor trucks made, 250,000 being constructed as against 9500 in 1910. Needless to say, a great number of these waggons found their way to France. The "kick starter" now being adopted by many leading motor cycle makers appears to be in every way successful. The wonder is some enterprising firm has not elaborated this system of engine-starting and applied it to light be preferable to cranking. The Germans are already preparing to turn out motor cars, and in all probability they will be in a position to supplyquite as early as the British firms, but It is hardly likely they will find a market in the Allied countries. Italy is especially Well prepared,- and France also has not been idle. Both these countries make tho highest class of motor cars, and they are likely to be marketed at attractive figures. Belgium is making every effort to re-establish her motor industry, and already the Minerva people are starting operations. The English motor trade has not yet settled down after its great war efforts. Meanwhile one of the leading German firms is advertising a 25 h.p car complete with electric lighting and starting gear at a shade over £4OO. Another firm is marketing a strange hybrid vehicle. It is a cross between a motor car and an aeroplane. It is driven much the same way as an aeroplane, and is steered by a tail plane. It is intended apparently for use in a desert country and places wnere roads are unknown.

Many car-ownors are not aware that the gear "box should not be completely filled with grease or the lubricant used. Recent experiments conducted in England at the National Physical Laboratory proved that a completely filled gear box absorbed as much as nearly a quarter of the driving power —and that when only three-quarters full —97i per cent, of the power was transmitted.

GARS FROM AMERICA.

Mr Alfred A. Winslow, American Consulgeneral in New Zealand, warns American motor car-makers that the favourable conditions enjoyed in the Dominion by American cars and motor cycles cannot be expected to continue now that the war has ended. " American manufacturers and exporters," he says, "will need to look carefully after the trade in this part of the world." In 1914, reports Consul Winslow to his country, the motor cycles and tricycles imported into New Zealand were nearly all imported from the United Kingdom, while in 1917 the majority came from the United States. In 1914 there were 1093 motor oars imported from the "United Kingdom, as compared with 72 motor cars in 1917, while from the_ United States there wero 1308 imported in 1914, as compared With 3596 in 1917.

LOCATING A TYRE LEAK.

One of the most irritating of minor troubles on a car is a tyre that leaks slightly but continuously. In dealing with this the first point to discover is whether the valvo is at fault. If the dust cap and smallend cap are removed, and a glass of water held so as to submerge all the lower part of the valvo, any lealfage will_ be revealed by bubbles; these may be either _ at the end, which means a defect at the pin plug, or at the joint, which suggests that a new washer is required as a cure. Should no bubbes appear the cover must be removed and the tube taken out. Even then the valve may be at fault, a somewhat rare defect being leakage where the valve stem enters the tube j but a cure for this requires special vulcanising, and is best handed over to a competent repairer. The

has been used for towing rope, for •wrapping around the ohannel of a rim to protect it while the truck was coming in on its rim; it has been wound around the leaves of a broken spring and made to tako the place of a broken bolt % The in{erence, of course, is that motoriste would >o wise to carry a length of fencing wire with them when on tour, not that they ?hould raid a roadside fence in the quest or omergency repair material.

PRICES OF USED CARS.

Some idea of the value of used cars to English motorists may be had from the following prices printed by a London paper 03 paid at a recent auction sale of motor vehicles in that city:—The highest figure j-eacbed was £1323 for a 40-50 horse-power RoUs-Boyce, which, it was stated, had been '•jacked up" for four years. For twoseaters there was quite a popular demand. They brought the following prices:—2s-40 horse-poWer Berliot, £420; 10-12 horsepower Singer, £210; 13 horse-power Scripps Booth, £236 ss; 10 horse-power Singer, £157 10s Other prices were:—l2-15 horse-power Mors sporting torpedo four-seater, £267 15s; 15 horse-power. Talbot landaulet, £341 ss; 15-27 horse-power Delaunay-Belleville cabriolet, £204 ss.

AUSTIN MOTOR WORKS.

As "the Austin Motor Company will probably bo the largest producer of motor cars in England, Something about this companv's organisation is specially interesting at this time. The factory is situated at Northfield, Birmingham. It was established in 1806, with 230 men. The present works occupy 92 acres, with 60 acres of works and buildings. The travellers from the firm's private railway station number over 20,000 daily, and on the works are between six and seven miles of railway sidings. At the commencement of the war 2200 hands were employed; at the present time there are 22,500 on the pay roll. There are 120 departments, 1600 on the staff, and 50 superintendents. About 7000 tons of raw material are used weekly, and the outward tonnage is about 4000. Three ranges of mess rooms provide 30,000 meals daily. For recreation purposes there are kinema theatre, two works bands (brass and orchestral), athletic clubs, girls' clubs, nine billiard tables, and 12 pianos. A technical society, numerous classes, and a wellequipped library are provided. The _ firm has its own post . office . and works, interdepartmental postal service, with two telephone exchanges and 160 telephones. _ The firm's- 30 Austin motor omnibuses inake four journeys daily and carry 23,000 passengers weekly. The cycle sheds hold 6000 machines. The Longbridge Estate, adjoining the! Works, is being developed to accommodate the workmen and their families, and when complete it will provide accommodation for 7000.

PASSING A TRAMCAR.

The compulsory passing of tramcars on tho left by motors when being overtaken has always been an annoyance to motorists, because as often as not it was obviously safer and more expeditious to pass on the right (says a Melbourne writer when_ referring to a matter which has several times been discussed by the Otago Motor Club). Other -vehicles may pass -on either side at discretion of the driver, and why the motor was always compelled to be driven between the kerb and the tramcar, where footpassengers are most numerous, never was very clear. 'ln the interests of public safety, comfort, and convenience, the motor-driver shoiild also be permitted to use his discretion. From observation it was noticed bn manv occasions 'that ffoot-passengers were obviously worried by the motor bearing down between the kerb and the tramway, although the driver was moving at a crawl —practically waiting. Great discomfort, I learn, is also caused by motors always overtaking trams on the left by tho thick clouds of dust raised from poor roadsurfaces, whereas had the tramway track on tho right been used (if available) there • would have been little or no dust. It is c significant, perhaps, that the strongest opposition to the change comes from those who noTer have handled a car, and cannot, therefore, understand how the present regulation conduces to congestion, which the authorities are just now endeavouring to solve.