CYCLING & MOTOR NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3508, 7 June 1921, Page 47

CYCLING & MOTOR NOTES

By

DEMON.

Early in July a 500 miles motorcycle race vg to be Lc-ld. at Brook.ands lor a ku'J guinea gold cup. il is anticipated that a gieat contest will result, and that new English records will be estabUsnecl. Rcmrrmg to tratric control problems the Mayor of Christchurch (Dr 'Uiacker, •iVI.Pj says that tie is determined teat a serious attempt shall be made to have all name properiy supervised. A proposal has been supported that a committee of five, representing the Automobile Association, the Pioneer Sports Club, the r iaxi-urivei.s Association, private motorists and the City Council By-laws Committee, should be set up to prepare rules, 'the Mayor hopes tiiat motoring organisations will provide volunteer traffic inspectors. As far as possible tue council vxjuiu endeavour to continue the policy of placing a tar macadam surface on roads. Other suggestions by Or Thacker are that glitters should be covered oyer, that safety zones should be marked off at tram stopping places in the city, and that crossings should be defined opposite schools, for use by children

Discussing speed limit applications, the English Journal - "Motor” says "It is satisfactory to observe that in a number of cases recently applications from local authorities tor new speed limits, or for reduced speed limits, in certain localities have been refused. There is no doubt in our minds that many at these demands are purely eccentric. Common sense compels slow speed and careful driving where the conditions call for caution, and the time for compulsory measures and the multiplication of signs has passed. The South Island Motor Union is proposing to meet in Invercargill next month (says tile Southland Times.) Nothing definite has been decided on as yet, but the local association might do well to exert its influence to bring the suggestion from the air to the ground as early as possible. If the meeting were held here it would undoubtedly tend to further stimulate the interest in the organisation of motorists that has been aroused by the Association already'. The South Island Tnion representing all tile motorists’ bodies in this island and working in harmony with the North Island organisation in questions of general interest, carries considerable weight and its meeting in Invercargill would receive the notice that it deserves. Motorists desirous of extra comfort can generally get it by having larger tyres to their car or motor-cycle. The difference in comfort is very great. W hilst larger tyres cost, more money for the initial purchase they are, in the end, an economy, and so great that they are well worth fitting for this reason alone. With large tyres one can usually get nearly double the mileage obtainable on the smaller tyre. English motor-cycle manufacturers are bringing their 3g h.p. (SGO C.C.) machines to a high state ot efficiency, in fact the improvement .in this type of machine is such that the larger powered machines (which comes under 1000 C.C. class) will soon have to show improvement or they will get loft —as regard speed. T lie English track record for the Hying kilometre (1093 yards', is at the rate of 95.24 miles per hour for the big twin, and 92.44 miles per hour for a single cylinder 3y h.p. machine. The latter performance was registered on Brooklonds by if. IV. Judd on a Dunlop-shod "Norton.” An idea of the growth of the motor business in Australia may be gathered from the fact that there are now over 3200 motor workshops in the Commonwealth, whilst the Australian body building'firms are capable of an output of 150 CO motor car bodies a year. If Although the Le Mans circuit over which the Grand Prix motor car race, is to be held in France on July 25 is a very flat course, every car entered for this classicevent is being- equipped with brakes oil all four wheels. As there appears to be no doubt as to the advantages of this system of braking the practice adopted by the makers of the Grand Prix Racers will probably in time be incorporated in all high priced European cars. \\ hilst the present system of braking on cars viz. on back wheels, and on engine drive, is effective ; unquestionably braking on the front wheels is preferable to .applying it on the transmission. On greasy surfaces the four wheel brake system would certainly tend to nrevent side-skids from brake application. Although very much has been said and written against single-cylinder engines, it. is instructive in these day's of high-pow-ered motor-cycles to note that the Harley Davidson -Company—one of the leading motor-cycle manufacturers of America — will shortly be marketing a single-cylinder, three-speed engine of 37 cubic metres capacity. The makers propose using the front cylinder of their well-known twin engine, with certain modifications for its successful application to the smaller machine. The English works of the Ford Motor Company, situated at Manchester, employ 4,000 hands; the product last year was 40,500 vehicles. At the American factory of’the same firm, a sum of £1,600,0(50 was distributed in bonuses to the employees, in addition to the high wages paid. There is a tremendous increase in the number of char-a-banc.s, or motor coaches, now used in Great Britain. Last year there were about 5.000, and before this year is ended the number will be 15,000', plying not only fy in town to town but between the cities and seaside resorts. The Canadian Government will continue

to admit, duty free, motor-tractors up to about £3O-0 in price, so as to encourage the farmer to produce more crops, &e. The removal of the duty had a satisfactory result from a national point of view. - The farmer is brought closer to the cities because of the use of motor vehicles. He is able to reduce considerably the time required in the transportation of his goods with less expense. Greater productivity is file result and in most countries the tendency toward motor transport is rapidly developing. — The motor car is no longer a mai k of class distinction. Between 6,000,000 and 7 000 000 cars are running in America today and between 2,000,000 and 3,000,CM cars will be made during the next twelve months. With 10,000,000 cars owned m America, and containing five members to a family, it moans that practically 50 per cent, of the American families will soon own a car. LIFE OF A MOTOR CAR. What is the useful life of a motor-car? Many people arq of the opinion that a firstclass car will last two or three years, although a better way of expressing its lile would be in miles. There are many makes of motor-cars which have seen and even 10 years of general service. In this connection some very interesting data was recently published in the English motor journals in respect to a 14-20 h.p. W olseloy car used by Lieut.-Colonel Forbes from 1909 to 1820. with the exception of 1918, when the owner was out of England on active service. In 11 years the .distance travelled was 47.130 miles, over which 2.0Q7 gallons of petrol were used, with an average of 20.3 m.p. gallon. In ISO 9, when 5,713 miles were covered, (he cost of the petrol consumed was £l3 13. as against £3l 6s in 1920. wlu-n only 3,736 miles were traversed. Tvrcs for the 11 years cost £l9B 3s The car turns the scale at 23cwt. ’the only breakages during the period were in the back brake rods, the front axle spring bolts, and two broken fan belts. The mileage of this car is completely eclipsed by that pul up by Dr. Fulton s little Rener car, which is still in active service. A NARROW ESCAPE. The two oeruoan I s of the motor ear registered "D 422” had a miraculous escape from a serious, if not fatal, accident, on Saturday night. The car was being driven into town along the road from Tomahawk past. Talmnn Bark. At the northern corner of Tahuna Bark is one of the two rising mains from the Drainage Board, and as this main is not yet completed, the excavation work i s very deep and runs right up to the road. To guard against the possibility of an accident a strong piece of bluegum boarding had been placed across the end of the excavation, anil a lantern was hung at each end of the board. The motor car driver, however, evidently thought that, lie had to drive between the two lights, although (ho road is clearly defined. The big cement mixing lioard at the back of the crossboard would shine white in the lantern light,, and might possibly have been mistaken for the road. The ear pitched forward on its “head," so to speak, and is now

standing end on, with the rear wheels on a level with the top of the side banks. The car just missed the heavy cross beams put in to support the banks while the main is being built, but cue of them faces right across the seat, of the car, which is a threeseater. It is understood that (he driver escaped with only a cut, and that his companion, a woman, was not, hurt at: all. A large number of people visited the spot yesterday, and everyone agreed that the car had got into a unique position. It is, however, not very badly damaged. REPAIR JOSS.

Good mechanics are few and far between, but stiil how is the motorist to know who is the right man for his job, when it is to be done? The really good mechanic is very much in denpmd, so he can pick his customers. This is where the opening comes for the second-rater, who sees big money waiting to lie picked off the tree. As an instance, recently a motorist called at a northern garage for an estimate for overhauling a big car. The owner said he had just completed a run in to town that morning of 25 miles, which took four hours. Before leaving home, he had the cylinder heads cleaned, but it made no difference. He had Hist had one quote of £35. The garage proprietor went out to where the car was standing, and on a short run was puzzled when the owner said the car vail! ed overhauling, it ran so smoothly. The owner said that it hud been going worse each time he went out in it. A new float was fitted in his vacuum tank, and. on driving it again, lie said it hud never crone better? The good mechanic will know just, these narts that do want attention, and not pull the whole show down ins! because the owner has a long purse. But the secondrater wi'l pull the whole job to pieces and nut it back with enough bolts and nuts left over to build a ear. and do nothing but charge good and hard. To get the best results the agent that handles a ear should lie the best adviser when advice is wanted. NEW AUTOMOBILE RECORD. NEW YORK, May 31. On the Indianapolis speedway Tommy Milton won the 500-mile auknnobilc race, making a new record of 89.62 miles per hour, lie Raima set a terrific pace, tint was forced out by mechanical trouble. There were no serious accidents. MOTOR SPEED RECORD. LONDON, June 3. Harker, the well-know aviator, covered the half-mile in a light car at Brook In neks at the rate of 105 miles an hour. This is a record.