CYCLING & MOTOR NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3724, 28 July 1925, Page 62

CYCLING & MOTOR NOTES

“DEMON.”

BY

— — It is announced by the Dunlop Rubber Company that its world-famed annual road race from Warrnambool to Melbourne (165 miles) will be held on Saturday, October 10, that date having been allotted by the League of Victorian Wheelmen for this classic road event As in previous years, interstate and New Zealand test races will be hold to decide the respective accredited representatives for tho 44 Warrnambool.” The law of England quite sensibly •ays that where a trailer is drawn behind a motor vehicle the front number plate and the extrome back plate must show the same letters and figures. At the same time one cannot but sympathise with the predicament of a magistrate before whom reoently a lorry-driver was haled by the police on a charge that he, when giving a tow to a broken-down motor, had not displ»y«d hii own number* on tire towed Vahids. Ai the lew itenda, an offence had been committed, end the good Samaritan aeoairod a somewhat negative reward. It Mama likely (««y. the Autocar) that thia kind ol absurdity will be corrected in the MW end long looked-for Road Vehicle Bill.

»HOUR BICYCLE RECORDS. A very fine unpaced track ride for one hour was recently established in England by one of their crack, road riders, named u . Southall. He succeeded in covering 25 miles 1520yds on Horne Hill track m 60mm, thus establishing a now amateur world s record. Southall rode a 91 in gear. The previous beet stood to the credit of H Kaltenbrum, of South Africa, his figures being 25 miles 953yds. The Australian reoord stands at 24 miles 606yds, established in Sydney in 1922. Hie world’s best stands at 27 miles 870yds, is held by the professional rider O. Egg, who put up his in P ol ''’ awa y hock in 1814. Of all the unpaced records the hour track 11 i particularly trying one, as it is absolutely free from all suggestion of artificial aid, and calls foi great gameness and stamina on the part of the rider. LOOKINC INTO THE FUTURE. At the present time several of tho capital cities in New Zealand and Australia are much concerned over the question of finding adequate room for the parking of motor oars. What would the authorities “y th ®y had to find room for over 615,000 cars as they do in New York todayT aTenu ® (Now York) alone some 40,000 cars daily pass olong thot street. Most of the oars have to find room dong the kerb* or in private mammoth parages many otories high. Tho world’s leading olties have been caught asleep »s far at making provision for motor car parkin* is concerned. Now is the time to deol with this important matter, otherwise the time will come when Bpace will not be available, and the trouble now being faced In New York will have to be overcome in tlie ooloniea.

HOLD OF THE STEERING WHEEL There are several different ways of holding the steering wheel of a car, and most of them are right ; which means that the best method must be largely a matter of individual preference. Some drivers keep their hands above the wheel, the palms, of course, being downwards, and hold the wheel near its topmost .point. Others grasp the wheel from below with the fingers coming over it, and hold the wheel m either side. The first of these methods certainly looks well, and it suggests that the driver has been accustomed to driving horses. The second, perhaps, gives a firmer grip on bad roads. What is wanted \ a i8 n P that naturally tightens if the wheel makes a sudden movement, and the one which gives the best control. Having got this, one may also study appearance partly because whnt looks a position of ease and comfort is also a position which gives an easy control. It is seldom necessary to have the hana above the centre of the wheel, and the method of holding one hand at- the top °l «} ™ heol a . n d the other at the bottom should be avoided. It looks bad; and is unsuited to a quick turn in either direcf ,on * ,fc 18 a Plan to place one hand higher up the wheel than usual when approaching a sharp corner. Of course the right hand will be raised when approaching a right-hand corner, and vice versa. Some few drivers hold the spoke, instead of the rim of the wheel, and while it is a good plan to place a finger round a spoke to increase the firmness of the grip holding the spokes inside the rim is not recommended. It is a good plan to accustom oneself to drive with either hand, and both hands should be fiven practice in this when suitable oocasions present themselves, beginning on a good, atraight road. But the

hand which must do the steering when the gear and brake-levers are being used must, more especially, be trained in tho way. On a central-control car the right hand must steer, while on a right-hand control this will be left to the left comes more natural to overy driver to use one hand than the other, and those who have been cyclists will generally steer more easily with the left; but, after a little praotice, either hand can be used with equal facility. The modern car steers very easily, and little muaoular effort is required; but some can with more'direct steering than usual

have a slight tendency to follow the camber—that is to say, to run down the slope. A little pressure on the wheel is necessary to prevent them from doing this, but after driving for a few miles one ceases to notioe it. Cars that do this have also the knack of straightening up after a corner, and will do this on a suitable road if the driver releases the wheel for a moment.

BRITISH AND U.B.A. MOTORS. England and America between them nipply lor all practical purposes the entire motor-cycle requirements of the world, ana

in 1923 these two countries between them exported 38.118 machines. Of these, America supplied 22,116 and England 16,002. In 1924 the overseas demand for the products of England and the United States increased to 54,422, of which Great Britain sold 37,563 and America 16,859. The same tendency is apparent in the car trade, though England has a lot of leeway to make up. None the less, British cars are finding a wider market each year, due partly to a growing recognition of their value, but also due in part to road improvement in distant parts of the world creating a demand for vehicles of the British type. The British trade for months past has been conducting an unostentatious cooperative campaign with a view to advising the public not to buy any .particular make of car, but to buy British. This is no attack on foreigners, no disparagement of their wares, but a quiet insistence on the q n alitv of the Home-made article and the fact that a prosperous Homeland is an Empire asset. THE NUMBER-PLATE CONFERENCE. The conference called by the Minister of Internal Affairs to confer with him in re•pect to the style of registration numberplates to be used next year was a complete fiasco (says the Radiator). Instead of being a conference, it resolved itself into a meeting of motorists and local body representatives, who told the Minister what -they wanted without even going through the form of discussing the pros and cons. Prior to the conference it was known that the principal automobile associations in the North Taland were in favour of the present system of number-plates with some minor modifications, but at the Minister’s conference their views were not expressed, and the northern represent at ives sat as dumb dogs allowing the southern members to dominate the position and state the case from their viewpoint. Although the proposals put forward by the South Island motorists were shown to be impracticable bv the executive officer, those responsible would not in any way modifv them or agree to a compromise. Had the suggestion made by the motor trade representatives to agree to an annual change of tmmber-plate if the number itself was not changed, been adopted, it would probably have been accepted by the Minister, and the matter settled there and then. The matter is left with the Minister for decision, and in our opinion there is little chance of the South |liland requests being panted.

The men who represent the motorists on the motor unions have a great deal to answer for, as we very much doubt if the views put forward by these gentlemen are the views of motorists generally. Of course motorists are to blame for not taking more interest in their associations and seems that suitable mem are put in the official positions. Although the automobile asso ciations in the larger centres have fairly large memberships now, we think there' is in reality very little interest shown by the rank and file, and the officials are left to put forward views which they claim are the views of motorists of the Dominion, whilst in reality they represent only a very small section. TYPES OF VALVES. All four-stroke engines have valves to reregulate the inlet of the explosive mixture and the expulsion of the burnt gases. In the early days of the motor-cycle these valves were automatic, relying upon the suction caused by the downward stroke of the piston for the opening of the inlet valve, the valve being closed by a light spring. These valves were extremely simple, t. were not highly efficient, especially at high and low speeds. It quickly became evident that for high efficiency it was essential to have the valves working mechanically. hence the introduction of the “poppet valve. This form of valve is still today the most popular, and seems likely to remain so. There are three different positions selected for their working—side by side, the overhead inlet, and the case where both valves are overhead, being placed in the cylinder head. Valves which are satisfactory in a water-cooled engine are not always the same in the air-cooled engine, and this is probably why the poppet valve is used almost universally in motor cycles. There is every possibility, however, that this type will bo improved upon, for there is a number of different forms of valves which may prove practical when they have reached a further stage of development. The rotary valve has distinct possibilities; the sleove valve, in which case the piston moves in two concentric sleeves; the piston valve, in which the valve slides in a separate chamber; the rotating disc and the rotary hemisphere valves may one day be found to be superior to the poppet form of valve.

TOURIBTB AND CUBTOMB DUTY. Arrangement! ere being made to complete a bond of £IOOO to be entered into between the New Zealand motor unions and the Government in order that oversea tourists visiting New Zealand may bring their motor cars into the country duty free.

The Comptroller of Customs (Mr George Craig), writing to The South Island Motor Union, stated at its last meeting that in the event of such a car being completely destroyed by fire while in New Zealand, no claim for duty would be made thereon, provided that the department was satisfied as to the fact. If a car were damaged by accident while in New Zealand, and not subsequently exported, duty would be accepted on the basis of the estimated value of the car in its damaged condition, but it would be necessary in any such case that the department’s officers should be afforded tun-ty of examining the car in its damaged condition and before any re pa r» ad taken place. It was desired to know if arrangements concerning the bond of £IOOO required by the department should be completed Mr Minson: It is clear that the Government recognise that this is for the benefit of the Government and the country, and not the automobile associations. The secretary (Mr P. R. Harman) reported that he had written to Australian motor organisations with'a view to getting a reciprocal agreement entered into in respect of the New Zealand touring motorists entering Australia. The Chairman (Mr J. S. Hawkes) said that Mr W. H. Nicholson, on his recent visit to Australia, had taken up the matter with the automobile organisations, which were favourable to reciprocity. He suggested that arrangements be made to complete the bond. This course was agreed to, and it wan decided to thank the Minister for meeting the union as he had done.