Motor and Cycle

Otago Witness, Issue 3888, 18 September 1928, Page 68

Motor and Cycle

by

DEMON.

Malcolm Campbell, driving a Delage, covered 278 miles in 3h 52min 34 4-ssee —-an average speed of 74 miles an hour—and won the French national trophy. . Hubert Opperman, the Australian cyclist, won the 24-hour road race at Paris on Sunday, September 2. His distance in the 24 hours was 598 miles. A good deal of misapprehension appears to have existed in regard to the rule of the road relating to overtaking and passing a tramcar on the off side. It is most definitely agreed that it is optional on the part of a motorist on which side he'passes a “moving” tram. He must not, however, pass a stationary tramcar under any circumstances,- and when he passes a car on the off-side, he does so at his own risk. A sub-committee of the Otago Motor Club has at present under consideration the establishing of a permanent camping place for motorists, and with this end in view, is seeking the co-operation of the St. Kilda Improvement Society in obtaining a site on the Domain Board’s reserve near St. Hilda. Should the site be procured, the club is prepared to spend a considerable sum of money in equipping the camp so as to make it an attraction for visiting motorists. A curious accident befell a large motor lorry recently at Waipawa (according to the Napier Telegraph). The vehicle was left standing on the main road just over the river, while the driver went into a house for a few minutes. When he returned he was astonished to find '"the lorry, which was loaded with a large pen full of young calves, embedded in a paddock on the other side of the road on the river bank. Apparently the engine was left running, though the brakes were said to be on, and the lorry turned by some means, crossed the road, broke through a fence, and came to rest at the bottom of a bank in the paddock. Luckily it did not capsize, so neither the vehicle nor its freight was injured, but it was so sunk in the soft earth that it was not extricated for some time, though several attempts had been made to get it back on to the road.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCIDENTS. In a report upon road accidents in Carmarthenshire (Wales) during the past ‘year the county chief constable roundly condemns pedestrian carelessness as being responsible for the majority of road mishaps in which motor cars are concerned Next to pedestrians, motor cyclists are blamed for carelessness resulting in accidents. During the past year there were 290 accidents in which motor vehicles were concerned. Death resulted to 32 persons and injury to 371. Of the motor vehicle accidents, including those without casualty, 185 happened on straight roads, 83 at bends, 39 at cross roads, and .31 at junctions of main and side roads. It was astonishing to find pedestrians who went about as though they were living in the age of sedan chairs, and apparently were oblivious that the era of motor transport was in full swing. Accidents to such people, with juveniles who dashed across streets, accounted for one-third of the casualty accidents in the county, and in every case the car driver had not a remote chance of averting the accident. No fewer than 15 drivers were injured in taking risk iipon themselves to avert accident well nigh impossible of evasion.

KEROSENE IN TRACTORS. An Australian expert on the care and management of tractors has recently completed a tour of the main tractor areas of the Dominion, and has expressed amazement at the number of tractor owners working, kerosene tractors on petrol and distillate. On taking up the question with them as to the reason he finds that it was simply that they had never used kerosene, and that motor spirit “seemed to run all right.” jn one instance he secured some kerosene and put it in a tractor which had previously , been using petrol, and demonstrated to the owner- the difference in the power of his motor. The tractor owner was doing some mole draining, and had to drive up a sharp hill. On petrol the motor detonated badly for some distance, and then stopped, being quite incapable of doing the job. When the kerosene was put in the tractor pulled the load straight up the hill without any detonating or faltering whatever. It was a typical demonstration of the value of the two fuels in a motor made to burn kerosene. This tractor expert has wonderful faith in the tractor industry, and honestly believes that the tractor has a, great future as a farm unit; but it can never prosper whilst expensive and wasteful methods are adopted in its operation. Many of the farmers called upon, he said, remarked that they did not use their machines much' because they were too expensive to run; but these were the motor spirit and distillate users, who were paying more money for a fuel which gave them about 60 per cent, of the value in w-ork than could be obtained by the use of kerosene. He stresses this point very strongly, for it is a fact that the tractor on the farm can only be economical as against horses if attention is given to the reduction of its running costs. ' • In Australia the tractor industry is an enormous, one, and in the State of Victoria there are over 6000 tractors working on the farm, and not 1 per cent, of them use anything but kerosene—firstly because kerosene is cheaper in its initial cost; secondly, it gives more satis-

factory operation of the motor; and, thirdly, it reduces the operation costs by half. With the exception of two or three makes of machines which are manufactured to run on petrol, the manufacturer of the kerosene tractor definitely intended that it should run on kerosene. He has built his engine with that aim in view, and the motor does not give of its best unlesa r kerosene is used as a .fuel. Motor spirit is a much lighter -fuel than kerosene, and consequently cannot give anything like the power produced by the heavier fuel. It is safe to say that a kerosene tractor using motor spirit loses easily 40 per cent of its possible power output, and that means that instead of your year’s supply of fuel costing you, say, £3O, it costs £5O. and, furthermore, you have not had the satisfactory running from the motor to which you are entitled. Ninety-nine per cent, of tractors are purchased in order that the power factor on the farm m'ay be run on the most economical basis, and in adopting expensive and wasteful methods the tractor owner is acting in direct defiance of the principle which prompted his purchase of the machine in the first place. BATTERY " DOPES.” In a technical news bulletin issued by the United States Bureau of Standards motorists are warned against using certain solutions, some containing Epsom salts, which are said to charge batteries instantly or in a short period as compared with the usual process. Laboratory investigations have established, it is pointed out, that batteries containing these solutions, contrary to the claims made for them, behave in accordance with wellestablished laws of electro-chemistry. The indiscrihiinate addition of these solutions to a battery is not advisable, although in some cases no great harm may be done. If the solution is used to replace the electrolyte of a completely discharged battery, as is usually the case, the battery may be spurred on to give a little more current because the plates retain a surplus of active material. Although the materials and colouring matter considered individually’ may be harmless, the disadvantages in using such solutions more than offset any’ temporary gain._ The usual electrolyte of pure sulphuric acid and water, adjusted to the proper specific gravity at the completion of a full charge, is believed by’ the bureau to be the best.

FUEL WASTE. Neglect of lubrication is the cause of much waste of petrol in privately owned cars. _ A labouring engine, it will be readily’ understood, makes unduly’ heavy calls on the fuel supply. . It is not possible for the ordinary passenger car user to tune up his machine to its maximum. capacity, but he can watch the points upon which the expert tuner relies for efficiency, and by this means can keep the machine in - reasonably good working order. With poor compression the motor cannot develop full power, and if the cylinders are scored there will be excessive oil consumption. Badly’ fitting piston rings or valves or leaks around the spark plugs militate full engine power. Much is to be gained by adjusting the valve tappets correctly. It is necessary to keep the crank case oil fresh, and care must be taken to get only oil of a suitable grade. If the cooling system is not kept clean it will act tardily and weaken the efficiency of the engine and cause overheating. Failure of a correct mixture in the carburetter will follow, causing late firing. WATCH THE SPRINGS. Cars of to-day will run for long periods without much mechanical adjustment, but they will not continue so to run indefinitely, and economy of operation includes such periodical attention to mere details as shall prevent breakdown or such, wear as will make expensive trouble eventually.

In the matter of springs, for instance, we can get harsh running and wear which will mean expensive replacement unless these parts are attended to. Spring shackles which are worn and loose will cause sway which may seriously’ interfere with the economical transmission of the power Springs which have “ settled down may cause the same, and also may have the effect of wringing the bodywork and causing loosening of the body framing joints and bad-fitting doors; not to mention the annoying rattle which may be set up. Springs should be carefully lubricated and kent lubricated. There is now no excuse for the neglect of'this obvious service since the makers of practically all cars send out their vehicles fitted with grease containing, or oil lubricative. leather gaiters. Good, flexible springing is one of the greatest elements.in the conservation of tyres. Harsh, unyielding springs cause the wheels to bounce off the road and to make contact with it again with considerable abrasive friction, esnecially in the case of the rear wheels. This means excessive tyre wear. Therefore it becomes imperative, if economy of tyre service is to be maintained, that the springs should be well looked after, periodically examined, and continually lubricated.

The spring gaiter may hide a spring defect. It has been known of springs, even well lubricated in gaiters, to have a leaf broken near the spring plate. This cannot be ascertained except by an extra sagging of that spring. It may arise from high speeds over bad roads or sudden accelerations on low- gear—a prolific cause of trouble of all kinds. A little care over this matter will save pounds in

repair and replacements, and will ensure easy riding and economy of pperation -and upkeep.

TRAFFIC CONTROL. Every 20 minutes of the day and night someone is killed by an automobile in the United States (writes the New York correspondent of Wellington ’Post). More than 25,000 will die in this way during the present year. The total is growing at a faster relative rate than the population. This huge death rate is bringing about harmonised traffic control throughout the United States. The Department of Commerce at Washington is co-operat-ing with State and city- zoning and traffic engineers all over the country in seeking to find a balance between speed and safety. Decentralisation of traffic in big cities has now been commenced. In Chicago no automobiles are allowed to park in the Loop district, where traffic is most congested. Los Angeles is spending a huge sum in depressing one street under another at the busiest crossings. In Detroit, Boston, and other big cities new skyscrapers are being built to provide parking space for. cars. One New York department store takes over its clients’ cars at the front door, issues checks for them, putting them in a nearby garage and delivering them again at the -front door at a telephoned request. . Pedestrians are now forced to cross streets, only at intersections, under control of the same system that applies to motorists. Driving signals throughout the country are being made uniform. A careful analysis of the delay of passenger traffic, based on a low estiYnate of the average person’s time, puts the annual loss for New York city down to half a billion dollars. Canada has hitherto reconciled her traffic by-laws in harmony with those of the United States owing to the heavy interchange of traffic. The same problem of decentralisation of traffic is being grappled with in the Dominion on much the same lines as in the United States.

DOMINATING DESIGN. During recent years the fundamental principles of motor-cycle design have undergone little, change. The tendency has been for manufacturers steadily to improve their productions in minor rather than major details. That there is progress in design must be readily admitted; nevertheless, in the .opinion of many keen motor cyclists, the British motby cycle industry is at present in a groove. There are certainly grounds for this , belief since there is little individuality about the various makes, and in nearly every case there is a slavish adherence to the conventional. The dominating type of present-day machine is that developed by T.T. Races, and it is rightly asserted that such a machine is unsuitable for the middle-aged or for utility purposes. THE INDUSTRIAL MOTOR. To the student of present-day traffic conditions nothing can be more interesting than to watch the gradual but sure growing economic change that is being wrought by the motor, and more especially by the industrial motor, since necessarily it affects a far greater number of people than does the private car. At present the motor is influencing social conditions in a two-fold manner. -In the first place, the passenger vehicle, by affording increased.travelling facilities to outlying districts, is helping powerfully towards decentralisation. The second way in which the motor, may effect social conditions is by facilitating the delivery of goods to people once they have been induced to live at a greater distance from business centres. Here, as in many another case, the greater the facilities o£ trasport the greater the number of people attracted thereby. DIRT-TRACK- RACING. Dirt-track car racing has made a start in England, and promises to catch the public fancy, judged by the success of the first meeting, held there recently, when hundreds of people were turned away at the gates: In America, where they have been at the dirt-track game for many years, racing on an unbanked course of earth or cinders has been brought to a fine art. This form of car contest provides all the thrills of road racing in the restricted area of an oval or circular track, and. provided that grandstands are properly arranged—as they generally are—the spectators can see every incident in a race. The roar of the super-timed cars hurtling round and skidding in the dust, the blackened, begoggled faces of the drivers and mechanics, and the clouds of dust drifting with the wind, provide a spectacle such as can never ‘be witnessed on a cement or board track of the' older type. The success of a participant in a race in the “dirt.” depends as much, if not more, on the skill of the driver as on the speed of the car. Constantly, as they tear round the bends in- a more or less continuous skid, the drivers are experiencing narrow- escapes; an ' over-corrected skid may send them crashing into the inner barrier of the oval. When passing a competitor at speed., there is the everpresent risk of becoming entangled with the wheels of another racer, w'hile. if a bend be taken too fast, the car, slithering in loose dirt, will be hurled by centrifugal force towards the outer edge, and may well end in overturning. Thus there can be no doubt,that dirttrack racing for cars is full of thrills, and the public will go with .the same enthusiasm it would flock to a cinema to see some thrilling film. The possibilities are that dirt-track racing for cars bids fair to become an open-air amusement of the multitude. THE MOTOR REGULATIONS. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., on Wednesday gave written judgment in a case in which a motor driver named Leary’ was charged by the police under by-law 8 of the Borough of Oamaru with driving along Thames street at a greater speed than 18 miles an hour, and with driving round a corner at a greater speed than eight miles per hour. The defendant did not deny the charges, but claimed that the restriction laid down in the by-law was inoperative and invalid in view of the regulations made by his Excellency the Governor-General . under the Motor Vehicles Act. 1924,” dated February 24; 1928. His Worship dealt at length with

the legal effect of the regulations, and •stated that there was nothing in th-j Motor A ehieles Act which took awav from a local authority its power to make by-laws. If this were not done by the Act. it could not be done by the regulations. The only limitation imposed was that imposed by’ section 36 (5) of the Motor Vehicles Act, which provided that where the by-law was inconsistent with or repugnant to any of the regulations under the Act the latter should prevail. The intention of the Act was clear that uniform signs should be provided, but the regulations were, he thought, defective in assuming that by-laws by a controlling authority must be made as proyid%d ]>y regulation 15. He was unable to find any such general provision. He could not think, as the regulations stood, that, the by*-laws could be held to be inconsistent with or repugnant to the regulations owing to the failure to erect rngns. The defendant would be convicted and fined court courts, 10s. MOTOR CYCLE RECORD. The highest speed ever recorded on a motor cycle was accomplished early this month on the road at Arpajon, near Paris, by O. M. Baldwin, who rode a British 1000 c.c. Zenith-Jap machine, covering a sldle,5 ldle , o from . a Aying start at a speed of 124.48 m.p.h., and a kilometre (five-eighths of a mile) at 124.62 m.p.h. He received the Franch gold medal for being the first rider to exceed 200 kilometres (124 3-8 miles) an hour.