MOTORING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 867, 20 November 1916, Page 2

MOTORING.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. FORTHCOMING EVENTS. December 2—Reach I\acos at Brighton. December !)—Pioneer Club's Single-gear Trial. February 17—Patriotic Motor Carnival at Canterbury Park. The programme of events for the Patriotic Motor Carnival, which was published last week, differs in some respects from that of last February's gymkhana. There are ten events so far prepared, including a two-lap push bicycle race and a motor car bending event, a against the 15 of the previous carnival. The prizes are to be very much larger, while the distances are practically the same. An aeroplane event may also be added to the programme, if the two aeroplanes ordered from England for Canterbury arrive in time. Mr J. B. Clarkson, of Wellington, has offered an Excelsior medal for the heavy-weight championship. "Wheeling" announces that it might not be necessary for the Christchurch Patriotic. Committee to affiliate with the N.Z.A.C.U., but if that body desires speed riders, who compete at meetings held under the A.C.U., to visit the next Christchurch meeting, the Carnival Committee must make application to the N.Z.A.C.U. to have the meeting officially recognised, and must not run races in which the prize money is less than £1 per mile, with proportional allotments for those who fill places. It is quite a common thing to hear a motor churn for a considerable time under the power of an electric starter without result. This is one of the most frequent causes of storage battery trouble. Few motorists seem to realise the immense amount of electrical power required to turn a motor, and what a considerable amount of driving at charging speed is necessary to restore the

same amount of current to the battery. A little care in Derating the self-starter ■will obviate this trouble. The driver should always make sure that the starting switch is thrown over before attempting to operate.! the self-starter. Every motorist ami driver who handles a care fitted with detachable wheels j should make a point of removing them ) about every 1000 miles and greasing j the hubs freely. If, from immunity of j punctures or disinclination to mider- ! take such work, the wheels are allowed ! to remain on the axles for long periods ; undisturbed, the motorist is likely to ! experience a deal of trouble when their j removal is imperative. After the studs land locking devices are removed, the | wheels ordinarily should come off with- ! out much effort; but if ''rusted up 1 ' i their detachment is a very difficult job. If the wheel resists all ordinary efforts ; to remove it, try pulling it simultaneI ously outwards and upwards—not i straight outwards. If it be a back | wheel, insert a tyre lever between tho j brake drum and the hub, hammering it \ as one would a wedge, thus foreing off ! the wheel. Paraffin applied to tho : studs and the axle generally loosens jiust aud grit, and makes a sturdy pull • effective. When removing the wheels i it is good practice to change them about j —back left to front right, and vice ' versa. During Carnival Week there were no : fewer than 3S different registration dis- | tricts represented by the cars and motor j cycles about the city. A large number I of these came from Timarn, Oamaru, and ; Dunedin. some from Nelson, and a fair j number from Bank's Peninsula. There j were also several from Wellington and i Hawke's Bay. Some doubt appears to exist with re- ' gard to the boundaries within which I pillion riding is prohibited. Not a few motori6t6 seem to think it is within the belts. Pillion riding is prohibited eu- : tirely within the boundaries of the city. j Thus if a motorist wishes to "pillion' l a ; passenger to Sumner, he may pick him • up at Eusor's Road; to Halswell at the j show grounds; and to Papanui at May's j Road.