MOTOR NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 121, 15 October 1914, Page 7

MOTOR NOTES.

( One of the features of the outbreak 1 of war in Europe was 'the wholesale seizure of motor vehicles of nil teorts.. Foreigners travelling in France and Ger'many.in their own csits suddenly dis'covared themselves out on the road, jcompleUing the journey per foot while tlie car whirled olf to the nearest military depot. It was not much better in 'England, except tlhat sarnie genlllumnn an uniform Bcribblcd a, recent for f'.ie jigger. The biggest motor traction proprietary in London was tlhe London 'General Omnibus Company, Limited, 'which started business at the old iHand one morning with close on 401)9 motor vehicles of various s'oiris. in its ranks were over 1000 reservists. Its caw were stopped in the elreeta, the pas-] singers emptied out, and ri'lie vehicles 'driven to the nearest military depot, where the work of turning tllufflii mto fighting machines startled witlh a bang. | '.I he drivers were signed on for foreign j fwrvicor at 4:2s jper week, with an allowance to the wives and> children of such as were married. It doesn't seem much in return for a.cliance of being blown to pieces, but., all th 0 same, never before has the soldier mechanic been soi lavishly I paid in xJie history of war. | Talking of motor-cars, a novel machine was introduced in Sydney recently. Jn this excellent contraption the internal combustion engine does not drive I the car, hut insli ad drives a df-namo 'which makes electricity. The result is ; that the expensive, delicate and ephemeral gear-box is done away with. From the dynamo the "juice" flows to an electric motor, which acts diirectly on the back axle, and drives the car with a regular, smooth motion, altogether different fromr the jerky propulsion of the ordinary explosive engine. Wtai the car is stationary the engine can still manufacture electricity, aitd the British War Office sent scores of them to France. 'I hey convey trwups and supplies all day, and at night' they pour out vast beams of searchlight, in fact, it looks, on a rough genciuiifavtJon, a» though J this machine produces absolutely as much as it put into it. The company gave a demonstration to the Lord Mayor •of Sydney, and proved that the motor'bus is faster than the electric tram;, and just as comfortable and cheaper. It works out at about one. penny per mile. A.s motor-cycle side-cars grow more ?iid move into popular favor, the question of braking heavily laden threewheelers assumes greater and greater importance. The modern twin motorcycle, to be sure, is equipped with a double braking system Mint is the last word in efficiency., and the reliability and durability of the devices to check the forward movement of tho machine «re above question. However efficient the braking of the uncoupled twowheeler, when tho iside car is attached, its position ami its momentum, tend to nullify tho braking ell'edt. Especially is this so en wet or sippory road surfaces "with heavily laden combination* 1 ravelling even at mod'.irate speeds.! The momentum of the side-ear and iUj load results in a grealter or less force ( icing applied sidewise to the. motor- j ,e\cle immediately the brake is applied.! .inducing slippage and skidding of the' front wheel nmll nullifying ifliia effect of the brake. With the heavy niotoT-cytics and side-cans now in vogue some imijirovement in the method of braking ia a thing to hs desired and looked forward to. The addition of a brake to the front wheel of -i'he motor-cycle Mould hardly be productive of bsncfi'cinl results for the side pressure du;j to the unbraked side-ear would not be relieved, but an effective brake 'on the sidecar wlloel undoubtedly would help matters considerably. Such a brake should not idler any very si-dotis constructional difficult ice and with a little ingenuity could bo rigged to be quickly detachable and ateaoha'ble to the operating lover on t'he motor-cycle. For the best results of course the brake on the imiotor-cyele wheel and that on the side-car wheel should be equalised., Inn even this refinement should offer no serious difficulty to the designer. Undoubtedly such an nirraiigement would work benefits in other directions also, for the fact cannott' be concealed that with the brake confined to the single wheel, the strain and heat are enormous, when the brake is applied hard or often. With •the double brakes, however, the strain and struss are di.sM-ibuted, and by the t.ame token tyre wear and tear are more ncaTly equalised. For years hi oto nuts in England have sull'ered at the hands of 'i'he police, on account of traps, alleged noise and other charges*. To-day, side by side, drinking a! The same liar, feeding at tlhe same table, tiiottirists and police are "all-out" for their country',* welfare. There is not a. trap on the road now. The black lii-t is deal, and the cit-wit regulation is a name raiJin- than a law. and iftiie war has done no other good in England, ii has at least served to combine motorists ami the authorities to sikli tin extent that fc is highly improbable the old M'apninir prosicution. will ever be renewed. "

The English. \Y'ar Gfi'ic.i ilias taken over Ulic imitiiire outfit of several of the large motor cycle manufacturer,;, for u*c with its avpeditionary fortes (m the. comment., ami it is evident that the motor cycle in no longer regarded as a luxury, for they bare become pait*, and a valuable put, of the business of war. The pay of English motor cvclisl.-v un

active service kus been, fixed at srt a <hiy. Whilst iu tfsuy'an;]: thev receive S.- a day,'but have to provide their own food.

Hermans and .V.ist'rians in ICng'and are not. aliowedto use mortor-ears or motorcycles during the curreney of the war. The. (|iicKtion, "What fa tl'ie ideal 'motor car?' i« a moot ouw. ami for this reasiiji the discussion wliich revolved about it at the reeenlt'annual mre:sng of I lie Society of American Automobile Kiigimvis i.s enlightening. Ah a result. of several sessions, it evolved that the ideal ear, in tihe opinion <:f t'he miajorily, incorporates Mie followinr; fea-

tures:— High i-pecd. Oiig.h cfliciency motor wit.li six cylinders measuring about " by 5 inehes bore and stroke, respectively; streamline body; weight, about;'27,">o• rounds with full equipment; electric lighting and engine starling >vstem; dis? clutch: fonr-spoed gear pet;

norm driv.!; fiill-floatin,<r rear axle; cairtilever spring*; left side drive \v!.rh centre, txm'.rol ; magw k.'<> ignition: i>vimj> lireulab-d water cooling; double iirVerJiiill expanding brakes. -Such Is the ;<!eaJ car, in t'lo opinion of Ihe leading .American motor manufacture™. According to official sititistics, .in;?.' 1o Land, Gent' Any had, previioiu to tile war. fiOST'l liioto-r-owrs 22.457 moior-

cfvolcn. 1t.7.19 inrotor w-nfrsrons of commercial type of 100 motor-cycle carta. The! lafrter arc motor-cycles with goods Transportation bodies. The. increases since Jan-wry 1, 191S, aire, respectively. 21,110, 2,1.12, and 2,036 for the first ■ihrco clasr>i(icaf,inns, motor-cycle earls.

so-called, decreased by 23. These figures jrivr. a big pull to the Allies, who ran easily murt'Vr three motor vehicles to every one German car,