MOTOR CYCLING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10756, 30 April 1913, Page 3

MOTOR CYCLING.

ON TRACK AND ROAD

(By SPARK.)

FIXTURES. Slay 8— "Wairarapa Reliability Trials. May 24—8-Mile Scratch Race (for machines up to BJh.p.); 24-Mile Open Handicap. Brighton Beach. May 24 —Canterbury Motor Cyclists' Club's Smoke Concert and Musical Evening Annual.

June 3—Reliability and Petrol Consumption Test (for machines with side-cars), Akaroa and Return.

\ meeting of the committee of ifcbe North Canterbury Motor-Cyclists Club was held on Monday evening, Mr P H. . Powell Presiding. The recommendation of the Social Committee to hold a smoke concert and musical evening on May *4 was adopted, and Messrs Philp, Cordery, Bonnington and Manning were appointed to make the necessary arrangements. iWith regard' to holding a motor race meeting it was decided to ask Messrs Cordery and Douglas to report. It was resolved to hold beach races on May M, the events to be eight-mile scratch race for machines up to 3i horse-power (first prize Triumph gold medal), and. a twenty-four-mile open handicap, in® holding of a reliability and petrol consumption test, for machines with sidecars, was decided upon, the test to be held on June 8. to Akaroa and return. Messrs Suckling, Black and Bonnington were appointed' a sub-com-mittee to draw up regulations to govern the trials. ' A man who was going out for tlio \reek-end to the huts at Selwyn jouineyed to Templeton on a recent Saturday, and on going through the %illage his stopped. He had a look Hit the engine, and on examining tha valvos lie ton ml tlia-t- oil© was broken. /Not having a spare one in his bag, ln4 borrowed a bicycle and rode back into town. A new valve was turned to fit the engine, aud tA motorist spent tho jiext -Saturday afternoon in travelling up and'fitting it. When he tried to etart the engine, however, he found that all the compression had vanished. The valves and 1 the other outside parts of the engine wero examined, and found to be sound, and so an examination of the internal arrangements was instituted. Then a largo hole was found in the top of the piston. It had happened that when the valve broke the top flew into the cylinder, and as the engine revolved the piston knocked the valve head against the. head of the cylinder. Either the piston or cylipder had to <nve way, and as the (piston was the weaker it had to give ."wayI'wo motor-cyclists had a very unpleasant trip on Sunday. The run up to Rangiora was enjoyable, but on the return journey the motor stopped near Kaiapoi. The motor-cycle and sidecar were put in an adjacent paddock and left there till the Monday morning. The motorists started to walk the twelve miles into town and arrived home at half-past one.

The Australian time for tlie mile lias jbeen reduced, to 59 2-ssec by F. R. Limb, riding a standard Brooklands model Rudge on a rough traok at Rc-n-Jnark, South Australia. The rules for this year's TouristTrophy \ Motor-Cycle Road Race, the premier event of its kind in the world, Lave now been issued. The event is to be held on the Isle of Man on Juno it and 6, the machines being locked up on the intermediate date. Two classes are again" adopted, the Senior" (engine capacity not exceeding 500 cubic centimetres) and the "Junior" (350 t.c.) The higher-powered machines have to cover seven circuits of the course, totalling 262 miles, and the *\Junior" six circuits, or 225 miles; ill machines to carry efficient silencers end proper touring mud-guards. A peculiar condition is that no competitor is to be allowed to practice or start In the race if wearing metal-studded >oots, presumably on account of contestants ripping up the road surface on the corners by using their feet as brakes. The " Senior " machines cover five lapa in the first day and two on the final, whilst the "Juniors" have to negotiate four on the first day and two on the final day, both classes being run together on June 4, but separately on the final day. Two cycle-car road races are to be held this year in Europe, one in France, over a section of the Grand Prix course, and the other in Ireland in July, over a part of the course used for the Gordon Bennett race in 1903. The distance of the latter event is to be 100 miles. These two contests will do much to advance the construction jof these little runabouts, for such Events afford manufacturers an opportunity of finding out the good andlbad points in the construction of their Machines, and there is little doubt that these two contests will have an Important influence on the future design, etc., of the cj'cle-ear, which is at present only in its infancy. _ The ci-owd that turned out last Saturday to watch the racing on the Jvew Brighton beach was unexpect-edh' large. The club now starts the events a couple of miles up the beach, with the idea of getting away from the crowd, but still the people flocked out to watch the proceedings. On the whole the racing was good »nd always interesting, but the conditions were not as pleasant as they flight have been. The beach was wet Ed the side wind was bitterly cold. At >ast one competitor got moisture *here it was not wanted, and lost his fchance through it. Some close followers of motor-cycling were puzzled by the " form " shown in some instances, put the fact is that several of the machines were 1913 models that had tiever been given a trial. A Triumph, a Douglas and a Rover were included |n this oategory. I heard, indeed, that the new machines had arrived only bn the Thursday, and there had not been, time to run them more than a kiile or so before they were sent out to raoe. A machine unpacked on Thursday oan scarcely be ready for racing by Saturday, and enthusiasts ought to fchoose more suitable occasions for giving their latest acquisitions the preliminary airing.

Woodmaoi.who -won the Sir.teenViiles Open Handicap, is, I am informed, an experienced rider who -has raced >n Brooklands track. He was training for the Tourist Trophy Race when he Eet with an accident, losing otfe of his gs. He is settled in New Zealand how, and evidently the accident has not effected either his skill or his enthusiasm.

Mallard, as was to be expected, put Sp exceedingly fast times, but the fiandicappers set him too big a task. Incidentally, he provided a subject of discussion on the head) by changing his back wheel for the side-car race—the abject of the change being to provide lor change speeds.

Young Smith—he is only a lad—put hp an excellent performance. He was particularly clever at the corners, and In any _ older riders would profit by Vatching him.

_ Dondy, on a new machine, rode well through. G. B. Brown was not *o prominent as usual, but Haworth but ud a very useful performance in the side-car race.