MOTOR AND CYCLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10924, 13 November 1913, Page 2

MOTOR AND CYCLE.

ON ROAD AND TRAGIC. ALL THE WORLD OVER. ' (By SPARK.) FIXTURES. Sfovember 22—Motor Cycle Eaces, Now Brighton Beach. November 30—Motor-cyclo Club irai to 'W&iraakariri Gorge. December 6 races, Brighton Beach. December 15—Motor-cycle and sido-car trial to Akaroa and Wnikari. J»nu»Ty 1, 2 and 3—Motor-cyclo annual reliability trial, Ralraia Gorge, Ashley Gorge and Akaroa. Age, height, colour of eyes, hair nnd complexion are among tho particulars which are to bo given by applicants for certificates of competency, without which no one will be allowed to drive a motor-car in Auckland. The danger of motor traffio by stray cattle on the roads is very serious between Tai Tapu and ..Little River at times. Some of_ tho farmers always seem to have their dairy herd in the "long paddock." A "Winton motorist, who returning from Orapuki the other day, started a hare (says the "Record") which preferred the road to the tussock. , A great race ensued for over three miles. Driving his car at a high rate of speed, the motorist eventually overtook the hare, but spared its life. It is proposed to form a motorcycle club in Gisborne. These organisations,, which exist elsewhere, will be of great assistance to motor-cyclists in tho near future. Apart from tho social side and combined runs, it will be very lielp»ful for members to be ablo to meet together and discuss road regulations and other topics of general interest. The motor-'bus at Timaru is paying satisfactorily, by the, latest report issti&d. When down at tho southern city a few weeks ago, I saw the oar, which, to my mind, is the best car that could be put on the route. The car will carry about thirty passengers. The body is much after the style of our covered-in tramcaro. The motor-cycle exhibits at the show are -'bare" this year, very few new machines being on the stands on account of the strike. The rubber firms are well represented, and one firm shows a very interesting exhibit of cycle, motor-cycle and motor-car covers, tubes, outfits and other accessories." The, motor are well worth seeing. An Ashburton motorist established, what is probably a record, one-day trip last. week. The driver set out to reach Waiau, and safely reached his destination. By" nightfall he had accomplished the return journey, which made the trio a total distance of two hundred and nineity miles. , , The Wellington City Council I ' has' decided to enter the competition for omnibus traffic on its own account. The municipal body proposes to procure threo jnotor-'buses to add to the tramway department. A private company has taken up the Kelburne-Karori traf-1 fic, and which has now placed motors on that route. I hear that an American Motor Company is going to put a five-seater on the New Zealand market for £l3O and £IOO for a two-seater. If this is correct, motor-cycle will not sell at £BS for a three and' a halt and £l3O for an «igh:b horse with a side-car. Three and a halves must come down to about £SO to compete with the cars, "Ohl if it is only true.". The cause of motor-cycle tyres breaking at the bead or in the wall is through their being insufficiently in•flated; 'liio front tyre, which bears

less weight and strain, can bo used softer than what is necessary for the rear tyre, which is conducive to comfort, and, in reason, does npt adversely affect the cover. Too slack a front tyro, when tho side-car is used in con-

junction, may result in tho cover being wrenched from tho rim if a corner is taken too sharply. ■ Tlio number of accidents that aro of almost daily occurrence point to the fact that drivers of both motor-cars and motor-cycles take too many lilxji'ties on the road, outting corners on the wroug side, not giving warning when approaching sharp bends, etc. Tho majority of our roads, especially tho 0110 to Akaroa, abound in twists and turns, and tho greatest caro should be exercised in negotiating theso. Drive aa though a car is to ba met at ©very corner.

The following circular was sent to mo by the North Canterbury Motorcyclists' Club, about tho beach races to be held on November 22. Tho races and entrance foes aro as follow : —Six-tcon-milo handicap, open—Entry fee, trade 4s, private owners 3s; twenty-four-mile handicap, open—Entry foo, trndo &, private owner 3s Gd; eightmilo side-car handicap, with lady passenger, prize to go to the lady—Entry fee, trade 4s, private owner ss. Tho first pmo will bo 50 per cent of on,try fee, and the second prize 25 per cont of entry feo. .Entries closed yesterday, with Mr B. Harding.

Tho Hawera and Wnimato West County Oourioil havo passed regulations to govern the subject of motor traffio. These by-lawß state no motor shall be drawn along any road 'at a greater speed than is stated upon the signposts erected to define the speed within the* district. No motor shall be driven unless by a competent person, and the driver'shall not quit a stationary engine unless sufficient _ precautions against its being started in his absence are taken. All motors must stop if required to do so by drivers or riders of restive horses. Every person who does not submit to or infringes these bylaws will bo liable to a full penalty of five pounds. The motor omnibus service, aa a rival to tho tramways and the horse-drawn conveyance, is becoming common in different parts of New Zealard. A motor service out to the Arlington , ealeyards has been (started, and another line from Papanui to Belfast. When tho 'subject of licensing the new lines of traffio camo up before tho City Council, some of tho councillors demurred, but Councillor Acland said he was surprised to find .his brother councillors debating the matter of competition ! with the city tram service. It was as strange as raising objections to a proposal to put on steam ships to compete with sailing vessels. After further discussion, the licenses were granted.

Two young men in the Gisborne district §et out to ride one motor-cycle iii the manner of the old pillion days, but the speed of a modern roadster which breathes fire and sin ok 0 and ■remits petrol fumes, yaries.greatly from ,the Flemish mares of our ancestors' time. And this they found. A rocky road and a swift turn brought damage and dismay, but the man at the handle-bars sped ahead, while his passenger took a header from the back of the machine and vanished down a ferny bank. The driver flew along, all unconscious of his loss, till it dawned upon his senses that he. was alone iu the world, Then with contrition in the corner of one eye and a grin in the other, he retraced his steps, to be met by a dusty, dishevelled, and, it is presumed,, abusive friend. ■

Notwithstanding the American automobile Press roundly decried the cyclecar as being "worse than useless" on their roads, the journals are now compelled to report weekly the formation of companies formed to construct cyclecars only. Besides informing the readers that several established firms are

adding the small cars to tho lists of their productions. 80 far there are not many of the little vehicles 011 the American roads, and, noting t.liab faot, ono of the papers observes that, while there is no luck of activity .-in tho formation of cycle-car manufacture companies, "thero aro numerous indications that it is likely to hecomo opidomic, which is all tho moro reason for the display of tho 'caution' signal in cyclo and motor-cycle trade cirolos." Horo tho cycle-car is to ho eeon on tho streets in gradually increasing numbers, but without affecting the adoption of the side-car by niotor-cyolists, who, now that tho standard machine embodies a two or three-speed gear, have amplo power for the additional load.

There is trouble onco again on tho high roads of Britain, *rom tho time when Diok Turpin made his famous ride to York, and thus outdistanced His Majesty's mail and the famous bays, to the present time tho subject of speed has been a bucjbear to tho authorities, of tho highways. Now they hayo no FXionor successfully disposed of tho problem of the cyclist and motorcar (says'the "Daily Mail") than they nro faced with trouble by the motorcyclist. Ono of those people who aro affectod with tho statistics fever has computed a list wlrioh shows that by the end of tho present year two hundred thousand of these machines will bo rushing about tho country. If tho present- rate of increase is maintained, motor-cycles will in tho near future outnumber motor-oars. At the end of 1912 no fewer than 132,245 motor-oycles wore in use, as against 175,247 motorcars. These gross figures are sufficiently notable, but their increase over previous 'years are still more significant. In the county of London they wore as follows:—Year ending April, 1912, 3841; 1913, 5514. This represented an inorease of over 40 per cent. The first quarer of 1913—not tho best period for eales —was responsible for more than 1000 registrations.