CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 844, 10 May 1906, Page 12

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

(By

“Petrol.”)

It is said that some anxiety is being expressed in England at the prospect of a possible considerable increase in the price of petrol before long. It is an open secret (says a London scribe) that a corner has been effected in this commodity, and consumers are likely to suffer in consequence or adopt a cheaper fuel, such as paraffin. There seems no good reason why the latter should not be more used, as it has already given quite excellent results. The chief drawbacks to its adoption are, first, the necessity for an auxiliary heating apparatus to vapourise the oil when starting from cold, and, secondly, the exhaust gases have a much more offensive odour than petrol. Both these defects can be overcome, I believe, and will be when it becomes absolutely necessary to consider this fuel as a substitute for petrol. In the case of pleasure cars, a compromise is possible which would overcome the first-mentioned objection by using petrol for starting and to turn on a paraffin supply after the motor has got warm.

One of the greatest difficulties encountered in the design of a suitable touring-car lies in the disposition of luggage space without unduly cramp-

ing the seating accommodation or rendering the car unsightly. It is not possible to carry ordinary-sized trunks without causing serious inconvenience to passengers. By an arrangement of dust-proof drawers fitted beneath the seats, however, sufficient spare clothing and necessaries can be carried for the purpose of short tours, while drawers placed beneath the footboards can be used for carrying tools and spare parts. When an extended tour is contemplated, which may occupy two or three weeks, the bulk of the luggage should be forwarded by rail, and all available space on the car utilised for tools, replacements, spare tyres, etc., which may be needed in the event of breakdown occurring on the road. It is the practice which many people when touring with an enclosed type of car to carry heavy luggage outside on the roof, but this is not to be recommended, as it renders the car unsteady at. high speeds, and necessitates great care in taking corners. Every saving in weight carried has, of course, a direct effect in reducing running cost, as the car is enabled to travel quicker and climb better, while the tyres are not so liable to puncture. A motor car is certainly the ideal vehicle for touring, and permits of detours to see any particular places of interest that may He off the main route. It is advisable before setting out on a tour to arrange the various points at which petrol and oil shall be bought, and by sending word beforehand this can be in readiness, awaiting the car’s arrival, thus avoiding those vexatious delays which result from local dealers running out of stock.

Floyd MacFarland, E. A. Pye, and A. J. Clark passed through Auckland on Friday by the R.M.s. Sierra. Macfarland, who came on a racing visit to Australia last September, won close on £3OO during his stay. Pye and Clark are two prominent Victorian sprinters, the latter having annexed in 1905 the big Austral contest, and this year one or two of the Australasian championships. All three riders are going to Salt Lake City, where they will race under contract. If the Melbourne pair have any luck they will race on the American circuit before returning to Australia.

The race for the Grand Prix de France is a competition that has taken the place of the Gordon Bennett race in that country. It will be contested over what is known as the Sarthe Circuit, which is, roughly, in the form of an equilateral triangle, and 65 miles in circumference. It lies about 100 miles to the S.W. of Paris. The date of the event is fixed for June 26 and 27, the distance to be covered each day being 600 kiloms —about 375 miles. The consent of the Mayors (about 27) of the districts through which the course will run had first to be obtained, without which the Government would not give consent to any contest of this kind. The entry fee is £2OO for each car. The start will be made at four o’clock each morning, the cars being sent away at one-minute intervals.

Bobby Waltham has had to put up with a defeat, by way of a change, at the Paris Velodrome, Buffalo, his conqueror in a 50-kilometre human-paced race being the French road rider Cornet, who covered the distance in lhr 3min 25 l-ssec. Certainly, the American crack had a fall, but before that mishap occurred he had not been shaping like a winner.

At the same gathering an international scratch sprint race was won by the Dutch rider Schilling from a lot of good men, and a 30kilometre motor-paced contest fell to Lorgeon, who beat, amongst others, Mettling, a new arrival from the United States.

Most petrol engines are provided with carburetters which depend for their best operation upon heat derived from the motor. Either the carburetter is jacketed with water from the cylinder-cooling system, or the supply of air to form the mixture is drawn from near the exhaust pipe. Until the engine has been running for a little time these sources of heat to be supplied to the carburetter do not materialise, and not quite so perfect a mixture is at first delivered to the motor, which has a corresponding effect upon the power developed. Under certain conditions, when a motor is started cold, there may be a recondensation of petrol in the induction pipe, preventing the development of the full power. Once the engine is run this condition of affairs is overcome.

In other countries besides England, France, and Germany, the increase in the number of motor vehicles has been enormous, but in none more so than little Belgium. In four years ending last December the motor cycles in use swelled from 714 to 5876, while the cars, which in 1901 numbered 1332, have increased to 6000.

Further evidence of the utility of the motor car tor use on Australian roads is forincoming from the Reliability Motor Contest held in Adelaide oy me South Australian Automobile Ciuo during the Easter holidays. The first day s run was from Adelaide to Victor Harbour, via Mount Torrens, a distance of 12 z miles. The second section was over a distance of 116 miles, from Victor Harbour back to Adelaide, via Port Elliot. Classification or cars was as follows: —Glass A, up to 7 h.p.; class B, over 7 and up to 9 h.p.; class C, over 9 and up to 12 h.p; class D, over 12 and up to 20 h.p. The average speeds in the respective classes were 13, 15, 18 and 20 miles an hour. The conditions of the contest limited the speed between different stages along each day’s route with a view of eliminating all the racing element. An observer was carried aboard each car to record all stoppages and adjustments, for which points were deducted. The maximum points obtainable were 1000, s'oo for each day, with a special award of 10 points for the fastest times recorded up two specified hills. The trial was throughout a great success, the weather, roads and organisation being everything desired; whilst the cars and drivers came out of the contest with great credit. From a reliability standpoint, the results were far more successful than last year’s. Ten cars started in the trial, the lowest-powered car being Dr.. Carr’s 6 h.p. Wolseley; whilst the highest-powered was Mr. A. Ayer’s 12-16 Talbot. On the first section, seven cars scored full points; whilst on the second day’s run six cars got through with full points. The highest possible points obtainable, including 20 points for hill-climbing in each class, were 1020. The contestants succeeded in gaining this number, they being, strange to say, the two extremes of power, viz., Dr. Carr’s and Mr. Ayer’s cars. Appended are the final scores: —Class A, Dr. Carr’s 6 h.p. Wolseley, 1020; Mr. R. A. Duncan’s 7 h.p. Oldsmobile, 1000; Dr. Reissman’s 6 h.p. De Dion, 975. Class B: Dr. P. Crank’s 8 h.p. De Dion, 987. Class C: Dr. Reissman’s 10 h.p. De Dion, 1010; Mr. V. Lewis’ 10-12 h.p. Talbot, 1010; Mr. T. A. Chandler’s 10 h.p. De Dion, 1000. Class D: A. E.. Ayer’s 14-16 h.p. Talbot, 1020.

Those of our readers who sent in a competitive slip in the recent Dunlop competition for £5O in prizes will be interested to learn that nearly 16,000 result slips were received by the Dunlop Rubber Co. An immense amount of work will be entailed in sorting out the coupons, as each slip will have to be carefully examined. It is anticipated that the winners of the three prizes—£35, £lO, and £5, will be available about the middle of May.

The entrance fee for the Grand Prix Automobile race to be held in France next month has been fixed by the Automobile Club of France at £2OO per car. As probably over 30 cars will start in this event, which promises to be the fastest and greatest automobile race yet held, a sum of £6OOO will accrue to the French Club from this source alone, and will go a considerable way towards defraying the expenses incidental to ; such a big undertaking. An additional £4OOO has been guaranteed by the corporation and residents of the Sarthe district, in which the race is to be held, so that a total of £lO,OOO will be available for carrying out the Grand Prix, which is to be held over a distance of 745 miles and on two successive days.

Cycling is booming in New Zealand, in which country it is said that there is a bigger percentage of cyclists in proportion to the population than in any other part of the world. During the past year 13,672 new cycles were imported into the colony to the value of £128,658.