THE TEST FOR MOTORS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1891, 28 October 1913, Page 4

THE TEST FOR MOTORS.

■ YESTERDAY'S RUN. n Quito a little army of' tlio motor's cycling fraternity gathered at tho Cus--1 torn House at six o'clock yesterday ~ morning to witness and to compote in the Wellington Motor Cvclo Club's reliability test for passenger and solocars over a secret course of 180 miles. 5 Tlioro was an array of motor-cycles, a small number of cycles with side cars, 0 and threo of tho neat little cycle ears, 0 and a largo motor, rolling along about 6 a.m., imparted a fatherly air to tho 6 scene. Altogether, tlioro wcro 23 entries, of which eighteen started, thoso 7 comprising nine solo-cars, six side-cars, 3 and three cycle cars. Tlio course laid 5 down was a difficult one, in fact the 1 hardest reliability test yet held ill this 2 country. It ied through roughly liiot--5 allecl roads, tortuous winding inclines, 0 steep rough metalled grades, difficult 1 down-hill corners, tho whole testing tho 2 reliability of both car and driver to tho - utmost. A motorist recently out from 5 the Old Country stated that tho path - traversed yesterday equalled t'hoso 111 3 the Highlands of Scotland. s A gratifying featuro was the absence r of accidents, and, except for a fo.v e slight mishaps, tho trial was devoid of exciting incident. One motorist charged into a horse in tlio eentro 2 of tho road, but, with tho exception of dismantling 'his ear lamp, neithor . machine nor animal was injured. Of tlio side-cars, three were compelled to retire at the luncli interval. Olio of tho cars had completely worn through new tyres in tho afternoon courso. Two more were rendered "hors do combat," one through a break down at Paraparamu, and the other through a buckled wheel at Makara. The sixth side-car ' (a 6 li.p. A.J.S.) was ono of the first ; to arrive, and with tho exception of punctures !had a very good run. Of the cycle-cars two, an 8 li.p. Humborette (N. Chapman) and a 7 h.p. Swift (0. Pym) put up remarkably good performances, and arrived back safe and sound up } to time. Tho third cycle-car, the 6 Ardon, was unfortunate, 111 that, after » showing up excellently in the morning's Tun and not oxporicncing a single mishap, it had to retire through its magneto drivo giving way. All the solo cars completed the courso. They ) were as follow: —3J h.p. Triumph (R. Keene), 8i Now Hudson (H. Edwards), , 3J Rudgo (J. Boucher), 4 Hercules (C. ' Pratt), 5 Rex (W. Nicholls), 3J . Triumph <F. Webb), 45 O.K. Precision ! (J. W. Clark), 2f A.J.S. (J. Brand), and 2} A.J.S. (W. H. Nimmo). Shortly after 6 a.m. the first few motors commenced their long journey. TTie Humberotta cycle-ear followed next, and at about 21'minutqs past 6 o'clock an Arden cycle-car carrying a, Press representative left. A fino clear run was experienced to Mungaroa. , There, the first control pointed out, tlio second stage of the journey commencing with a difficult run up tho steep and tortuous road mounting up from Mungaroa. The' summit disclosed a panoramic view of Whiteman's Valley spread out below. The descent was difficult, but only a preliminary to much harder ones still lying in front. Unfortunately for the driver and for two other sidecars tho branching off of two roads at which no official was stationed was confusing, and tho wrong tnrn was talcoii. ' This led down a difficult t]escent to Silverstream, Tnita was readied after a. nasty pateh of ncwly-mctalled road. Tlio difficult ascent of Wiiinui Road was then negotiated. There was no titile to enjoy tho vista of the whole of tho, Hutt Valloy spread out below, as tho run was a non-stop one, aiid tho car, after accomplishing its trying task without mishap.' teachod tjve iseeondi control at tho Wainui Creamery at 9.14 a.m., slightly behind time through taking the wrong turn which led over longer and harder roads. Tho riourso then led on to ono of the most trying portions of the journey; the ascent from Haywa-rds up tlu> mvriads of winding curves carved over the Pahmitanul Hill. Tho descent on the other side, too, was one to tost tlio skill of tho driver. The run homo from Pahantanui was without incident. Wakefield Street being reached at, 12.5 p.m., a few minutes after the duo time. After an hour's adjournment for Iniicli, the test was continued, and was perhaps a trifle mofo difficult. The main paints touched wero as follow:— Ngaio, Johnsonvile, Pariirua, Paekakariki, Paraparaumu, Paekakariki, Johnsonville, Ghariu, Makara, Karori, Aro Street, Devon Street, Victoria Collego, Salamanca Road, The Terrace, and back to starting point. Tho final results of the 1 trial, of course, involve some calculation, and will not bo made known for two or three .days; vet-.