MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2617, 12 November 1915, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

f [BY Cltjxoh.] The American Invasion—Peril or Myth? ■ According to « writer in one of tlie English motoring journals, tlie danger of the British motor trade being captured by the Americans after tlie war is much loss serious than many geoplo think. Just now, lie remarks, British agents are trying to buy American cars, and are buying them in fair quantities, because they can got no otliers, because their living depends upon their having some sort of cars to sell, and because there are plenty of people in England who want to buy cars and are anxious to get them as soon as may bo. Tho American trade is doing absolutely nothing to help these agents, but rather is putting their price high because the homo demand makes it a matter of courtosy to give a foreigner a car rather than a matter of necessity. Discounts offered are_ actually less than they were a eliort time ago, and high occan freight rates make tliQi ppsftion of tho importer none too enviable. When one oomes to the makers of parts, tlio position is even more extreme. Several attempts have been made to buy engines, gear hoses, and axles for assembling in .England, but, saving a few odd ones here and there, such parts cannot be bought bj; anyoce, either in America or anywhere else, who has not a contract .of somo months' standing. The Timken Axle Co. —for example—who make probably half the total number of motor-car axles in the world each year, having orders on their books which will keep the factory running continuously till January. Alost of the engine makers are in tlio same position, and likewise the makers of steering gears and small parts. So it is much harder to buy parts than it is to get whole oars. Of coursa this will not last, but it' looks like lasting for' another year, and if the . unprecedNitedi demand .in America will only keep up till the end of the war, there will be no stocks of cars or part 6 ready to flood the British market before the British trade can get into normal condition once more. In conclusion, the writer wishes to lay the strongest sort of emphasis on the fact that he has been converted from a pessimist into the most thorough optimist solely by a very close study of the conditions; and, in saying that the American invasion peril is a myth—at least for twelve months to come —lie says it with the most, whole-souled conviction that ever backed any -utterance of- his life. A Dangerous Practice. Very few motor cyclists realise tho different forces set up when indulging in passenger-carrying on the carrier. There is little doubt that aft extremely large proportion of motor cycling accidents . aro attributed to the jpilliota peril ; and it is little wonder when one considers certain facts relative to this dangerous practice. Most of the trouble, is- canjsed through Hess road grip on the front wheel, owing ■ to want of balance. The woight registered, when the front wheel of a. 2J h.p. motor cycle stands on a scale is 751b. "With an average weight rider in the- saddle this is increased to 1201b., but when an additional passenger sits on the oarrier the front weight .-egistcr is OGlib. It will thus be noted that the weight of the rider in the saddle adds, 451 b.- to the pressure of the- front .wheel oil the road, but when-the pillion passenger is aboard the pressure on the road is reduced by 241b., although the total weight carried by the machine is doubled. Is it any wonder then that the grip : of the, front'wheel is'consider-ably-less,: and as a result there iB: more likelihood of aggravated front-wheel skids, which are the worst imaginable? The more weight carried the more, control ,:the'-driver should have on'ihis'macliine: ; : "' T AVith a passenger on the'carrier, the reverse is the oa-se., Weight is taken off the front, wheel, which means less oontrot in steering and tho direction the driver wishes tho machine to go. The control of the machine is also considerably affected by the faot that the weight carried behind tho 4ack axle tends to fly outwards at a cornciy consequently swinging tho front of the machine inwards. Another fact motor cyclists fail to realise is that tlie back forks of the ordinary motor oyole are not designed to carry a person behind them. Again, the .ordinary standard tires are not made to withstand the extra strain, although, to tho credit of the tire manufacturers, many of them do. From all directions the practice is a most undesirable one. The acci- 1 dents , solely attributable to this cause have been so frequent in England that some of the insurance companies absolutely refuse _to issue policies to motor cyclists who indulge in passenger carrying, whilst other concerns charge 50 per cent, more to cover the risks attendant on this form of motor cycling. Here and There. Lighting up time for motor-cars and motol'-cyclesTo-day, 6.57 p.m. Next Fridlay, 7.5 p.m. The amount of money spent annually on motoring in the United States is almost incredible. The number of cars registered there reached the 2,000,000 mark, on June 1 last, and, assuming that an average of four persons use each car—which is a conservative estimate — there are 8,000,000 people in. the United States who enjoy motoring. What it costs to follow motoring up is of interest, and the figures stupendous. To run 2,000,000 cars for one year requires at least one billion gallons of motorspirit, worth £26,000,000; lubricating oil, £l,o00,000; the ' tires required amount to 12,000,000, f valued at £38,400,000; various accessories, £20,000,W0; garage, repairs, and replacements, *»60,000,000; making a total running cost of £146,000,000. If the ciost of the 600,000 new cars sold during t-iie year, taking them at aii average price of only £100 each, is included, another £00,000,000 will be added' to the above amount spent on motoring America during the past year, making up the immense ■total of £236,000,000. These figures ■are pounds, not dollars, and are compiled and vouched for bv the "Scientific American." . From 1917 the French Government will make denaturised alcohol a State monopoly, and will take the necessary steps to oucourage the use of this fuel m motor vehicles. The movement is 6tated to be part of a drastic scheme for tho reform of the liquor traffic. A leading American motor-cycle manufacturer has just placed on the market a novel machine, which is a great departure from the standard type of motor-cycle. The machine in question is driven by a single cylinder aircooled 1 j-l'.p. engine, which is incorporated in the front wheel. The power is transmitted to tho front tire through, a reduction gear. The wholo weight of the machine is about 1151b., and it is said to have very satisfactory results in its road trials.,

An English motor-cyclist journalist recently drove 2000 miles on 24 gallons of petrol without a single, involuntary stop. Such is the reliability, of the modern motor-cycle.