MOTORS AND MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 102, 24 January 1919, Page 9

MOTORS AND MOTORING

(By "Clutch.")

Engine Ratings. The question of motor-cycle engine ratings is again being discussed in England, where.it is urged that an- end should , be made of. what is termed the "polite fiction" of calling an- engine : one: thing when it in reality is another. The practice of •under-rating, engines has. grown up in the motor-cycle trade, and an understanding was long since reached on the point. As has been pointed out before no one is deceived by the denomination of 3J h.p. or whatever the figure is,, knowing full well that such ratings do not in. any way represent the true output of the en--gine. '• On the basis that 100 c.c. equals. I h.p., we get for a 499 c.c. the capacity of the average- 3J- h.p. engine—a horse-power output of 5 h.p., and even then, as everyone is the.' engine, when undergoing its brak'o tests on the bench, is niore- likely to develop twice that power or something approaching >. thereto. Those who wish to see the usages of tho trade altered :in this respect urge' that engines in future- should \be fated more nearly in accordance ivith the powers that they are actually capable of developing. In this connection it has. been suggested that it would be just as umVise - to rate engines—at their maximum bench test power—as it is to understate tho power developed. . The- wisest courseappears to be the- adoption of a ratingthat properly represents the horsepower developed, under normal road pdnditions, for this is what the motor' cyclist wants' to know when , purclias--ing a* machine. A bench test rating of 7 horse-power is of M value to a raotbristj ■ if under ordinary road "usago ,it will not' develop 5, h.p. Eato tho ' engine at the power* that iho user* can', reasonably anticipate obtaining, then ;the motor-cyclist can select according to his requirements. W,ar Motors. ■'" ■ : ■' " According" to an exehango'; it is- likely that tho British Government will, after r peace has been signed, sell the* tens of thousands of. second-hand war-worn ; motor-oars aud motor lorries back to , the firms that manufactured - them, so that tliey' can be put irt' jjrbp'or order arid then sold by the makers to* the public. This is a far , more sensible proposition" than ;the\ Government selling, the service cars by auction, for by j that, "means.a- few* buy ere. get excellent I bargains; and the majority get* let- : in. -.-Furthermore,, it \s hardly! a- fair. '.thing that tens" of * thousands of war-' worn cars ehbiild bo sold to; the , public vithout proper o'verliaiil, thus damaging, tho* reputation of many of the leading car-milkers' of* the Old Country,fbr. tlie average buyer would riot mako ' d(ie>'allowance for the knocking about- , thfe Vehicles.'had been' subjected-to'uilijor wa'f'conditions. * !'*..■ * '' Pos{-War Carsi ; . : • ' -Mr, R: J.-ilecredy, a-motoring journ'alistj whose , views, cari'y ■ weight-' in English . motoring , circles;' recently torched,-fe-a point' of considerable;'- in- . terest .tb the' motorists-in this country who areVdesirous"of learning a'll ,tliey can -/of, %ie'' pp.sWar English .. cars; Mr, "lieciWly says., that :*. "The , motor trade ''as -a-.wholo ' hiis r kept* its , products wellVbefore,. tjh'q; public'; ; notwithstanding the,war, and the faot that makers have'-iio: cars, ipiofferto.-would-bo l buyers, ' many; of thorn" .*have vtheir names, on.•■the 1 "waiting 'lists. - .As:-far,as I caii learn there are a- few firms that hayo already designed Vtheir'post-war cars,, and fewer still actually;, produced models of "kernel , THitf'-is' bound": to prove a handican 'jiow that peace is practically assuraty for- it will take these-firms a longtime' to got , into working order,, butyihe. manufacturers who have looked alieid and.made the necessary preparation, i\ill' reap a golden harvest. I know of »i least one case ivherg.'.a.-fi.nri has.-loi|fj\siiictt Resigned imd thoroughly ■tested itk. pftst-war'Oa'r, , and which has been in-.the happy position of producing' cars fßr pur- , poses since the war brolto out; This firm will be .ready to supply cars at an early date, and to my' krioAylfedge many orders have been placSd with it'. It is a mistake, I. 'think/-;. l tT}at" thoeo films nvho have designed their >post-war carSf -and have tested them \taoroughly,," do not .publish details. public are naturally keenly, interested , ,as'- to what the developments will be like, and the more enterprising the-firms are in this direction the better tho r&urn they will get wheii they arc- at liberty to sell to the public. ..Naturally wouldbe buyers, do not like to place. otders ■without hiving '.the detailed particulars of the new car." " -.'. ', , Here', and. There..'. : - -- ■ ''• The wheels of the'car should be jacked n J) once a month; and tested for smoothness of operation and for;-Side play : . If a sharp click is heard when spinning tho front wheel it is possible that one of the balls . or rollers is broken,or.split. In.this case the:pieces should'be removed at once and a new ■bearing -substituted. In the case of rball bearings 'regrinding may be .resorted to. ' ; ,-.--. • ■ " ' It may surprise .motorists':'to learn that out o? the world's animal oil production of 20,000-million gallons of petrol . the British Empire only supplies '2J per cent.- The largest producer is, of course, the U.S.A., which supplies 66 per cent., then comes Russia with-13, aiid Mexico with .11 per, cent. Now.that the English authorities have .secured the controlling interest in tlie Persian oil fields there is every probability of this source of supply being greatly'developed, and in time England's petrol "requirements may be all drawn.-from this field. , ; Lighting-up time: To-day, 7.21 p.m.;. next Friday, 7.15 p.m.