MOTOR CYCLING. RELIABILITY TRIALS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 95, 24 April 1911, Page 4

MOTOR CYCLING. RELIABILITY TRIALS.

AN 4RDUOUS TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. A crowd of about a hundred people turned out in front of the General Post Ofiico on Saturday night to await tho return of tho competitors in tho twentyfour hours' triotor cyolo reliability trials, who had left tho previous night at tho same hour, 7 o'clock, for the round trip to Waipa.va and back — a distance of sonlo 400 miles The Post Office clock struck seven, arc! everybody looked anxiously down tho Quay for the approaohing headlight of the first arrival. In leer, than three minutes tho familiar sound of tho motor cynle was heard, and the bright glare of 'he acetylene lamp grew bigger and biggor. The lirst-coiuar proved to be W. Byslop on his Triumph. In another miaute R. Bender, on the Twin> Red, hovo iDlo view, arriving at 7.4 p.m. Diffin oame on tho scene considerably later. Though Hyslop arrived first, his funning I.imo was not so near to schedule as that of Bender, who gets tho first pi ise. Kyslop takes second place. j The trip proved to be an exceedingly I severe trial both for machines and riders. U was, fair-going to Palmerston, but rain came up in the Gorge, whore the road \vas positively dangerous. Bender had a spill on cmeof the bridges in tho Gorgo, smashing his footresls and losing his pump. The rest of tho machine was undamaged, and he managed to get hold of a pump ,it the uoxt control station. One. of the worst bits was between Dannevirke and Takapau — "a regular nightmare," as Bonder put it. Tho riders struck daylight about Takapau. The arrivals in Waiimwa were : — Bender. 7.15 a.m.; Hvslop, 7.19; Sutherland, 7.23; Gilbert, 7.46; Diffin, 7.47. The departures were: — Hyslop, 9.5 ; Bender and Sutherland, 9.6; Difftn and Gilbert, 9.52. Rain followed thj cOmpctitois on the home joui*» nay pretty -well throughout. Several competitors withdrew, and all agree it \va3 a v«ry trying experience.