Motoring and Cycling Notes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 December 1911, Page 4

Motoring and Cycling Notes.

(From the Dunlop Rubber Company). A particularly line motor cycle rido was established last week by W. iTormey, a well-known member of the ! New South Wales Motor Cycle Club. (Leaving Melbourne at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Tormcy made good progross to lienalli (122 miles) which was reached at 7.40 a.m. The bad road at A]bury steadied the pace up i a bit; but for all that Giindagai (322 miles) was reached the same afternoon at 4.45 p.m. At this i stage Tormey was 2J- hours ahead of 'his time schedule, and he expected |to reach Sydney in about 23 hours gnws time; but when darkness set '•in lie had trouble with 'his acetylene ' lamp, which would not burn. Tt i was so dark that the road could, not Jhe soon at all. and the result was I that he foil over .a small embank-' j ment, which decided Toriney to wait ;on the roadside until daylight. Gouljburn (112 miles) was clocked at 0.40 J a.m., and from this cut no further • {.rouble was met, and .Sydney reached at 12.3 (midday) Wednesday, till© total time from Post Office to Post i Office 'being 34hrs 3mins. Shortly 'after leaving Melbourne Tormey had a mix-up with a cow on the road, resulting in an upset, his hack wheel being so damaged that it had to r.e taken out of the machine to he straightened. Fiftv miles further on ! fi'ie record-breaker found that ho had left nil his repair kit on the roadside, but he decided to chance ,it and wish on without tools and spare*, and fortunately he got thnou- _ rre withent needing same. Short fi>fll'- mtide at Bonalla, German ton. Gund-atrai and GoiiTlvu'ii for I'ool -'iid octroi, of the hitter onlv X\ gnllov.s were rn.sinned on the Full +'■111. Tormev's mount, a .Tj.i!i.p. Speedwell, shod with Punlops."' went , throii.r;h the trip without giving aur ,t'vyiilile. m>!ir(; frr»u tl"> •'"'.■ linage fn'lc. The urerv^ |=.v-d r,„- n,o f-.iii t;,,- f,. rm , p ost jOlfi.-e tr> Post, Office nvora.gp.s out at j about IT mihs nn bonr. h"t bis acI f.ii'il i-ldinn; Mine M-n<- well under tr'irt'.- hiours. ;v narHc.darlv fine performance. Tormey boat ibp pj.<\. vious fir.-!?rr S --.T. Fair's--hy 14 hours 37 minutes.

! According to the ruling of Mr Justice A'Beckett in the Melbourne ; Court _ General .Sessions' last week j motorists Ave re quite justified in poising tramcars on the off or rightIhand side. He laid down that • a jtramacar is a vehicle within the j meaning of the Victorian Motor Car | Act, and consequently a motorist , was within <i,-i,s rights in passing it ,ou the right-hand side. This may be law, but i.' it is to become a general practice--then look in it for "trouble. Anyone who has driven a car knows the danger and risk or slipping round the b;iok of a moving .train, with the chance of meeti )g ! amrfi'-er coining behind it in the on" posite direction, jind to obviate , wuicb ;i. motorist »-ould on manv oc- , casie.iis lrive to drive n'olit -across tne read into vehicle traffic com.ng in trie opposite direction. There is no doubt lngent need that specific : regulations should be passed that : train cars should be passed, on the ' lelt-ii-jand side whvn o-oing in mo .same direction. It ,' s ' nliMoliudy necessary for the protection of the pnlilic. and lor the protection of motorists themselves.

■''- certain motorist ' possessed a car with .•! <r- ; <:ir box which eo'isi.stc >tly oozed grease ami oi] from sundry places. His experience, abis, uas that o! ninny motorists. Ho was not s:itisji,.fl. ! ); ,r fry a .s lie might he CHih! fii];Mi-o preventive. By chance, one tiny, in rem,ivin<<>- ilh> fovp.r plate (•:. li':f. gear ], ox , .j,, 0 | ()st ."•'=■' o H:e f-l.mnpin-T studs, so be ro■p.'!KT-: (ho fl <l( ,r boards .•mil drove. away without it. -Xoxt day ]„> had , ;l ' at h;,; gear ! );) x, ajwl to hi.s .s:i;pnsc its extrior was wondrous ; "cat and clean. Casting round for ..some reason for thi.s he became con-ivin-cd that the absence ol' a stud in itlie cover pl:.e.' w ;! .s the direct cause ' [)M.he improvement. The /-de el'fc by the absent .stud, lie argued !o i himsoll. acted as a vent and .some- ; liow prevented the lubricant working I through the .shaft-bearings, etc He | assumes that .since, when a ear runs I the gear box heats up. it much cause | the grease and oil to expend. Thus Ml there be no vent the liquid makes •some attempt to get out, .Ergo, pro . jyide a vent and it will remain where i.it was meant to. The above is | given for what it is worth, but inojtonsts who b.nve trouble with, leaky jffoar boxes sh add easily he able to ; determine, for themselves the success hi- otherwise of the suggested idea. j [t is worth trying for it costs lioth--1 n>g.