Cycling and Motoring Notes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 April 1915, Page 4

Cycling and Motoring Notes.

IFrom tko Dunlop Rubber Company of Australasia, for the week ending ending March 27. 1915. The principal item in car maintenance is, as has often been stated, in connection with the Tyres but ccording to the "Auto" (London), the personal factor in driving has a great bearing on the tyre bill. Trouble in connection with tyres on the road: is, however, nowadays much less frequent than formerly the case. No doubt this to some extent is due to the improvement in the tyres themselves; but whatever the cause, the fact remains that, given a well-designed car and standard tyre equipment, both in size and quality, results are being obtained which only a few years ago would have been considered nothing short of remarkable. At the same time, the great variance in results obtained by different driving of similar cars under conditions which are closely parallel, is difficult to account for on the score of luck or chance alone. It is far more logical to attribute them to the personal equation of the driver, and to assume that a large percentage of the tyre troubles experienced could be ■prevented by caution in handling the ' motor. Many car owners have, as I a matter of fact, often been able to estimate their tyre costs a« low as one penny per mile on the good roads of I Great Britain, even with large oars ! and a big mileage to their credit. In br6ad contrast to such cases, however, are the reports of other owners who nre constantly experiencing punctures and burets, and whose tyre bills run into extremely large amounts. Good as Dunlop Tyres are, giving splendid results with intelligent use, not even their excellent quality is proof against driving, such as swinging round corners at high speed, too rapid acceleration and too harsh brake application. and using the tyres insufficiently inflated. Careful inspection of the tyres after every outing, or even a glance at the covers whenever a stoppage is made, will often repay the driver. It may reveal a nail or other foreign substance partly embedded in the cover, which', allowing it to remain, might work havoc with the tyre and materially shorten its life. • •••••• Very nearly approximating the mileage per gallon in a fwel consumption test held in the old country, ti meant' is the performance of a competitor in the Tasmanian Automobile Club's contest recently conducted. * • ■ • • n * Mr T. Scarell. using a two stroke V elocette motor cycle, was credited with having averaged 229 miles to the gallon. Naturally the officials wore amazed, and although the figures were checked and all alse apparently in order, they still were sceptical, but asked the competitor if he would repeat the journey with the same amount of fuel. Mr Scarell courteously complied and though there were adverse conditions—a stiff head wind for most of the distance—he averaged 217.3 miles to the gallon, which was regarded as even a better performance than the first. Apparently a certain quantity of fuel Wiis measured or weighed out, and the competitors drove on until it was exhausted. Fuel tests here are sometimes decided by first filling up the tanks, and, after having completed the course, the tanks are refilled, the quantity of spirit required representing the amount consumed.