Cycling and Motoring Notes

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 October 1915, Page 3

Cycling and Motoring Notes

Ifroui the Dunlop Rubber Company ot Australasia, for tho week ending 23rd October, 1915.

Very few motor cyclists realize tho different force© sot up Avhen indulging in passenger-carrying on tho carrier. There is little doubt that an extremely large proportion ol motor cycling accidents are attributed lo the "pillion peril," and it us little wonder Avhen one considers certain, facts relative to this dangerous practice. Most of the trouble is caused through loss road grip on the front -wheel oAving to want of balance. The weight registered, Avhen the front wheel ot a -J? h.p. motor cycle stands on the scale is 751bs. With at- average weight rider in the saddle this is increased to 1201bs, but when an additional passenger, site on the carrier, the Tront weight register is only IXilbs. It -will thus be noted that the Aveight of the rider in the saddle adds -lolbs to the pro-sure of the Vront wheel oa the road, but when the "pillion passenger" is aboard the pressure on the road is reduced by i>libs., although the total weight carried by the machine is doubled. Ts it any wonder then, -that the grip of the front Avheel is considerably loss, mid as a result there is more likelihood of aggravated front wheel skids, which are the worst imaginable. The more weight carried the more control the driver should have on 1m machine. With n passenger on the carrier the reverse is flic eafio. Weight is taken off tho front wheel Avhich means less control in steering and tho direction the driver wishes the machine to go.. The control of the machine is also considerably effected by tlio fact that tho weight carried behind the back 'axle tends to il.v outwards at a cornel", consequently swinging the I:(ml of the machine inwards. Another tact cyclists fail to realize is that the back forks of the ordinary motor cycle are not destined to carry a person behind them. Again, the ordinary standard tyres are noi made to withstand the extra strain, although to the credit of the tyre manufacturers many ol them do. From all directions the practice is a most undesirable one. The wciilcntf solely htitributaible to this cause have been .so livqueni in England that .some of the iiiMiranee companies absolutely refuse to issue policies to motor cyclists who indulge in passengercarrying, while some other firms charge•so pur cent more to cover the risks attendant on this form of motor cycling That is their experience ol tho practice.

A. Gienda, the Tasmanian racing

!i-l. a member of the all-conquer-ing Australian team noiv in America., recently established two new track recurds at Newark. The distances and time* were as follows:—Half-mile .u ')',] l-ssecs-2-osecs better than A. «). Clark's (Australia) record; put up :n America in 1907—and ten miles :u

20mins 21 l-ssees, some l-osect> better that the previous best. .Both these porfnnnancefc -were established in competitions.

(J. A. Piercey (Victoria), who in 1910 ■won the Dimlop road race From AVarrnainljool to Melbourne, liae recently been riding well in America. His latest performance was the -winning of the five miles western championship at Chicago, heating some of the finest riders in the United States.

Good work on Australian roads has gained the Australian-iiiade Dunlop motor tyre a splendid reputation for durability, and from time to time renii)rkal)le instances of big tyre mileage arc brought under notice of the Dr.nlop Company. Ono of the latest is from Mr J. McMillan, a QueensIpihl motorist. This gentleman reports having purchased a Ford in December, 1913, shod with "oversize" Dunlops. The same tyres have booii in use ever since; some 15.000 miles Dave been cohered. During the wiiole of that distance three punctures -were the solo tyre troubles. In this particular case the car was used for extensive touring over all classes of the roads. This is only one instance of the great service Australia V- premier motor tyre is giving or our roads, and bears out the Dunlop Company's claim that there is no need for motorists in this country to purchase imported tyres.

In view of the growing importanceattaching to' the reduction of weight in the reciprocating parts of a petrol motor, perhaps the biggest factor making for high revolution speeds, it is not surprising that aluminium pistons are niiirTi used for ongines 'milt specially for racing purposes. ft is only recently, however, that their advantages when applied to pleasure car engines appear to have been realized, or perhaps it is that makers have rather fought sITy oi them on account of fancied or real drawbacks in their u*o. In America, on the other hand, side by sido witli the growth of the number of cylinders, which, by iteelf, renders pof-siblc the reduction of weight ot reciprocating parts, has grown up the use of pistons ol some aluminium alloy. One of the best-known firms over thero are specialising 'in the manutaefnre of these pistons. Made from mapialium. an alloy o f aluminium and magnesium, the weight, size for size, is as one to three compared with ordinary cast-iron pistons. Magiinlium is in fact even ligli-

ter than pure aluminium, since the , specilc gravity of magnesium is only 1.74 -whereas that of aluminium is so that the saving in weight, it will be seen, may 'be fairly considerable. Indeed, the makers state that in one particular case a reduction of no less than '.Ml , is in. reciprocating weights wn« effected by substituting magnalite tor the ordinary cast-iron pistons.

Business is boing carried on as nsua., notwithstanding the fire. F. C. REMINGTON, CHEMTST AND OPTICIAN. IvEVFN.