Cyling and Motoring Notos.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 15 March 1917, Page 2

Cyling and Motoring Notos.

from the Dunlop Rubber Company zi Australasia. Lirr- : tcd. for the week ended 10th February. Preparations are now in hand in connection with the forthcoming Mortlake motor-cyrile patriotic carnival. The Victorian motor cycle club, undpr whese auspices the carnival will be held, anticipate big entries, and a, repetition of last year's success. The principal attraction will be tlie 200 miles handicap race oil Mortlake circuit (33£ miles) open to all riders on all powers of machines. This event is set down lor decision on Easter Moilday, April 9th. On Good Friday, a reliability trial will be held from Melbourne to Mortlake, a distance of '149 miles. This will be followed by a GB-miles motor cycle sidecar race on Easter Monday. The latter event will probably prove one of the most interesting of the series, inasmuch as this combination is becoming very popular on Australian roads. There will be no restriction in this handicap race, except that all side cars must be strictly touring outfits, with speed gear as per catalogue. The carnival will also embrace a horse race meeting ' and finish up with a ball on Monday ! evening. The proceeds will he han- ! ded over to the patriotic. funds. VaLuable 'uable prizes are being donated for ' the various events, tlie first prize foi : the premier contest, the "200," being the "Dunlop" Cup. It is anticipated that world's road records established last' year—viz., 100 miles in 3hns 40mins 42secs by X. H. Duckett-will (granted decent weather conditions) I again be beaten. v

A Company lias been formed iu America with a capital ot £1,000,000 for the purpose of building aeroplanels only.

An American motor horn house advertised a cash prize for the most suitable name for their road-warning device. Out of 43C-0 names submitted the most appropriate was deemed the ■'Warnola," and it was awarded the prize. The name "Koutorimoveryer" was not sent in.

The "Fiat" motor manufacturing firm, the largest in Italy, is at present employing 18,000 workmen. -Most of this' firm's output is at present being aibsonbed by the Allied Military Authorities. * It is sla-kd by the Weekly Despatch (England)' that a new jstandjardised British car is to be put on the market to rival the "Ford" and that the car has actually been designed, made and thoroughly tested, the result being thoroughly" satisfactory. The Government has been so much impressed with the new production that it has given a preliminary order for tears the cost, of which will run into seven figures. The necessary capital has 'been raised and a private company floated, which for the present will be occupied wholly in supplying military needs. From the article it would appear as if the car it so be a copy of the Ford. At first sight this would appear to be a mistake, for tlie British ideals cf design and appearance are very different from the American, and we should think there would be very little difficulty in; designing a more orthodox type of ioar wthich would satisfy the eye of the British buyei and the requirements of the expert, and which would- sell at a price as near as possible to that at which the Ford is offered. The Briton would willingly pay a little more- than the price of a I* orcl l'or extra refinement, and a more attractive type of body. We hope this development will materialise. . There would be a vase demand for a British-made car of good quality at really low price, and there is no reason why such a car could not be produced in the United Kingdom, provided the output - was sufficient to enable aiutonvrtik" machinery !to bL* utilised to the very best advantage.

Some motorists in this country assume that because the Australianmade tyres are at a considenibh lower figurta than Amemican covers they must necessarily he of cheaper quality. A little information on tins point lis instructive. In !t)ho first place it may be stated that the higher .selling priced American tyres sell in their own country at a figure lower than do the Australian tyres in the Commonwealth. The reason for this is the enormous output, about sixty thousand daily, of motor tyres in the United States. As regards the quality ihe British Government controls the' mbber market, and the Australian manufacturers obtain and use rubbei every bit as good as the Americans obtain. As to casing fabrics, certain standards are available in this, and the Dunlop Rubber Company state that they use the finest and strongest cotton available in this,, and' strongest cotton available irrespective of its price. In construction just as up-to-date methods are used by the Australian manufacturer as by the leading makers in other parts of the world. A huge output enables the American to produce siliightlj cheaper tyres owing to reduced overhead charges per cover than the Australian maker, an advantage that is passed on to the American motorist. But it is a different matter when the same tyres are shipped to the Commonwealth. Here they 'become a super-quality tyre, because they have had to pay as much as 2s per lb. duty, pl"s freight, insurance and landing costs. These charges transform the low priced American tyres into high priced goods in this country. Some motorists unaware of the facts think consequently that the Australian tyres are low grade goods listed at a low px-ice, an idea that is fostered •by the American representative out here. The above explanation of the difference in prices should remove the erroneous impression. The leading Australian makes of tyres compare in quality with the highest grade brought into Australasia, and owing solely to tariff advantages they sell at a lower figure. They could be sold at par with the Australian-American prices, but the user would get no better quality, construction or servicc, for the world's best .goes into the leading Australian mates. We have always held the view says tlie "Motor Cycle Trader" (England, that a very large and constant demand awaits the introduction in this Country of a standardized motor-cycle possessing low engine power and turning the scale all on at a smaller figure than any of the machines now upon the market. To be commercially successful such models would have to be produced on a very oxtensive scale and the factory which specialized in them would be laid out for the purpose and equipped with plant capable of turning out machines and parte wii rapidity and cheapness. There would be an enormous amount of repetition work to be done and every item o the construction would have to bo standardized and 'wholly interciiangeable with corresponding parts, tlie work of putting the machines together being thus simplified and the cost very greatly reduced. If it ™re found possible to produce on these lines a motor-cycle selling in'normal times at a figure approximating to £-0 and weighing not more than 1001b. at most there would, it seems tolerably certain, be a sufficiently large demand for it to recoup handsomely any firm enterprising enough to put up the large capital necessary to finance the scheme of production. Any attempt to produce machines of the class referred to

in a small way or on any 'basis 'but that of a prac-ically unlimited output would in our opinion, be doomed to failure at the start. We know that the feeling of the trade is generally against such a project, but nevertheless there exist some clear brains in the industry whi'ch consider it practicable to market u'ltra-lightweigh'b and nuke a success" of it on what may be termed 'Vord" lines, lines which were considered 'fantastical at the outset but have since "made good" as every one knows. The man, 'be he elderly or not, who requires a motor-cycle ;or occasional use only and who is averse to anything that jit not inexpensive in -first cost, easy to handle and maintain, and the storage of which does not involve him in further inconvenience and cost, looks in vain nowadays for the ideal- he has in mind, just as in the past <a host of would-be car owners looked' also in vain for what they required until the advent of the Ford. After the war there will we believe be a huge demand for smaller and lighter motor-cycle than those now supplied. All outdoor recreations will increase in popularity, and there will be a large demand emanating from those who havo been calling for -an ultra light machine, to take them to the links or other short trips undertaken for utility rather than for the (enjoyment of

motor-cycling itself. The '"speed merchant" and, indeed, almost every other class of motor-cyclist is -abundantly catered for, but there is something material to be done yet to help the man who must have an ultralight and cheap machine or none at all. "The Allies today" states Patrick Y. Alexander in a recent issue of flying "have complete superiority of the air but it has been achieved at >a tremiondous expenditure of efforts arid money. "We have not less than 500, 000 persons in the British air service alone ) including thousands of aviators, the mechanics and the manufacturers of aeroplane and aeronautic supplies. Aeroplanes can be seen in flocks anywhere. Every isliip that leaves British ports is escorted by aeroplanes until it is quite a way beyond the Irish coast. We also have large airships which we expect will .be superior to the very best Zeppelins. We have in use at present hundreds of small dirigibles, less than 300 feet long, equipped with aeroplane bodies instead of the usual nacelle. They are capable of staying in the air 50 hours and go at a speed of about 35 miles an hour. They are very useful in submarine warfare and coast defence."