N.Z. CYCLIST'S SUCCESS.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 28, 25 September 1931, Page 5

N.Z. CYCLIST'S SUCCESS.

The well known cinder-track rider W. Allen, who left for England some time ago to gain experience in road and speedway everits, has obtaihed an engagement with the Coventry Speedway. The Motor-Cycle, in commenting upon the .locql. rider's appointment, says: "Bill Allen, a newly- arfived New Zealander, looks like developing into a fine r^der; his style is very reminiscent of the one and only William Lamo'nt." . In spite of his many crashes at Western Springs early in the last season, Allen was among the best riders in the later stages. His Rudge persistently "lay down" on him for several meetings in succession, but later he made modifications to suit his style, and met with decided success.

filling and there is no chance of the last drops of petrol falling from the nozzle and damaging the paintwork, as frequently happens when the tank is in a forward position. Again, many forward tanks have the filler cap under the bonnet, a decided disadvantage when a hurried refill is required. Convenience a Factor. Apart from the fire hazard, which appears to be equal with each type, one possible reason for many manufacturers adopting the rear tank is the difficulty of housing satisfactorily a sufficiently large container in the forward position. This probably accounts for the wide use of forward tanks in small cars, where four or five gallons of petrol is all that is required in a day's run, and a small tank can be neatly housed without ' unduly restricting the available space between the front seat and the en1 gine. In commercial vehfcles there appears to be a considerable divergence of opinion among the various designers as to where the petrol tank should be situated. Some types, evidently with a view to saving space, have the tank beneath the drivef's seat, others have it between the engine and the driver's compartment, while in some cases it is at the rear. One or two makes carry the tank firmly mounted between the propeller-shaft and one of the chassis side members. It is not often at the rear, as the long over-hang of the body would make it ) extremely difficult to fill and for that reason the tank is generally well inside the wheel-base, where it is fairly immune from damage in the event ' of an accident.