THE MOTOR CYCLE.

Shannon News, 17 December 1926, Page 2

THE MOTOR CYCLE.

GENERAL NOTES. * Motor enthusiasts are reminded of the sports meeting to be held at Otaki on December 27th (Boxing Day). The. Otaki Maori Racing Club have granted the Motor Cycle Club use of their course for the occasion and some of New Zealand's best riders will compete. The course is being., specially prepared and given fine weather some fast and exciting racing should result. The Jn'.-lieient silencing system fitted to standard machines is causing a good deal of comment in England. A machine with a "healthy pop" appeals to the average motor cyclist and with a view to Increasing the sales, manufacturers have been fitting a straight out exhauct which does not comply with law regulations. The designers have a difficult task to make a silencer both legal in terms of the laws and with a minimum amount of back pressure. ' With the absence of the silencer greater speed and more m.p.g. is the result, but has led to many prosecutions. Though caster oil is found to be good for racing purposes it is prohibited on account ,of its offensive smell. j Motor cycling is becoming a popular sport in New Zealand and with the comI pletion of the scheme for titumenizing I main highways a considerable increase will be noticeable in the demand for I motors/Lighter machines will then be more in vogue for solo work and will be more extensively used for commercial purposes. Perfection in design is largely responsible for Ihe increased popularity and a comparison of the different models for the last few years? shewed a marked improvement. Tho peifect mechanism .in the new models, giving reliability with speed and economy, has greatly enhanced the value of the motor cycle as a means of conveyance. Pillion riding in 'some boroughs is prohibited as it is considered dangerous, but the number t of accidents to motor cyclists carrying a pillion rider is not great when taking into consideration the number of motor cycles on the road. There are during the year constant accidents at the seaside and in connection wjith all forms of sports, methods of travel and various occupations and if a census were taken it would certainly be found that motor cyclists were jiotr havilng an undue pri"ortion of accidents. The prohibiu c of the pillion riding practice will h..' <■ a detrimental effect on the motor cy :«> "industry which is now an important one. in England, where, incidentally a law restricting the practice has not been enforced. The majority of motor cyclists using the roads have as much consideration for others as any other class of the community and the. pillion rider is not nearly as much a menace as the speeding motor ear or the pedestrian who walks about very often with his eyes shut.