CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 16, 11 September 1912, Page 5

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

There is more in driving a motor car Hum merely steering it. To properly handle the ear is an art. The careful driver is he who imposes upon tyres the minimum stresses; he who never skids Ids wheels and he who takes all the corners carefully. Sweeping round a corner at too high a speed not only abrades the tread of the tyros, hut sets up rigorous stresses upon the fabric itself, which in a short period asserts themselves to the detriment of the whole structure. Even worse than that in its immediate destructive effect upon the tyre tread, is skidding,' and that largely is duo to the improper control of the throttle or accelerator. The actual difference in tyre cost is hard to specify exactly, hut it must he obvious to the thinking man. The tyre tread which has skidded for a few turns has lost more of actual material than travel of some miles would have taken from it, for the heat energy of mechanical motion which would have propelled tho car for some considerable distance in its ballbearing wheels, lias, instead, been reconverted into heat by the destructive attrition of the tyre surfaces in contact with the road. Therefore, beware of skidding!

Motorists no doubt have noticed the peculiarity of speedometers where the indicator, directi,v the car is driven at high speed, or in traversing rough roads, oscillates more or less wldly Vo and fro, and renders the reading of the dial practically impossible. The trouble of course is more pronounced when both high speed and rough road surfaces are present, and which should suggest to drivers the cause of the inaccuracy that can seldom be traced, to any imperfection in the mechanism of the instrument. Instead, it is caused by the front wheel bouncing ever inequalities in the road. When a car is driven at high speed, and one cf the front wheels passes over an ■obstruction with sufficient abruptness to cause the wheel to leave the road, its rotative speed is momentarily iiiercased, which, in turn affects the pi inter on the dal of the speedometer. Plainly, there is no remedy for the trouble other than to alter tiie location of the recording mechanism—say to the propeller shaft, or to one of the change-gear shafts. In some instances, where a car is not fitted with shock absorbers the addition of these fitments may effect a curs, and in any case should alleviate the trouble perceptibly. The Automobile Club of Victoria issued last week its quarterly review ending September, and also combined

ua'h it a souvenir of the Motor Show promoted by the Club. Apart from its

artistic merits, the review contains much that is of interest, not merely

to members but also to motorists in general. There is a summary of the history of the Club, a list of members’ names, an index of books in the Club’s library, a summary of the Motor Car Act by the A.C.V.’s bon. solicitor, chats about the small car and the comparison it bears to the horse and jinker, a list of dangerous places on the road, also an article on the roads question, as well as a list of junctions where direction boards are badly required. Touring is specially dealt with, Now Zealand and Tasmanian trips being included with several Victorian tours (with maps). Interesting details of the overland routes to Sydney and Adelaide are also given, preference being shown to the trip to the last mentioned city, which has e xcited the surprise of many motorists who are not conversant in the conditions. Copies of the souvenir have been scut to every club member, while 10,000 were reserved for gratuitous distribution at the show.

Motor cyclists when gearing up the machine for racing purposes, should bear in mind that it will probably bo more difficult to start, with, also, a certain amount of skipping, due to the reduction in the magneto armature speed. As the gear has direct relation to the proportionate revolutions of the crank shaft and rear hub, ami as the magneto is positively driven oil the engine, it will he apparent that any increase in the gear will be reflected by the lower armature spinal and weaker sparks. The only remedy —and but a partial one at that—is to shorten the plug gap, reducing the resistance to compensate for the weak-

ening of the spark. The annual Perth-Beverley road race (11G miles) which has been held for years for the purpose of selecting the W.A. representatives for the Warrnamhool, was decided on August 31st, although there is to be no Warrnamhool race this year. Forty-six riders started, and the race resulted in a splendid contest. The event was won by A. Wann (a Sydney native) who started oil the 22mins mark. E. M. Gray, who won last year’s established the fastest time, besides running second off the live-in mu re mark, his riding time being 6hrs 23 mi"s 30s''' 1 , A. Ongdell ffuifsV-d third. The first twelve riders rode Dunlop tyros. The roads were Peary, whilst riders had to contend with a strong head wind. The event "t----traeted big interest all along the route, whilst thousands of spectators witnessed the fiirsh.