MOTOR NOTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 95, 15 April 1914, Page 8

MOTOR NOTES.

,The X.S.W. amateur champion S. Burtinshaw, carried off two more Australian championships at tiie amateur cycling carnival at Brisbane. The events were the half mile and the ten miles. In the former race Burtinshaw went to the front and led throughout, winning by half a wheel from A. McDonald (Victoria), in linin ID 2-osecs.,

11l tho ten miles championship a great struggle was again witnessed, the Sidney crack winning by half a wheel from S. Ashby (Queensland), with J. Troosdell (Queensland) third. Time 20mins 7secs. By winning the above events Burtinshaw concluded a most striking and unique performance, for he captured tho whole lour championships decided at tho carnival.

The Timaru Cycling Clno, which last week recorded 4hrs 30min 50 2-5 secs in connection with the 100 miles relay teams competition, made a further attempt to better the Coburg Club’s (Victoria) 4hrs 28mins 13 3-5 secs, but the best they could do was to reduce their own time, which is the second fastest, to 4hrs 30miu 11 1-5 secs. Several of tlie fastest teams in Australia will make attempts during ..he next two weeks to win the £IOO lonated by the Dunlop Hub her Co. oO the fastest team.

A. V. Turner, the winner of the last Mclbourue-Sydney reliability contest, md the holder of the -Melhourne-Syd-’.cy car record of 19hrs 2mins, has deeded to make an attempt on Murray Aungor’s wonderful record of 14hrs jJmins 52secs from Melbourne to Adelaide. Aunger would like,to return dic'tomplirnent by having a.cut at the Melbourne-Sydney record, which looks ike being at his mercy, only that the n’.S.W. authorities have tetoed any further attempt.

In motoring circles interest is l * being alien in the forthcoming animal 500 niles race, which is to be decided on May 30th at Indianopolis (U.S.A.) This is the richest track race held in die world, being worth over £4OOO to the winner besides valuable bonus, ■tc. Further interest will be added o this year’s race by the inclusion imongst the starters of the crack Engish six cylinder Sunbeam car, which aolds most of the world’s records up 012 hours. This machine is being specially fitted up to suit the Indiatopolis track and will bo driven by f. Chassaigne, a driver of great experience. Gftux, the French crack, vho won this 'event last year, will \gain be competing. \ _____ / <

Ifc is interesting to note how enor- # 'uously fast the cycle of operations an take place in a modern motor •ycle. For instance, when Emerson recently achieved two new motor cycle records on a 3i h.p. machine at Brookaitds (England), with the aid of a '‘steamline trail,” he used a gear ratio )f 3$ to 1 with a 26-inch wheel and diod with 2.) inch tyres. This gave the •ngine speed of 3,718 revolutions per minute. Assuming that the fly wheel was 11 inches ,in diameter, a usual d/.e for an outside flywheel for a 100 c.c. engine, the flywheel rim speed was oyer two miles a minute or over 120 miles, an hour, while the piston speed of the 64 m m stroke engine worked out nt 1,550 feet per minute. These speeds are calculated, assuming there was no engine racing through tyre and belt slip; but obviously when travelling at 80 miles per hour Emerson would experience considerable belt slip, and thus the actual speeds )f these engine parts were really considerably higher than these given above.

It now looks as if the pioneer attempt to take a motor car across Africa from Capetown to Cairo has dismally failed, for a letter has keen received in Johannesburg from Capt. Kelsey, which indicates that his Capo-bo-Cairo expedition came to a standstill somewhere north of Livingstone owing to lack of funds.

It is stated that Capt. Kelsey was trying to dispose of his searchlight, ind it is reported that he contemplated abandoning the tour and making for the nearest East African port. A Capetown newspaper} the Sunday Times, states that a well-known Rand motorist contemplates a motor journey through darkest. Africa to Cairo. He has a specially designed 25.30 h.p Talbot on order and it will shortly arrive from England, Rand motorists are very keen on a South African party being the first to get through. It has been suggested that three or 1 cars of the same make should start for Cairo, the strongest car being fed with spare parts from the others as they are required.

Mr Allen Doone, the well-known Irish character actor, _and a very keen motorist, pays a great tribute to the durability to the Australian made Dunlop tyres. Writing to tho Dunlop Company, when returning a cover for inspection after its having been driven 3830 miles on his racing National car (which is capable of travelling 70 miles an hour), Mr Doone says that this is tho first time he has ever been able to get a tyre to stand over 1000 miles, as the high speed at which bis car is frequently driven over rough roads seems to break the walls. Some tyres have failed to stand 50 miles, whilst 500 to GOO miles has seen the finish of most tyres used. Such praise from a hard driving motorist like Mr Doone, who has tried various makes of American, English, and European 1 tyres speaks well for tho material and [construction of the Australian made Dunlop.

The Swedish motor car reliability trial, which is held in midwinter and

is recOgnisfed as the most strenuous motor test on record, was this year won on a Dunlop shod Minerva. Several English Cary competed, hut tailed to showiup. Many of the cars became bogged, and it was days before they were, removed. In some cases the wheplS vSanlj: so deep in mud that the fro nit axle acted as a scoop, and hanked up 'the mud so high that the cars could proceed no further. The winner, Ostermau, also won this event on a similar make of car in 1913.