OM TWO WHEELS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 302, 13 March 1928, Page 6

OM TWO WHEELS

NEWS AND NOTES COMING EVENTS SPORTS MOTOR-CYCLE CLUB March 17 and 18—Murlwai Sneed Championships. March 24—Mangere Hill Climb. March 25—Run to Beachlands. April I—Run to Clarke’s Beach. The monthly meeting of the club was held last Tuesday. The election took place of a club captain, whose duties are to take charge of social runs, foster road courtesy, and see that by-laws are observed. L. Miller was elected captain, and W. Marrett vicecaptain. MANGERE HILL CLIMB It was decided to hold another hillclimb at Mangere on Saturday, March 24. All the classes will be competing, also a general handicap event. All the events will be classified to ensure that the machines in each event wjll be of the same power rating. LADIES’ SECTION A good deal of discussion took place regarding the ladies’ section of the club, as the ladies have recently expressed strong dissatisfaction with the methods of the Management Committee. The suggestion was Adopted of placing £5 to the credit of the social fund to be used by the ladies ;or social purposes. This fund will be kept with a credit of £ 5 at all times. MURIWAI CHAMPIONSHIPS The attention of motor-cyclists is drawn to the racing at Muriwai next Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday afternoon the sidecar and 350 c.c. S.V. championships will be held. On Sunday the following races -will be held: 350 c.c. 0.H.V.; 600 0.H.V.; Unlimited Open; 30 miles (for Acton Cup), and flying half-mile records. The championship distance is 10 miles, with three turns, and 2S-mile straights. It is anticipated that the club’s electrical timing device, which was perfected by Messrs. Millar and Wadham, will be available for use on the course. HAMILTON CLUB’S RACES A highly successful race meeting was held by the Hamilton Club over a five-furlong course at Claudelands last Saturday. It is some time since the last Hamilton meeting, and the reappearance was very welcome. It was pleasing to note the number of Auckland riders appearing, and return visits from Hamilton riders to Auckland races will be appreciated. * * * Motor-cycle gear boxes in 1928 specifications have not changed appreciably in general design since 1926, and the proprietary units of the four 'eading makes are practically all of the threespeed, clutch and kick-starter type, although certain makers can supply light-weight two-speed and heavyweight four-speed boxes. Nevertheless, there are several detail improvements in the well-known components, and the changes make for stronger and cleaner design, greater accessibility, and ease of adjustment. * * * The number of motor-cycle clubs actively engaged in promoting trials and other events in England is 468, and there are about 100 other clubs which exist for no apparent reason. • * * A strong contingent of North Island riders is tixpected at the track meeting at New Brighton racecourse on March 31. • * * 8.5. A., Douglas and Triumph motorcycles and a range of J.A.P. engines, are being shown at the American Motor-cycle Show in New York. Of the 193 motor-cycles reported stolen in the London Metropolitan area during 1926, only 92 were recovered. In the case of cars the numbers were 809 and 712 respectively. * * * Two Australian motor-cyclists have just completed a tour of New Zealand. They were O. H. Gepp, of Victoria, who is in the final year of the agricultural course at Melbourne University, and J. S. Millen, son of Senator J. D. Millen, Tasmania. Millen has completed the agricultural course at Hawkesbury. Both young men are interested in fat lamb raising. They spent three weeks touring in the North Island, the means of transport being a Douglas and sidecar. They consider that the New Zealand roads are not at all bad, but they did not think a great deal of the roads out from Auckland and away from the concrete. • • * THE CHRISTCHURCH MOTORCYCLE CLUB Founded 50 years ago, the Pioneer Sports Club, the oldest of its kind in the world, will celebrate its jubilee this year. It is likely that the celebrations will take the form of a motor carnival, picnic and a social. The date for holding these festivities has not been fixed yet. CARELESS MOTOR-CYCLISTS To the more staid section of the community the motor-cyclist is often regarded as a pest on the road. Many riders can truthfully be regarded as such, and their wild and foolish actions’ cast a slur on all patrons of the two-wheeler. The open cut-out, which was so pievalent some years ago and which has continuously been denounced, is fortunately not so r-parent today but the high efficiency engine with the long, straight exhaust nine Is beginning to become obnoxious and the practice of starting o.t with sharp acceleration and a senes of ear-splitting detonations is doing much harm to motor-cycling. Impatience is another feature of the driving of many riders. In traffic, instead of waning in line, they endeavour to thread a way in between vehicles, often to the danger of themselves, pedestrians and other vehicles, and m many cases in violation of all traffic laws These offenders are happily, in the minority but their indiscretions are ™flagrant that Public opimon aS 5 in t St s onH m °by° r the > concerted" action a ? d 13 °t% cyclists through their various organisations that popularity ca ", be is without doubt the mosi 6 economical means^f it is the safe dit than any other accidents to It. tlnfr potentialimotor vehiclen and jt shou i d Pnties are well kn joy its f uli shar exercise of a little discretion by its users.