ON TWO WHEELS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1006, 24 June 1930, Page 6

ON TWO WHEELS

MOTOR CYCLING FIXTURES June 29.—North Shore Club sporting trial: run by Sports Club to trial. July I.—General meeting: of Shorts Club in Chamber of Commerce. July S.—Monthly meeting of North Shore Club. July IS.—Whitewash trail run by Sports Club: leaving Epsom at 10 a m. July 19. —Dinner and annual prize night* of North Shore Club. July 20.—Run by North Shore Club to Manly. July 27. —Social run by Sports Club to Sharpe's Rush. Henderson: leaving Western Springs a : 10 am. , August 10 and 17.—Sports club s annual 250-mile reliability trial for . Rascoe Cup. T.T. VICTORIES FOUR-SPEED BOX WINS SPEEDS HIGHER STILL Improved engine design, and still . better roads, have sent the speed re- j cords for the world’s premier motor- j cycling race, the T.T., climbing still ( higher. The outstanding feature of | tlie contests this year has certainly ; been the success of the four-speed j Rudge-Whitworth machines. which 1 took all places in the junior event, j and first and second places in the j senior race. This performance is all i the more remarkable when it is understood that the junior machines were trial models, which have not yet been put into production. The senior winner, W. L. Uatidie}', also made seve- j ral records for the course either during the race or in practice runs.

The four-speed box has certainly proved itself on this course, and will provide that extra m.p.h. the speedman craves, but it is yet to be seen whether the average motor-cyclist will take kindly to the extra work involved in changing for hills and the rough roads common to New Zealand’s backblocks. Four speeds should be popular for fast work on England’s smooth and level surfaces, the home of multi-geared cars. Four speeds are now fitted as standard to 16 English models, seven of these being products of the Rudge factory, and many others will supply the bigger box if specified. Thirteen are singles, ranging from the big 599 c.c. Sunbeam to the two-stroke 200 c.c. machine of the P. and P. factory. Yet many of the really highpowered mounts such as the big twins built by A.J.S., A.J.W., Brough, 8.5. A., and Matchless firms, all close on 1,000 c.c. capacity, have only the three gears. Americans, too, while producing three super - capacity engines, the 1,301 c.c. Henderson four, the 1,265 c.c. Indian four, and the 1,208 c.c. Harley twin, still pin their faith to the three-speed box. The result of the light-weight T.T. race has not been cabled to the Dominion, and may not he known here for some weeks. It is in some ways the most interesting event, although it does not hold public interest in the same way as the highspeed senior race.

Further news would harve been ac- j ceptable, too, regarding the placings j of the numerous overseas riders who j took part but failed to gain laurels j in face of the opposition of the experienced Isle of Man racers who took leading places. Details will also show whether the A.C.TT. here did right in sending the acknowledged track king, Percy Coleman, as New Zealand’s representative, rather than Len Coulthard, an experienced road rider, who placed on record several j fast circuits of the island before he j was barred from competing.