THE MOTOR AND CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 292, 19 May 1915, Page 2

THE MOTOR AND CYCLE.

.NEWS AND NOTKS. "Thi! Infest in motor c.ir.s" '.. ! he to-.! of placard* on a small car ii; il'.'ew Plymouth yesterday. It was a JloU, and liud come op from Wanganui for demonstration purposes. Messrs Webster Bros, are importing a number of the cars, which an: quifx' distinct from the ordinary cars in that they are fearless, the transmission being by friction drive, thus eliminating all gear troubles. The car was driven up the steepest hill about, the town and over the worst roads, and behaved splendidly. The machine is very well sprung, is very light (weigh-, ing about I'icwts.), has electric sell' starter and electric light, runs from HO to 40 miles to a gallon of benzine, is very light on cylinder oil, is chain driven (encased in oil), well upholstered, and generally looks a good proposition at the price (,tlS.">). It's a machine with a future.

An enormous, amount of English and French money is 'pouring into the United States for American motor lorries, etc. One large concern has u contract for 1200 two-ton lorries fitted with special bodies, and many others have orders ranging from 15(10 to 200 motors each of from live to two tons capacity. In December last over :C(il)0;(!ilO worth of commercial lorries were shipped to France mid England.

The English flovirnment has taken over the whole output of Sunbeam cars, thereby adding another lirst-elass car to the list of motors that will he "cut oil" from the Australasian market during the war. At the rate the English authorities are taking over the output of .the leading English car manufacturers, the importation of high-grade English cars to this country will soon cease.

United Stale:-, army engineers have recently computed a remarkable- expedition aboard a motor' waggon driving hall-way across Alaska to a point within two degrees of the Arctic circle, the farthest northern point ever attained by a motor vehicle and officially confirmed. Fording score.; of glacial streams, running through cainons and'crevasses of solid ice from 8(H)'to 1000 feet in depth, crossing the Alaska and Cbugach mountain ranges on steep and icy trails over unused passes, blasting their way through forests and giant boulders, the party drove from Valdez to Fairbanks and return, n distance of Si'li miles in 1!) days. Thrilling experiences with snow-slides, wash-outs and quicksand were n-ported by the parties. In places steel wire cable bad to be wound around the driving solid tyres to enable steep nnd slipping grades to be surmounted. <\ quantity of supplies and mail matter was carried throughout the journey, a load of over IScwt. being transported on the return trip. Although the. trip was undertaken primarily to determine'the possibility and practicability of motor transportation «in Alaska, the engineers mapped out a route which reduces by at least one month the time required to reach the larger interior towns, particularly those on the Upper Yukon and the headwaters of the Tnnana river.

The promoters of the big annual InilianopoMs "500," the richest, longest and most important motor-car track race in the world, are proposing to run even a bigger event than the world-famed "50k>." The latest idea is to hold on the Jnclianopolis speedway a 10(10 miles race, for prizes-aggregating £20,0(10, or double (he value of the 'MOO - ' prize money. To make the event exclusive and more interesting it is suggested that only the make of cars that havopreviously'figured as winners of the 500 miles nice will he eligible, to compete. If this idea is carried out only fon'r makes of ears would compete, viz., the Marmon (1011), National (,1012), IVugeot (1:)13) and Deluge (101-1). The suggestion is that each of these makers lie allowed, to nominate from three to live cars each; also that the cars must each show a speed of 00 miles per hour for 20 laps of the track, equal to about 50 miles. Whilst such an event would provide a magnificent contest, strong opposition will -probable lie made by -many of the leading American car manufacturers, who run racing teams, to the proposal to allow only two American and two French cars into such |i rich event, with its .'J 1-0,000 first prize Should the. "1000" eventuate, it will probably be found that other lcadin" American makers will he represented' in the field. The annual Indianopolis "500" is to be decided, this month.

I'ew motorists realise the dill'erent physical properties of the two popular types of motor car wheels—wooden and wired. A wooden wheel i s built entirely 111 compression. du K to the fact that it is assembled as a unit ami drawn into shape and held there by the application ot a steel Land shrunk into position to hold the wheel together. i\ ny l o ~j placed on a wooden wheel is carried by the spokes below the centre of tlie wheel tothe bub and In, a direct line from the point of contact with the road to the centre of the wheel. A wire wheel is built with the spokes in tension, and the nm in compression, the whole, ueiii" held together as a unit by the tension of the spokes. Any load carried on a wire wheel is carried by .spokes above the centre of the wheel, which adds to the initial tension due to tightening up the spokes. Consider a wooden wheel in service fitted complete with tvre. JOverv time the wheel drops into'a rut or strikes an obstacle on the road the shock is transmitted directly to the Hub ot the wheel through the spokes below the centre of the wheel, causing a blow at that point. Realising fully that 'Tor every action there must he an equal and opposite reaction," this blow is returned directly to the tyre at the point of contact, which has its effect on the cover. Consider a wire wheel under the same condition*. The shock cannot reach the nib until it has passed through the rim H'low the centre of the wheel and must be further transmitted thromdi the spokes above the centre of the wheel before it can reach the hub. Buffing through any solid material absorbs shock, eonsequc.ifly tl„. shock received al the centre of the wire wheel is much "'dticcd. lee reaction—much reduced— M t» l"»ss through flu- Mllm . ~„„, ,„.. ore reaching the point of contact, wi.h i " result that tin- shock i, particularly in the wheel itself and the re'"ftionat the point of contact with'tiw road is maionalv reduced "In other words, the wire wheel is a shock absorb. ; ; ,P".'ed f tfie very lowest point in the car, and also bcnelitiiig the tyres.