MOTOR AND CYCLE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

MOTOR AND CYCLE

NEWS AND NOTES. Ten miles were recently covered on the new Sheepsteed 'Bay motor track, near New York, by D. Resta on a Peugeot in smin 32 4-ssec., which is equal to a speed of 117 miles an hour. Whilst these wonderful figures constitute an American record, they are still slightly behind L. G. Hornsted's smin. 19sec., established at Drooklands (England), in February, 1314. » » • Two Australian cyclists l in F. Corry and G. Walker, put up a very fine performance at Newark (U.S.A.) recently, defeating all the crack riders on the American circuit. The race was a teams one over 31% miles, and was run on a points basis, points being awarded to the leading team at the end of each mile, and again at different stages throughout the contest. The riders named led for the greatest number of laps, Corry eventually finishing up second. Australians, in Goullot and Grenda, ran second, whilst Spears and McNamara were third. The American champion, Kramer, teamed with J. Clark (Vic.), they finishing up fifth. The distance was covered in the fast time of 1 hour lOmin 4 4-ssec. » * #

In spite of the many complaints that are made about sparking plugs, these are proving wonderfully reliable of late years. The trouble is that the average motorist does not pay sufficient attention either to the purchase of suitable plugs for his engine, and this applies especially to users of small high-speed engines or to the care of same. The average notion is that anything that will spark will do, nnd that so long as a spark is occurring in each cylinder the quality of that spark does not much matter. Actually, however, suitable sparking plugs properly adjusted can have a very appreciable effect on the even, sweet running of ail engine. The plugs should be of a correct length so as not to protrude too far into the combustion chamber, but at the same time should be long enough to be within easy access of the gases. Another point which should he borne in mind is that better results are obtained if all the plugs in an engine are of a uniform type.

People sometimes speculate, when the speed of modern progress suddenly strikes them, on what our loreiawers would say could they come to life and view the marked difference in general '.conditions between now and a hundred or even fifty years ago. And the primary instigator of the thought is, of course, the motor-car. There was, not long ago, a prisoner released after a very lengthy incarceration, and an enterprising journalist got hold of him, and recorded his impressions. America has gone one better. A murderer has just been set free from Sing Sing prison after twenty-one years of confinement there, and the Society of Electrical Development immediately took the opportunity .of giving him some "shocks." The old man—he is 81 —was taken on a tour by a lady owner of an electric vehicle, and shown all the wonders ;n electricity which America has developed during those fateful twenty-one years. The electric cars which abound in New York apparently mystified and interested him even more than a specially electricallycooked luncheon to which he was bidden. One would think that the excitement of it all would prove very trying for a man of that advanced age. But what strikes one most about the affair is the Americanism of it all! The released murderer taken charge of, toured round and feted, so that his impressions might be noted! It smacks strongly of the American love of sensationalism.

One of the most obvious developments <>i motoring during the past few years has been the great advance in popularity of the motor-cycle side-car. It. natural in motor-cycling, as in motor-car-ing—to coin a word—as soon as the technique of the single or small-powered machine is mastered, to desire something more powerful and more companionable. But there is something more than that underneath the practical universality of the motor-cycle-cum-sidecar attachment, and it is to be found in the fact that while the motor-cycle, unfortunately, is the special prey of sideslips and skids on greasy surfaces, and is in other ways the least stable of all forms of horseless traction, as soon as a side-wheel attachment is fitted its stability and safety are ■at least equal to that, of the motor-car. That partly explain?, why the threatened opposition of the so-cnlled cycle-car failed in any way to arrest or injure the popularity of the motor-cycle cum sidecar fashion. The cost of a sidecar outfit is not far short of the figure that trill purchase some of the very cheap American light-cars, but the economy in running, speed and comfort of the side car equipment has gained this type of outfit a popularity that will not only endure but grow. The Xew Plymouth by laws, however, will have a deterring effect in this part of the province, however, for it is a breach to carry a passenger on the carrier, and the motor-cycle's use is restricted thereby. Will motorists make an endeavor to get this by-law repealed, and one substituted which will relate only to solo machines?

Some time ago there was performed in America a motor-far fuel demonstration that provides material for close study by car drivers. The car that was used has a normal consumption of 20 miles to the gallon, but in the skilled hands of the performers they got 75 miles to the gallon at the first attempt, and at the second close upon 100 miles to the gallon—duly authenticated —which seems an incredible performance. The car, it was admitted, was prepared with the greatest exactitude in several respects. It had a specially high top gear, and | very carefully proportioned gears to suit every hill on the route. The carburetter had been "tuned" (as the phrase goes) to the limit. The feat, however, depended in the main on the skill of the driver. _ Curiously enough, he seemed to work oh the main principle that drivers of electric trains have long adopted to get the bonus awarded for saving current. and that is to work up to full speed, i.e., accelerate very rapidly, shut off the power, and then "coast" along to the next stopping place. The driver never ran the engine except when absolutely necessary, his chief anxiety being to keep the throttle closed, as nearly as possible. He coasted with clutch out down every hill, and rushed up the next by momentum as far as he could, and then let the engine pitll to the top, with a. carefully selected gear ratio engaged. The brakes were not used except when ' absolutely required in an emergency, because it was realised that the use of brakes meant so much dead loss of fuel to the dissipation of the energy of momentum. The utmost use was made of the ignition control, so that with the least possible amount of mixture and spark set to full advance they could get along on the level with a large economy #f fuel. Mo "racing" of the engine was Permitted and no idle running; every

inch the pistons moved hail, if possible; to be translated into car motion, which is, after all, simply the application of fundamental facts and principles reduced to a fine art. The performance was not by any means a conjuring feat, and if the average car owner would keep this in mind, and act upon it, he would be in a fair way to reach that elusive desideratum of fuel economy.

The dearth of new English cars is a serious problem difficult of solution. The absorption of car factories by the Government for war purposes has brought this matter to a head. The suggestion is made that the cars should he uuilt in America to the designs of the British makers. * * *

The latest American idea of providing thrills for the spectators of motor races is to hold them at night, and to illuminate the track for this purpose. A test was recently made in Indiana to demonstrate the practicability of such an idea. The course measured a mile round, and the lights generated over two million candle-power. Each light developed from twelve to fifteen thousand candle-power, and was supplied with gas from a cylinder of dissolved acetj'lene. # # #

The demand for motor drivers in England for service in France still continues, and when the last mail left the authorities were calling for 12,000 thoroughly skilled drivers. It is difficult for anyone at this distance from the scene of operations to realise how so many motor drivers can be utilised, when the firing line is practically stationary, whilst trench warfare continues. At present many thousands ot motor vehicles are being utilised in transport, ete., and whilst the wastage of machines must be fairly heavy, the losses of drivers would be comparatively nil, for they are out of the firing zone. This being so, it looks as though the English authorities are now making preparations for the time when a rap.id continuous movement of the front begins, which would call for a regular army of motor vehicles, and, of course, drivers. In this connection it is interesting to note that the Australian Motor Transport Service Corps which left many months back for England, has now left for France. * # •

Light-weight motor-cycles, especially those of the two-stroke variety, continue to grow in popularity in the British Isles. Undoubtedly the two-stroke lightweight is more popular at Home than in any other country in the world. Even where British motor cycles predominate in the colonies the lightweight is not so strongly represented as it is at Home, and, consequently, those readers who are used to handling big twins have a new sensation in store for them when some of the fascinating little two-strokes arrive. They are marvellous in efficiency. A good many of them weighing but 1401b will do a good level 40 m.p.h., which was as much as a 3%-h.p. machine would do seven years ago. As for hill-climbing, with a two-speed gear they scamper up single-figure gradients without the slightest trouble, and as for handiiiess in traffic they are a dream. One can follow siow-moving traffic on the low gear without the slightest trouble, nipping in and out when an opening presents itself, and, moreover, grease has no terrors with these efficient little lightweights.