CYCLING AND MOTORING.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1916, Page 7

CYCLING AND MOTORING.

NEWTS AND NOTES. * The Contest Board of the American Automobile 'Association has issued an official certificate in respect of an interesting trial recently carried out on a 12-cylinder Pathfinder car taken from stock. The car left San Diego, California, on July 3 last, with only top and reevrse gears in the gear-box. The transmission was sealed by a representative of the A : A.A. On August. 1 the 'Pathfinder arrived in New Yon:, having travelled 4889 miles on top gear. Tne car was immediately taken to the Sheepstead Bay track (New York), where it covered the flying mile at an j average speed of 60.81 miles per-.hour. The track testx although the car did not achieve anything very sensational, proves that it was not geared ridiculously low to enable it to negotiate on top speed the difficult mountainous sections of the. long ocean-to-ocean run. The test demonstrates the great gain in engine flexibility, through multiplication of cylinders. Such a trip would be impossible on a standard-geared ordinary 4-cylinder touring car. The increased cost of petro] the world over will naturally tend to focus manufacturers' attention to more economical running of their vehicles. The result in the near future will probably be lighter cars, and perhaps smaller and more efficient engines. Cutting out weight in the building of a car is not an easy task. It calls for very judicious pruning. Reduced weight means not only less expenditure for fuel, but lower tyre upkeep, and generally less wear and tear on all ear parts. Tor reasons unknown there has not been enough attention given to the problem of weight reduction in the past. In this direction no doubt much will be learnt by car designers from the experiences gained in aeroplane engineering work for the front. Remarkable strides have been, made during the past two years in aeroplane construction, »nd when the knowledge gained is placed at the disposal of the leading English, French, Italian and Belgian automobile makers, there is every reason for anticipating that when Europe is again placed on a peace footing that great strides and advancement will be made in car construction.

It transpires that one of the reasons for the great shortage of petrol in England, resulting in motorists being reduced to starvation supplies, is the fact that many of the oil-tank steamers, used for transporting petrol in bulk across the Atlantic, have 'been commandeered by the British Admiralty for conversion into troopships. New "tankers" are being rushed though, and it is hoped that when the new fleet of oil steaijier3 are available that the petrol famine will be considerably relieved.

A visitor to the war zone from Verdun to.the British Jines states that it is worth noting that the war has brought about an extensive use of trailers. Their first application was in the automobile service, where loads are bulky and light. Their use has been extended in this service, and has also been adopted by other "branches of the army. Naturally the four-wheel driven tractor has tended 1 towards a considerable increase in the use of trailers, but these are vehicles originally designed for operating with trailers. The trailer are now. being attached behind all kinds of automobiles, which, it was originally thought, would never have to receive them. Thus 3%-ton trucks working with bulky loads are being made more efficient by the addition of trailers. A large number of light trucks, of % and 1-ton capacity, mounted on pneumatic tyres, are fitted with the special army type elastic coupling at the rear, and will take one or two two-wheel pneu-matic-tired trailers. These are exten; sively used for the transportation of men* working in the rear of the lines. For instance, at a big aviation depot employing 300 men, who have to work Tive m'iW from their billets, these light tractors and trailers are used to take the men backwards and forwards morning, noon and night. The machines are no*t kept specially for this purpose, 'out are used on general haulage work around the depot. The trailers are merely two-wheel floats with canvas tops cm detachable hoops; the front is closed, and entrance is at the rear; there are two longitudinal seats. In a few minutes the trailers can be stripped to mere platform bodies suitable for carrying aeroplane wings or a complete aeroplane. As a speed of 35 m.p.li. can lie maintained on good roads, these outfits are valuable, in case of necesity, for the quick transportation of troops to threatened points. Many of the smaller munition factories not having sufficient work to justify the purchase of a truck are using ordinary touring cars with a trailer attached. Significant figures are disclosed concerning the American export of motor curs and heavy-vehicle chassis during the IWfi fiscal year, which ended June 30. The total value represented approaches very closely to £20,000,000, as compared with the corresponding figures for 11)15, which werc'"ei2,ooo,ooo. Europe is still the heaviest consumer, having brought 35,390 vehicles out of a total of 77,4(1-8 exported, the former being '3.7 per cent, ot tho total output. Canada is the second groates*- eons—ner, with 10,403 vehicles, Australia coming third with 7378. This is the first time that the Australian business has been deemed worthy by the American Government's Statistical Department of separate classification. The biggest :han"e in exports occur in regard to South America, the total for the year 1910 being 0720, as against 1284 for the ' t preceding year. An analysis of the ex- . ports to Europe shows that England was the heaviest buyer, having purchased 18,428 machines, more than .half the

total European quantity. Trance ;= gee ond with 7788, Russia third with 517;; Italy took 387 anil 'Denmark fiH7.

'Most ears, 'but more especially lit>]it and moderate sized cars, arc "uiufcrtyred. It is a very false economy, due, no doubt, to tlic anxiety of the manufacturers to list their cars at a comparatively low figure so as to induce business, The loss to the purchaser is considerable, though, unfortunately, he does not seem to realise the fact. Lirse tyres give much greater wear than small ones, more especially in the direction of cuts and gashes. In addition to this, a saving is effected in the wear and tear of the ear generally. It is not necessary to pump these tyres as hard as the smaller ones, and, taking this into account and the increased diameter, there is a much better cushioning effect, so that vibration and road shocks are reduced to a minimum.

There has been considerable activity in the English motor-cycle trade since Roumania has joined the Allies. Big orders for motor cycles for despatch riders' use have been placed. The.importance that attaches to the proper adjustment of the carburetter on a motor-cycle is perhaps not so clearly recognised as it should be. A ma-'-ked difference sometimes exists, however, ing of the fuel are concerned, and any adjustments niade should he calculated to meet-these particular requirements, and not those which, according to the between the requirements of one engine and another where the mixing and feedlaw of averages, would appear to be the best. The work thrown upon an .engine varies very considerably in separate cases, and it often proves impossible to provide- for these differences bv means of throttle alone. Adjustments c£ a more permanent character are needed, and their precise character can only be determined to the best satisfaction by actual test and careful attention to the results that are being obtained. Altering the size of the jet or the level'of the petrol in the float chamber are the two expedients most commonly resorted to. They represent what may be termed the main adjustments provided for the purpose of collecting inefficient carburetter service. The exclusion of air from the carburetter, except through the proper channels provided for its ingress, is a matter which must be given attention if the best results are to be secured, but it often proves on examination to be the case that additional air is gaining access to the carburetter and inlet pipe through, "leaking connections, which may be either ill-fitting or not properly secured, a state of affairs which exists much more frequently than one might suppose. There are cases in, which it is practically impossible to secure airtight carburetter connections, .ind. the j method sometimes adopted is that of binding the parts with insulating tape. Such a thing should not he ncccjsary, J of course, but rather than endure inefficiency with regard to the actiou of the carburetting apparatus it is unwise, iij only a temporary measure to resort to this means of excluding superfluous air. It doubtless often happens that faults attributed to the carburetter ought really to be charged to the account of other portions of the mechanism, and the only way to efiminate all doubt is to make sure that the carburetter and its connections are actually attuned to the 'best advantage.