MOTOR & CYCLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1919, Page 10

MOTOR & CYCLE.

(RISE IN ENGUISH PRICES. Owing to the restriction on importation of motor-cars and parts into Great Britain there is a notable rise in the price of English cars. For instance, the new Austin 20, which was listed at £4OO, has now been increased in price to £SOO. The 12 h.p. Bover, which before the war was selling for £350, is now listed at £7OO. It is exactly the same car, without a single alteration. The 11 li.p. Arrol Johnson, which used to sell at £375, is now listed at £7OO, and a similar rise is noticed in practically every car made in Great Britain. AMERICAN TRADE WITH JAPAN. The e.vport of American cars to Japan is steadily increasing. In March no fewer than 070 passenger vehicles, worth £ 107/000, and 137 commercial vehicles, worth £40,000, were sent from the United States to Japan. THE GERMAN MARKET. Prices of cars in Germany are nearly twice as high as they were before the war, but all the factories are busy owing to the fact that there i 3 a notable shortage of- motors in the country. This is very largely due to the lack of materials, especially to the lack of rubber. ERSATZ RUBBER. From the very beginning of the war all rubber tyres of whatever description were confiscated by the German military authorities, and it was not long before the available supply was completely exhausted. A largo- number of mechanical inventions calculated to replace the no longer available rubber tyre, especially those for use on trucks were placed on the market and tried out. However, no matter how good the substitute produced, it never approached a point where it could be compared in any way with tlie rubber tyre. After the failure of many substitutes all trucks were put on steel tyres. This necessitated the reinforcement of the bearing parts of the trucks at a considerable increase in the cost of manufacture. Even then the life of the truck was short, and the car was quickly jolted to pieces, making continual repairs neaessary. Synthetic rubber was produced in large quantities, but it could not replace the known rubber, excepting for insulating purposes, where it did its work we'll. It entirely failed to relieve the. tyre situation, however. Now that the blockade is over, the large stocks of rubber stored in ncr>ral countries on account of the German manufacturers will enter the country, but the lack of cotton will make it impossible for some time to manufacture pneumatic tyres. TYRE PRICES. Whilst Germany is in dire straits for tyres, priqes in America are being greatly reduced, the average reduction amounting to approximately 15 per cent. This is attributed to the plentiful supply of rubber. In April 24,000 tons were imported, as compared witli 7000 tons in April, 1918. Owing to the endbargo pl&qed on Egyptian cotton, the price of this commodity has soared and little is available. In May, J DIG, the average price of a 34.4 non-skid casing was £5 ss. In May, 1917, it was £G 6s; in May, 191S, it was £7 7s; and in April, 1919, it was £8 Ss. In May it fell to £7. FORD FACTORIES ABROAD. The Ford Company proposes to build factories in Italy, France, Germany and Russia, and assembly plants in Denmark, Spain, Portugal and other small countries, the average capacity of which will be 100 cars per day. The Ford interests expect to be able to place on the European market at least half a million cars annually. THE CLASSIC RACE. The French Automobile Club has decided to revive the "Grand Prix" motor car road race, the premier event of its kind in Europe. The classic race will be held next year. The last Grand Prix was held just prior to the war, and was won by a "Mercedes" (Germany). It is hardly likely that German cars will be represented in the next event. THIEVING IN AMERICA. Judging from, the number of cars notified as stolen in America in 1918, the operations of the thieves must be a lucrative business until they are ' caught. Last year alone 22,273 cars | were stolen. Of these some 17,000 eventually recovered. • THE TRUCK FOR TRANSPORT. The American authorities are intent on demostrating the utility of the motor truck for transport purposes. A of 35 motor waggons (army type) was recently sent on an experimental trip across the American continent, to test the vehicles. In addition to the trucks five cars, two ambulances, sis motor cycleß, two "tank" trucks with petrol supplies, two kitchen trailers, two water tank trucks, and one engineering shop vehicle all took part in the long run from Washington to San Francisco. THE PISTON'S FUNCTION. It seems difficult for the average motorist to understand that the piston comes to absolute rest at each end of the stroke. Before absolute rest it is moving in one direction. After absolute rest it is moving in the other. If, before the point of absolute rest or at the point of absolute rest, the gases expand above it and press it, such expansion or pressure do no good towards rotating the crank. • If the expansion and pressure take place before the point of absolute rest the tendency is to drive the crank back. If expansion and pressure take place on the point oi absolute rest, the tendency is to press the parts into close contact, but not to rotate them. One means pressure everted against movement in an opposite direction. The other, pressure exerted against an imlmovable mass. In the fii'ft case the momentum of the fly-

wheel and the piston has to overcome a strain opposed to it. In the other, power is expended in pressing together the piston, piston pin connecting rod,

crank pin, and main bearings, when all are in the same straight line and, as regards the direction of pressure, an immovable mass. Both mean expansive power and pressure wasted and no work done, i.e., no movement initiated by the expansive pressure. RELIABILITY OF THE CYCLE. "Reliability" is a much-used word in the world of wheels, particularly in connection with motor cars and motor cycles, but one seldom hears it mentioned in relation to cycles. Why? The reason is simply that reliability in a bicycle is "taken as read" It is accepted as part and parcel of the biußrcla. «u<l Ute JhijMi u st> >yejl «stafe-

lislied that it appears to call for no comment. But the reliability of the bicycle is a point which may fitly be dwelt upon now and again. It will bear thinking about. The reliability of a machine so fragile and so unstable as the bicycle is little short of wonderful. The bicycle can be depended upon to convey its rider over a large number of miles to arrive at a destination at any prearranged hour. Wind and weather may possibly cause delay, but the cyclist who knows his business "uses his head" and neutralises the effect of the opposition. There is practically nothing, barring accidents, which the experienced cyclist usually knows how to avoid, to interfere with the reliability .of the biycle. LIGHTNESS OF MOTOR BIKE. A motor bicycle is infinitely lighter, per horse-power given off by us Sngine, than any ear; and although the motorbicycle gives no protection from weather, as the car does, the best car in the world, in relation to its power and passenger accommodation, is not nearly as light as a well-built motor-cycle. THE INVENTOR OF THE SIDE-CAR. The interesting question has recently been raised in France as to who was the original inventor of the sidecar now so largely used, of course, in a highly-developed form, in connection with motor-cycles. While we have no doubt the claim will be contested, we are not surprised to see it advanced that the side-car is a French idta. Thus writing in the "Auto," of Paris, M. Pierre Giffard claims that the side-car was first fitted to a bicycle in 1893 by Adjutant Armurier Bertoux, the device carrying off the prize offered in the year mentioned by a French newspaper for the best means of carrying a companion on a bicycle. CYCLING IN FRANCE.

Some idea of the popularity of cycling in France may be gauged from the fact that last, year the tax in force /in that country was paid in respect of 2,230,901 machines.