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CYCLECAR AND MOTOR CYCLE NOTES.

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CYCLECAR AND MOTOR CYCLE NOTES. [By CELERITER. ] ON THE ROAD AT EASTER. SNOWDON CLIMBED BY MOTOR- CYCLETTE. Easter generally signals the commence- ment of the English touring season, especially when it comes late, as it did this jear. Machines which went through a Beason's hard work in 1913 were brought out on Good Friday, many of them only leaving the repairer's or enameller's hands on the very eve of the holiday, bright and shining in their coating of new enamel and veneer of plating. Many old crocks which had only a few days before changed handt were brought out by their new owners, proud in their possession of a motor cycle, though it was an old crock, and what a lot there were of this type on the roads at Easter. I don't think I ever saw quite so many old machines in one week-end before. On one well known hill, not far from a big Midland city, I saw at least a score of old motor cycles with sidecars attached being rushed or pulled up the long, steady rise which bad been too much for these veterans of a more exciting age. Possibly many of these machines were in the hands of riders who ware only trying their prentice hands on some old crock preparatory to buying an up- to-date mount for Whitsuntide perhaps. This is a plan worthy of every consideration providing the old crock can be bought for an old song and sold again without much loss, for one can learn more in a day with an old machine than would be learned in a month on a modern no worry" machine, though perhaps there might come a time with the latter when a little experience gained from an old crock would be worth pounds. There are many club competitions, reliability trials, hill climbs, rallies and tours organised at Easter; prominent among these is the Motor Cycling Club's annual run from London to Land's End and back for the Jerrott Cup. Being in Dorset I saw many of the competitors in this trial coming up from the West on their homeward journey. They had done nearly 150 miles, so had had plenty of opportunity to get dusted up and they were dusty with a vengeance. Old friends came and almost passed by before one could recognise their features through the dust and grime, yet they were all enjoy- ing the fun, and many came up the hill on which we had planted ourselves, whistling and singing at the top of their voices. Getting dusty is one of the privileges of the trial ride, and no self-respecting rider would think of having a wash anywhere on the long journey except at the lunch stop. How this dust effects the lungs one cannot tell, but it must be injurious for a time at any rate. Though the competitors in the M C.C. trial were smothered in dust almost from the commencement, those who rode in the Birmingham Weymouth and back trial, another big Easter event, were wallowing in mud. Of the two the dust is preferable, for it is less dangerous to a solo rider who is liable to skid in the mud, and it is also less harmful to the machine than rain and mud, which get into the working parts. Both dust and mud play havoc with the appear- ance of either a motor cycle or cyclecar, and the machines that look smartest at the end of a long trial are those finished in grey or light fawn, either of which almost match the dust or mud. When will makers of enamel turn out a grey which will stand up as well as the black at present almost universally used ? It is hoped soon, for the pleasures of dusting a black machine after a long run of a dusty or muddy road are none too great. One thing that struck me particularly this Easter was the ever increasing number of sidecar machines met with everywhere solo machines seem almost non est where holiday touring is concerned. I was also'rather surprised at the number of big Indian twins which are to be met with everywhere down in the West. Light cars of all kinds are now getting into every part of the country and amongst those seen in quantities were the following :—" Perry," Singer," Swift," "Humberette," "Enfield" and Morris- Oxford." One of the latter I found in a Hotel Garage on Easter Sunday morning with the cylinders removed and its owner standing near by in a boiler suit looking very glum, I ventured to suggest that he had found trouble by way of a prelude to asking what was the matter, but as I was informed that the engine bad merely been dismantled for fun I decided that the owner- mechanic was not in a joyful mood, so retired thinking how often I had made similar replies to those foolish people, who, on seeing one with the inner tube removed, come and ask if the tyre is punctured. Light car owners have in many cases had a good schooling in motoring matters with the aid of a motor cycle, and are therefore ready and able to tackle almost any adj ust- ment or repair necessary. It is a natural sequence to graduate from a cycle to a motor cycle-from a motor cycle to a lightcar, and from a lightcar to a heavier one and so on as funds permit. This being the case we shall soon have an army of motorists all able to do their own repairs. What will the garages do then they will have to put up the price of petrol still more, and charge more for storage. Then everyone will do without storage as much as possible and use Benzol. Motoring is not very costly in itself-I mean motoring with a motor cycle and sidecar or in a lightcar. It is the accessories which run away with the money. When touring, if one turns up in a smart lightcar to a hotel for lunch or tea, the porters and waiters all make a fuss and expect good tips if staying the night the price of a bedroom mysteriously increases in proportion with the size of the car one is driving and so on. How soon will hotel proprietors and garage owners realise that by charging exhorbitent prices for each and everything a motorist takes or uses, they are only acting against their own interests, and deterring many would-be motorists from becoming motorists in actual fact. Touring the British Isles by motor cycle, cyclecar or big car is becoming more popular every year. The hotels have all benefitted by it, and if they charge high prices, then the time is coming when the R.A.C. and A.A. must publish a list of farm houses, or country appartments suitable for motorists where they can obtain raasonable fare at reasonable prices. Until this list is published, motorists who desire to take advantage of such places should procure the free list published by the various railway companies. SNOWDON CLIMBED BY MOTOR- I CYCLETTES. On Good Friday Mr W G McMinnies, a London motor cyclist, succeeded in climbing to the summit of Snowdoc on a Calthorpe- Precision motor cyclette. On Easter Monday, two Midland motor cyclists, Messrs F Shakes- peare and S Hall, did the same thing on O.K." junior motor cyclettes. The former machine was rated at 2-h.p., and took 31 hours to make the climb, whilst the latter machines were rated at 1-1-h.p., and took 1-21 hours to reach the summit. Full details of the performances are not to hand at the moment of writing, though I understand one of the machines was geared down to 26 to 1. Too much importance should not be attached to such performances as these, and amateur riders would be foolish if they attempted to climb similar stretches on their own machines. In the first place it must be borne in mind that these riders had the machines they used placed at their disposal by the makers, and it did not particularly matter to anyone whether the machines were ruined by the time the summit was reached or not, so long as the climb was completed-that was all that was required. Of course, the climbs may have their lessons to the makers, although they do not convey anything so far as the power of the machine is concerned. Seeing what very low gears are used, they show that even with the engines turning over at such high speeds as must have been the case, and generating enormous heat, there was not sufficient over-heating to pre- vent the climbs being made. It would be interesting to know how much oil was used in each engine, what the petrol consumption was, and now many valves were broken- both makes of machine had four-stroke poppet valve engines. Another point to be borne in mind when considering the per- formance is the fact that the machines all had very low riding positions, so that every opportunity would no doubt be taken advantage of for foot-slogging," which would help the engine very considerably. No doubt now that Snowdon has been climbed by motor-cyclettes, someone will make an attempt on Ben Nevis. To my mind, however, to be of any real use, such a trial should be officially observed, and there should be as few stops as possible from I start to finish. Petrol and oil consumption I ')'I.ld h? carefully b?p? M-i<1 a!! '?th?r • .i )7.,?. ti 1 poillirt CiiirMUtlv M;iinirii. -1111, lll trial would have DO very rpal sigii i ficance, and a bench test would reveal far more to the encino designer than a dozn climbs up Ben Nevis or Snowdon. As a freak per- formance, the climbs are worthy of note, but as a lesson as to the qualities of these particular machines, one can hardly attach any importance to the climb. If a series of teste of this description are officially carried out with a number of different types and sizes of engines, then some very interesting figures and facts would be available. It is unlikely, however, that makers will ever be II persuaded to enter for a trial of this I description.

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