for
MOTOR CYCLE NOTES.
NEED FOR MORE COMPETITIONS: GRASS TRACK
RACING?
THE KOWLOON MOTOR CYCLE CLUB.
[BY CAMSHAFT.J
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1931.
SPARKS
FROM THE PLUGS
The unqualified success of the re- I from any habitation, so that cent reliability trial could not fail to imprese upon local riders the regrettable lack of motor cycle life in Hong Kong Frequent trials on the scale of that recently held are
many and obvious reasons un practicable, but a keen rider can find mere outlets for hai
many enthusiasm through the medium of a club than is at first sight obvious to the man who has never tasted the joys of a motor cycle club man's life in England,
the question of the noise of the ma chines giving offence to anyone would simply not arise. It cannot
be denied that it would be easy to fall from one's machine on some of them, but that is surely one's own funeral anyway.
two motor cycle clubs in Hong Kong, one of which is open to the members of the motor cycle sec tion of the H.KV.D.C. only.
It would seen that I am discon- tended with what motor cycling normally "offers in Hong Kong There is truth in that, and I will go further and say that in my opinion it is hardly worth the
THE LIGHTER SIDE. VICTORS AT INDIAN
APOLIS RACE.
་
83.041 eighth, Stubby Stubbioleld, P2,494 ninth, Cliff Bergoro, 01.630 tenth, Chot
50.6800
The race was open to cars with LOUIS SCHNEIDER WINS AT piston displacement of 300 cubic AVERAGE OF 96.629 M.P.H.inches or under, with driver and
riding mechanic.
It has come to our notice that the sales manager of a well-known | ** local motor car firm, in explaining. the advantages of a new type of fan, that is installed on their car stated that the fan had the wonder. ful property of being able to draw the air in over the motor and then, expell it through the radiator at the same time. Modern motor developments are marvellous
One of the baby.cars hit a farmer on a lonely country road and after carefully brushing off the dust he children could roller skate without exclaimed. "I didn't know that the
sidewalks."
A passing motorist stopped and asked a field hand, who was haying, for the use of a spatter." What the hand. do you want a spanger for," said
Why to repair my automobile," returned the motorit, "by the way, what is this machine 12,
44 Its automohay, snapped the
pedestrian can laugh when he sees Most motorists can't see why a
hot day. to him repairing, a tyre on a blazing
There are, to begin with, but candle keeping a sports machine on held band, "but it won't."
the road, with the attendant costs of licenses, insurance, upkeep, eta, to get in return little more than two circular roads on which perambulate. To me it savours somewhat of riding round circus ring, getting nowhere, seeing the sume scenery, and without that one redeeming feature of moit dull runs, the opportunity of a glorious blind.
The other, the Kowloon Motor Cycle Club, is direct evidence of what can be accomplished by a re- latively small band of enthusiasts who, without unlimited means at their disposal, get together with the determination to extract as much as possible from the sport.
I believe the club at present mus-
When I left England I sold the ́ters but fourteen members, but it camshaft Norton which was then has already been put upon a pro-the sole occupant of the honoured per working basis, rules and lations have been drawn up and pripted and a club pennant design- edIt is, in fnét, a model club in every way, and might well form the nucleus of a much larger or ganisation.
corner of the garage, where, dur. ing many years of riding, had stood practically every famous. make of machine in the world, and thought, "There goes the last bus I shall straddle for a few years." The lure of the saddle proved too strong, however, and I was not long in Hong Kong before I had ob- tained an o.h.v. 500 and began to make myself familiar with all that the Colony had to offer in the way of roads, too familiar, it provcil, for the same old run inevitably palled, and I eventually forsook the main roads altogether, and restricte
It is only to be expected that with such a small membership the acti- vities of the club would be some what limited, but what the mem bers lack in numbers they make up in enthusiasm, and tentative proposals for sporting events of widely varied characters are "fre- quently forthcoming, although the lack of sufficient members, and coned my riding to the hills and patha sequently funds, necessitates that the great majority
of
them still-born,
be
However, what can be done with
of the Territories. I must admit
that I found all the fun and thrills
A LITTLE
care in setting up an advertisement often doubles its selling power,
It is that little extra thought and is care, which given to every advertisement in the drawn
up office of the Hong Kong Daily Press, which brings good results.
I wanted in that way, but to in- ULSTER TOURIST TROPHY: dulge in that sort of thing to any different to the probable end of great extent one must be totally in-
ono'e machine, which is likely to prove a somewhat expensive busi-i ness in the end,
DRIVERS OF THE AUSTIN TEAM..
The drivers of the term of super-
the means at the disposal of the club is done, and at least one social run a week is held, and it invariably proves very successful.
I suppose it would be asking too
An organised hill climb or scram-charged Austin Sevens, entered by much to expect the local authorï“|
blo run by a club is not so likely Sir Herbert Austin, K.B.E., for the ties to authorize anything in the nature of a series of grass track machine as if one were tackling the August aro-Mr. Leon Cushman, to take such heavy toll of one's Ulster T.T. Race, at Belfast in races, I permission could be abhill or rough stuff alone, which is Mr. Donald Barnes and Mr. Charles tained and a suitable site found, partly why I so strangly advacate Goodacre. some really splendid sport would the revival of club activities in the
be the result.
And why not incre motor exclo football Gymkhana have been held in the past and have proved very successful, the public attend- ance being, I understand all that could be desired. The cost of these
benefits to be derived from club are too numerous to mention. Membership is well worth, while for one fact alone, that woll sup ported organisation of any kind invariably granted concessions and
very
Mr. Leon Cushman and Mr. Donald Barnes are both old hands
"the Ulster T.T, courte, and al., though the former has previously appeared in the Alvis colours in this event, they were both members of the Austin team in the recent Irish Grand Prix at Dublin.
team is Mr. Charles Goodnere, a young member of the Austin Ex- perimental Staff at Although new to the Ulster event now to the Longbridge. as a driver, he has had much
affairs is far from prohibitive, and shown courtesies by the powers-that- The new comer to the Austin. with good organisation they can be which would, in all propability, usually be made to pay for thombo withheld from the lone rider, selves. In any case, the partici-| pants would be
be prepared to pay for their spot, since nobody expects to get something for nothing nowa days, at least nobody who is sen sible enough to be a keen motor cyclist.
Another branch of the sport, that would undoubtedly prove, expeed |ingly popular in the Colony
hill climbing There
the mainland,
bers.
There is emphatically Breat need for a really active, motor cycle club in Hong Kong, but no club can do anything without memexperience of the course as a riding mechincio, in addition to which he drove a supercharged Austin in the You have the machines, most of Italian 1,000 Mile Race this year. you have the necessary leisure, and In partnership with F. Trevisian, the recent reliability trial proved the well known Italian racing
BER that you have the enthusiasm and driver, he secured 2nd place in the norve The recipe for your deli 1,500 cc Class at an average speed
own hand
Earedormiminik
And there. I
With so all a car over such a difficult course.
From the field of 40 of the world's greatest racing cars Louis Schnei- der emerged the winner at the In- dianapolis Speedway, May 30,-the 18th nonsecutive victor on Firestone tires at this annual Speedway. Cinesio.
This s year all of the 40 cars which entered the race were on Firestone tyres, a, aupreme tribute to this work of Firestone development engineers and the Firestone factory.
The race was a supreme trial for tyrce, as the big two-seated ours
Inset at left: Louis Schneider, winner of the 1931 Indianapolis Race as the wheel, and his mechanic, Jigger Johnson. Inset right: Fred Frame, second place winner, and his mechanic, L. M. Barnes. In the background is a view of the crowd and judges' stand.
ing until his car went over the wall. Then Louis Schneider, who had been second, took the lead position and gave his car all it had to keep out in front for the remainder of the race. The racing cars some times ronched a speed of 140 miles an hour on the straightaways.”
To express his gratitude for the..
LARGE INCREASE FOR STUDEBAKER.
"POPULARITY OF FREE
WHEELINGZA
part that tires played in his safety tries outside, the United States is Indicative of the improvement in general business conditions in coun and victory, Louis Schneider went the announcement by The Studo- to Mr. Firestone, at Akron, the baker Pierce-Arrow Export Com following telegram from the trick.poration that April shipments of "I have just won the 500-mile Studebaker Free Wheeling passen
ger cars and Studebaker trucks to Indianapolis Race on, 6.00-20 Fire distributora exceeded shipments, for stone Gum-Dipped Tires, "It was any 30-day period since June, 1928, most difficult and gruelling test for This is the sixth month that ship- tyres due to a slippery track, wetments have exceeded the figures of from frequent showers. Safety at Arvid L. Frank, sales manager of the preceding month, according to
.:ཇ་་་'
high speeds was of greatest import the Corporation. fance and my Firestone Tyres enabled. A continued improvement in me to make an average of 96.629 business is expected, Mr. Frank miles per hour. I have always used, said. The past increases are nc- Firestone Tyres in all my racing for counted for by the unprecedented "I have great confidence in their popularity in world markets UE safety and dependability and I Studebaker's three Free Wheeling want to thank you for the part eights and the New Studebaker Six, Firestone Balloons played in my as well as by the growing demand victory to-day for. I had no tyre for the 1 and 2-ton trucks, The failures and changed but one tyre, Studebaker Six in the world's lowest purely a precautionary, measure, priced Free Wheeling car. and all my tyres were in fine' con- With continued normo
normal demand, dition at the finish of the race."'". it is expected that exports
Admiration of 150,000 spectators Studebaker Free Wheeling passen-
The first 10 to finish (all of them were breaking all records until the and millions of radio listeners folger care and trucks will reach and on Firestones) and the average yellow caution flag, warning them lowed the huge oil-burning Cum maintain constantly higher lovela,”” speed per hour were first, Louis to hold their position, was given mins-Diesel racing car as it sped Mr. Frank pointed out."The on- Schneider, 96.6261 second, Fred because of rain. After the green around the Speedway and hung up thusiastic receptance of our 1831 Frame, 00.406; third, Ralph Hen
fing to resume speed was again a record as the first car to finish 04.241 fourth, Myron Stevens, 94.138; ffth, Russell Snow given to them the pace was again the 500-mile grind without a stop. berger, 94.00; sixth, Jimmy Glea close to 103 miles an hour with the It finished in 12th place und und son, 94.026; seventh, Ernie Triplett, 1930 champion Billy Arnold, lead only $253 fuel.
burn,
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In town, owing to the silent running, the third gear may be kept almost continually engaged, thus affording a lightning acceleration.
On the open road the silent third speed which is easily engaged in the high engine speed affords the most pleasant possibility of driving on hills, on curves and when Overtaking.
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