Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 90.djvu/67

 Popular Science Monthly

��51

���With the motorcycle ice plow the surface is first cut away one-eighth of an inch with a steel blade. The rear tire is fitted with short, sharp spikes. The inventor is astride the cycle

��Smoothing Skating Surfaces With a Motorcycle Ice Plow

THE motorcycle plow is not, as the name may seem to indicate, a new solution of the motor tractor question. It is an entirely new creation — a scraper and a planer for cleaning away the ridges caused by sharp skates on ice rinks. By its use the skating surface on thick ice

mav be kept

?' *^%T?>f ^ '' ^""^ C3 in good con-

and smooth, the scrap- ^Jfi ^ • •

ings are removed by ^^L^ ultion COn-

means of an iron scoop ^^^A tinuallydur-

which trails along be- ^^B ing the skat-

hind the motorcycle ^^^^^

���ing season. The motorcycle is especially geared for this task, so that it runs slowly and smoothly when in use, making not more than from three to four miles an hour.

The rough ice surface is first scraped clean and smooth by a knife-blade, which cuts away about one-eighth of an inch; then the scrapings are removed by a scoop. The rear tire is fitted with short, sharp pikes, so that the motorcycle has a firm grip on the slippery surface. The extra wheel on the scraper gives a sure balance.

��Making a New Motorcycle Altitude Record on Mt. Hood

IN attempting to climb Mt. flood recently a new motorcycle altitude record was established. The former record of seven thousand feet, made in 1914, was bettered by two thousand feet by a trio of motor- cycle enthusiasts who braved wind, storm, ice and snow. The record-holders started from Portland, Oregon, before six o'clock in the morning and arrived at Government Camp, situated sixt>' miles awav, at seven o'clock. After resting for a few hours they started for Emergency Camp, four miles away, at two o'clock in the afternoon. This was one of the most tr\ing ordeals ever experienced by motorcycle riders, the entire four miles of roadway consisting of rocks and boulders. However, the riders reached Emergency Camp in good condition.

After an overnightrest theclimb was continued from Emergency Camp at five o'clock the following morning. For hours the three riders fought with steep grades and deep snow until the final goal of nine thousand feet was reached at nine o'clock. At this point the machines were obliged to run over a thick, hard crust of snow, and in some places the weight was too great for the snow, causing machine and driver to stop abruptly. Several times the crust was only a thin sheet, so that the riders had towalkalongwith theirmachines. The return trip to Government Camp was made under still more tr\ing circum- stances, for the sun had melted the snow.

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