THE 1933 RALEIGE ON THE ROAD
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W1TH this road-test report we are able to announce the 1933 improvements to be incorporated in Raleigh 5-cwt. threewheelers. Chief among them are the substitution of wheel for handlebar steering, the use of pressed-steel instead of tubular construction for tla front forks, and the replacement of the saddle by a cushioned seat which extends the full width of the body and provides accommodation for a passenger beside the driver.
In addition, a foot accelerator has been added, certain modifications have been made to the other controls, a lock has been incorporated In the switch and the rear guards have been slightly extended.
The new steering gear is a complete breakaway from motorcycle practice. A pinion and quadrant gear reduction, housed in an oil-tight box at the base of the column, transmits the motion through orthodox ball-jointed arms and drag-link to the steering head.
The advantages of pressed-steel forks over those of the built-up tubular type need not be enumerated here, but the change may be regarded as another departure from the effect of motorcycle influence displayed in earlier models. So, too, may the provision of a seat as opposed to a saddle for the driver.
In executing this improvement the designers came up against the difficulty of impeding the driver in operating the kick-starter, which is situated almost below the seat. However, it has been overcome ingeniously and adequately by hinging the seat board at the back, so that it may be lifted and turned to a vertical position while the driver depresses the starter crank. subject is that the brake lever itself is somewhat short and set too far back. A bigger leverage and a better purchase would result by correcting this minor fault without the easy access to the cab being materially impaired.
Praise must now be given to the new type of steering; indeed, to the roadworthiness, controllability and suspension of the vehicle as a whole. Many drivers profess to feel perfectly at home with a strange vehicle, within a mile or two of taking the wheel. This is not the case with us. We cannot claim to have adapted our muscles and reactions to the unfamiliar conditions until at least 100 miles have been traversed.
The Raleigh, however, proved an exception. In every respect it is extremely easy to drive and handles stpremely well. The rake and trail of the steering system seem ideally chosen, and the gear reduction between steering wheel and head affords a combination of lightness and steadiness that it would be hard to improve upon. The slight relative movement between the seat and the footboard is not the least disconcerting or uncomfortable.
The clutch is feather-light, and the gear change—as might be expected in view of the length of its maker's experience in making vari able gears—is the slickest thing imaginable. If desired, a practically noiseless racing change can be made every time, either up or down. That is to say, an instant's depression of the clutch pedal and a simultaneous movement of the conveniently placed lever suffices to make the change, without any movement of the accelerator pedal.
Stability and freedom from skidding are also prominent charac
teristics. There was, however, a small degree of snaking upon violent application of the brakes, even on dry roads. This we attribute to the fact that the rear brakes are noncompensated and that that on the off side was adjusted up closer than the other.
The acceleration and speed of the vehicle, carrying 5 cwt. and propelled by an engine of less than 600 c.c. capacity, were found to be entirely satisfactory. The accompanying graphs, plotted from the mean figures obtained in two directions on a level stretch of road, speak for themselves. The negligible loss of time at the points of gear change is a feature of the main curve that should not be overlooked.
When travelling at 10 m.p.h. in top gear, sudden depression of the accelerator resulted in the engine labouring, unless the clutch was slipped slightly. The maximum speed attained under favourable conditions was little short of 50 m.p.h.
Climbing Brockley Hill (south of Eistree, Hefts) from the south, we engaged second gear just before the 1-in-81 gradient, at about 20 m.p.h., to which figure the long gradual rise from the foot of the hill had reduced our speed. Our minimum on the steepest part was 11 m.p.h., but first gear was not engaged. The time occupied from the old gradient sign, at about the point where the gear change was made, to the water B36
trough at the summit, was 511 sees.
On Cocks Bill (east of Elstree) which has a gradient of 1 in 6, several stop-and-restart tests were made, and one of our illustrations shows that on such a slope the hand brake alone will hold the laden van with safety. These tests revealed no faults in engine or transmission, but in restarting on such a steep hill as this care should be exercised, for a sudden engagement of the clutch was found momentarily to lift the front wheel from the ground.
On the left are the braking curves; it should be noted that the hand brake is primarily intended for parking. An outstanding feature of the acceleration curves, below, is the absence of loss when The results of our consumption tests seem to show that economy has been slightly sacrificed to efficiency, for comparing the present figures with those obtained in our test of a 1931 Raleigh some 18 months ago, we find the new model gives a lower mileage per gallon. Its weight, however, has been increased by one cwt.; it was a new engine, and the course chosen on this occasion was somewhat exacting, being of a fairly steeply undulating nature, viz., the road between Elstree Village and the southern outskirts of St. Albans, which passes through Radlett, Coluey Street and Park Street.
Our first test---an out-and-return run of 15 miles—was conducted toobtain figures equivalent to those that would normally result on a delivery round, and with this aim we stopped momentarily and restarted (keeping the engine running) three times per mile. A time of 50, minutes was occupied and 31 pints consumed. These results work out at 37 m.p.g. and an average speed of 18 m.p.h.
Next we made a non-stop run over the same route, averaging 25.7 m.p.h. and consuming 21 pints, that
• is to say, 50.5 m.p.g. On both runs considerable use was made of the gears, owing to the hilly nature of the route.
The settings of the Bowden carburetter were: main jet, 100; starting jet, 200; pilot jet, 25. In the standard kit supplied with every machine spare 90 and 95 main jets are included, these being intended to replace the larger jet after the running-in period. As the vehicle we tested was quite new—the journey from Nottingham to London, prior to our test, having been its first run —there is every likelihood that much better consumption figures could be obtained later.
A feature of this Bowden carburetter is that no tickler or strangler is fitted, the easy starting device incorporated being a jet control which
provides a limited quantity of rich mixture.
Adjustments to brakes and rear chain are quite simple operations ; the tension of the latter is regulated by a jockey sprocket, the position of which can be varied in an instant without the use of tools. The adjuster is easily accessible when the seat is lifted. Front and rear wheels are detachable and interchangeable.
The electric equipment is complete, including an electric windscreen wiper, and a coil-ignition , system, and •the windscreen is of ' safety glass.
With a body capacity of 49 cubic ft., and a taxation rate of 14 per year, the three-wheeled van is an attractive proposition. That its driver need not be more than 16 years of age is another point that has its appeal.
The single-cylindered air-cooled engine is the simplest type of power unit available; its reliability is unquestionable. The Raleigh engine is a splendid example of the type.