El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-11

ton OF the FedefaC1On OF American MO-
torcyclists now in session in Buffalo.
The F. A. N. is TO the motorcycling
sport what the L. A. W.-League Of
American Wheelmen-was to bicycling
in the golden age of that sport. IN
deed. motorcycling is the legitimate
successor OF bicycling as a cross coun-
try sport The racing and other COM
petitive features are the same. and the
motorcycle, as did the bicycle, lends
itself to the uses of either the solitary
or the gregarious cross country tour
ist. The newer machine. how has
advantages over It's predecessor in its
superior speed and its mechanical pro-
pulsion.
Federation of Cyclists.
The Federation Of American Motor
cyclists is a confederation Of motorcy-
Gle clubs, nearly 200 In number, scat
tered all over the United States. Any
club having as many as Is members
may become connected with the federal
body when 10 percent Of it's member
ship join the federation and pays the
annual dues The F. A NJ has COM
plete control over the rules of racing
and other competitions, and IS the final
arbfter in all disputes concerning speed
and other records. No record made by
a motorcyclist is official" until recog-
ton will not give its seal to any record
made upon any motorcycle not con-
forming to the strict laws concerning
dimensions and power Of engines.
At the meeting in Buffalo this week
three amateur national championships
will be decided for the swiftest one
mile, ten-miles, and one hour runs. For
the first time the title Of amateur
champion motorcyclist will be awarded
Nj IL ma
that goes with 1t. will be awarded to
the amateur who makes the most con-
sistent showing in all three of the anna
teur championships mentioned
No Endurance Run.
The line between amateur and profeS-
sional classes in motorcycle racing IS
carefully drawn and it Is the business
of the federation TO keep the two sep
arated. This is the first annual meet
ing which has not included an endur-
ance run as a part of the program 1t
was abandoned this year because the
great interest in touring for the sake
of pleasure has so increased that ii was
necessary as a stimulus to the interest
in the meet Instead of the endurance
run there were two cross country runs,
one beginning at Chicago on the west
and the other at Providence on the
east. A large percentage Of the dele
ported themselves across several states
in these runs.
Motorcyclists are enthusiastic sports
men. They love their machines and the
sport they afford At the same time
perhaps no other class Of sportsmen are
subjected to so much antagonistic pref
udice on the part of the general pubic
The high speed and the terrific noise
of the open muffler motorcycle offenos
ennity against the sport In the early
DAYS of. motorcycling, when the en-
gines were imperfect and the drivers
control over them limited, these Tea
lures were unavoidable.
Eliminating the Noise.
At the present time. however. since
the engines have increased in power
and the mufflers in efficiency, the noise
is worse than useless An agitation
among motorcyclists to discourage the
use of the open muffler is making con-
siderable Roadway The lovers Of the
sport realize that they must propitiate
public sentiment. or run the risk OF
feeling the heavy hand Of restrictive
legislation One motorcycle journal ad-
vocates a movement among manu1ac-
turers to omit from the construction OF
every motorcycle the ''muffler cut out,
a contrivance by which the motorcy-
CISt opens or closes MS HlulAAcA
1t is argued that there is no real
reason why q motorcyclist should Of
fend the ears Of residents of cities and
towns by rushing through the streets
with an open muffler, making hideous
noises It is further declared that the
closed rnuffler in modern machines de-
tracts little if any from the speed of
the road machine Some motorcyclists
prefer to leave the muffler open and let
the noise of the engine serve as warn
ing signal instead Of a horn. Others
appear to like the noise simply for the
sake of the noise. IF motorcyclists gen
orally can be induced by one means or
another to operate their machines with
closed muf1ers. and will use the new
types Of motorcycles which are prac-
tically noiseless it is certain that
great part Of the public prejudice
against the sport vii disappear.
Defeat n. Y. License Law.
MotorcycIists recently succeeded in
defeating legislation in New York de-
signed to include motorcycles under the
automobile regulations. which would
have compelled motorcyclists to pay
license fee and TO carry regular num-
Der. In some states motorcycles are
already included in the automobile reg
ulatfons The Federation OF American
Motorcyclists and its constituent eluos
are endeavoring to persuade mOlorcS-
clists generally to be more careful TO
observe speed regulations and TO avoid
unnecessary noise in order to escape the
imposition Of these onerous legal bur-
denS.
Motorcycling has gained great head
way in the United States but the sport
is not yet as popular as it is In Eng
land. Perhaps the good roads and the
shorter distance across country are re-
sponsihle for the greater vogue the mo-
torcycIe enjoys in the old country Two
years ago there were $4,000 motorcy-
cles in use in the United Kingdom OF
Great Britain and Ireland; today there
are nearly 100000. 1t is interesting
in this connection to note that Ameri-
can made motorcycles are more popular
in England than those constructed at
home and also that an American pro-
fessional motorcyclist is the winner pr
two important English trophies ia
cob de Roster won the tourist trophy
for negotiating the course around the
Isle Of Man. 81 1-2 miles. in 4S min
utes He also won a gold medal for a
perfect score over a 400 mile course
from London TO Edinburgh
A Remarkable Tour.
One of the most remarkable tours In
- hx- Nelson i