34 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[October I, 1911. 



MOTORCYCLE TIRES. 



THE wonderful expansion in the manufacture of automobile 

 tires has been so spectacular that it has overshadowed tires 

 for other purposes. It is not generally appreciated but the bicycle 

 is still much used and tires are constantly manufactured for it. 



does not include the million and a half value of exports to the 

 .\nierican possessions — Porto Rico, Hawaii and .Alaska. Canada 

 is the largest consumer of our automobile exports, about 40 per 

 cent, of the machines sent out of the country going over the 

 Canadian border. The distribution of these exports is rather 

 interesting. It it as follows: 



Goodyear "Pathfinder" Tire 



Vacuvm Cup Non-Skid Tire. 



Special T. T. Tire. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. 



FiSK Premier Toughtread Tire. 



"KOKOMO" Dotted Tread Tires. 



Stimulated by motorcycle racing and by the very considerable 

 use of the motorcycle, there are demands for a large number of 

 motorcycle tires. They must be of special construction and rank 

 in size about half way between the bicycle tire and the small 

 motor tire. All of the leading automobile tire manufacturers 

 make them and the appended illustrations give a good idea of 

 their external appearance. 



LARGE EXPORTS OF TIRES FOR THE PRESENT YEAR. 



Figures given out by the Bureau of Statistics, Department of 

 Commerce and Labor, show that up to the present time the ex- 

 ports of tires for 1911 have amounted to the value of i'/i million 

 dollars. It is estimated that at this rate the exports for the year 

 will reach the 25-2 million mark. This is a very interesting fact 

 when we consider that only ten years ago, in 1901, the total value 

 of exports of autornobiles and all their accessories was less than 

 1 million dollars. In fact, as late as 1905, the entire value of 

 automobiles, including accessories and tires exported, only 

 reached 2J4 million dollars. The value of all automobile exports, 

 including all accessories for the present year up to the middle 

 of September, amounts to 12;/2 million. At the same rate for 

 the year, the total will reach the 20 million dollar mark. This 



Of the practically 9 tliousaiid machines exported in the seven 

 months ending with July, 3,724 went to Canada; 1,875 to the 

 United Kingdom ; 938 to British Oceania (chiefly Australia and 

 New Zealand) ; 477 to Asia and Oceania other than British ; 444 

 to South America. 273 to France ; 175 to West Indies and Ber- 

 muda ; 147 to Mexico ; 137 to Italy ; and 73 to Germany. These 

 figures do not include the shipment to non-contiguous territory of 

 the United States, the number sent to Hawaii in the seven months 

 in question being 202; to Porto Rico, 154; and to Alaska, 2. 

 HOW MANY AUTO TIRES FOR 1912! 



It is estimated that there are about 500,000 automobiles of 

 every description, now owned and operated in the United States, 

 and that this number will be increased by probably 100,000 the 

 coming year — making in use before the end of 1912, something 

 like 600,000 cars. It is an interesting speculation as to how 

 many tires that number of vehicles will call for. It is probably 

 safe to estimate, that on an average, these cars, big and little, 

 will use eight tires during the year, which will give the tire 

 manufacturers a home market of something like 4,800,000 tires. 

 If this estimate holds good, and prices remain where they are, 

 tire manufacturers will not have much ground for complaint 

 during the coming year. 



