Burt's 1967 record for streamlined motorcycles under 1000ccs still stands. - The Green Room - Atomic π Burt's 1967 record for streamlined motorcycles under 1000ccs still stands. Started by Peter Pan , Oct 18 2008 12:15 AM Please log in to reply 6 replies to this topic Posted 18 October 2008 - 12:15 AM Just saw The World's Fastest Indian ; it's a bloody ripper of a flick : ) Burt Munro was a gun. Herbert (Burt) James Munro (25 March 1899ï¿½6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1000cc world record, 183.586 mph (295.453 km/h), at Bonneville, 26 August 1967. This record still stands today. Burt Monro was 67 and was riding a 46-year old machine when he set his last record.

Working from his home in Invercargill, he highly modified the Indian motorcycle, which he had bought in 1920, for over 20 years. Burt set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938, but later set seven more. Burt travelled to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats, attempting to set world speed records. During his ten visits to the salt flats, he set three speed records, one of which still stands today. Wiki Munro found unique sources for raw materials. As an example, he once carved out rods for his Indian using a Ford truck axle. It took him five months, but the rods lasted over 20 years, through countless high-speed runs. He experimented with a variety of metals by trial and error, once melting down old gas pipeline and combining it with other melted metals to cast pistons for his bike. He converted his Indian to overhead valves from sidevalve. He made his own cams, often filing them by hand. From wheels, to engine parts, to the streamliner's shell, Munro custom made just about every part of his bikes.

With his savings and additional funds from motorcycling friends in New Zealand, Munro finally made the trip to America in 1962 aboard a rusting cargo ship. In order to pay for his ocean crossing, Munro worked as the shipï¿½s cook. Once in the U.S., Munro bought a dilapidated Nash station wagon for $90 in Los Angeles to haul the Munro Special to Bonneville. Munro arrived at Bonneville ready to make his runs only to be told he was not pre-entered so he wouldnï¿½t be allowed to compete. At home in New Zealand, riders simply showed up, signed up and raced. Munro's American friends, among them Rollie Free and Marty Dickerson, both of them long-time, well-respected members of the Land Speed Record fraternity, talked officials into letting Munro make his runs. Tech officials looked the other way, ignoring many of Munro's unorthodox means of putting his ancient Indian together. In his inaugural run at the Salt Flats, Munro set a world record of 288 km/h (178.97 mph) with his engine configured with 850cc of displacement.

Munro continued to compete at Bonneville through 1967, when he 68 years old. He survived a crash at top speed in 1967. In a New Zealand motorcycle magazine, Burt was quoted as saying, "At the Salt in 1967 we were going like a bomb. Then she got the wobbles just over half way through the run. To slow her down I sat up. The wind tore my goggles off and the blast forced my eyeballs back into my head - couldn't see a thing. We were so far off the black line that we missed a steel marker stake by inches. I put her down - a few scratches all round but nothing much else." 2,809 posts Posted 18 October 2008 - 08:44 AM its amazing what some people can do whent hey put there mind to it. i watched the movie the other year, prolly one of my favourite movies, because it was just so good. is neat seeing the actual bike he rode.

the representation in the movie was good to get the idea of what he was riding, but the real thing (in photo form) looks amazing (in a scary sorta way) Rig: 2500K, 8GB Corsair Vengeance, Asrock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3, 2 x 6970 2GB, Asus Xonar Essence STX, Corsair Neutron 240GB Case: Modded Fractal Design Define XL Loop: XSPC EX360, XSPC EX120, XSPC Raystorm, 2 x XSPC Razor's, Koolance PMP-400 Burt Munro's 1920 Indian Scout - YouTube Burt Munro's 1920 Indian Scout Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Sep 30, 2010 This is the 1920 Indian Scout built and driven by Burt Munro. Jay Leno on commentary. Three times during the '60's it set the World's fastest flying mile record for motorcycles under 1000cc at the Bonneville Salt Flats. This is not the reproduction used in the "The World's Fastest Indian" starring Anthony Hopkins, but the actual bike that set the record. Fortunately this is the second year of the Concours d'Elegance to feature motorcycles on the green. This year they featured the salt flat racers and their contribution to Hot Rodding. I was very lucky to see and hear this amazing piece of history. For more information about Burt Munro, visit Or buy "The World's Fastest Indian" because it's a true story. It's one of my favorites, and surely will not disappoint any gear head. Anthony's perfectly cast for the role.

Category Burt Munroe - Land Speed Racing History Burt Munroe (25 March 1899 – 6 January 1978) Burt Munro and his 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The Munro Special at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Munro on his Munro Special. 1962 1962 - At speed on the salt. 1953 Beach attempts - 123.831 mph Riding a standard model 500MSS Velocette, won 2nd place in the N.Z. Grand Prix held at Cust 1938.

Date New Zealand Open Road Record 1953 Class S - A 883 cc 22 August 1966 Class S - A 1000 cc 26 August 1967 Class S - A 1000 cc 190.07 mph one way From the records of Motorcycling New Zealand 27 January 1940 Open Class Standing Start, Quarter-mile Herbert (Burt) James Munro was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1000 cc world motorcycle land speed record in 1967 which still stands - when aged 67 and riding a 46-year old machine [1] Working from his home in Invercargill, he continually modified the Indian motorcycle he'd bought in 1920 to improve its speed - setting a New Zealand record in 1938, and then travelling to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats for a world record.

His efforts, and success, are the basis of the motion picture The World's Fastest Indian (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film "Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed" [2] - both directed by Roger Donaldson. He had four children, John, June, Margaret and Gwen with his wife Florence Beryl Martyn, whom he married in 1927. They were divorced in 1947. Having suffered from angina since the late 1950s, Munro suffered a partial stroke in 1977, and was admitted to hospital. He found his co-ordination had diminished. Frustrated, but wanting his motorcycles to remain in Southland, he sold both machines to a local dealer Biography New Zealander Burt Munro was a motorcycle land-speed record-holder of the 1960s. One of his dreams was to run his homebuilt 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle, dubbed the Munro Special, on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He saved for years in spite of limited means to make the trip to America.

He finally came over on a shoestring budget in 1962. Munro was 63 at the time with a bad heart, yet he still managed to overcome numerous obstacles to set world records, even as a muffler was burning the flesh on his leg. In 1967, Munro coaxed his beloved streamlined Indian to 183.58 mph. That set a record in the category of "streamlined motorcycles under 1,000cc." To qualify, he made a one-way run of 190.07 mph, the fastest ever officially recorded speed on an Indian. "The World's Fastest Indian" Munro's inspirational story was made into the movie "The World's Fastest Indian" in 2005. The movie, starring Anthony Hopkins and directed by Roger Donaldson, was met with favorable reviews. Many in the motorcycling community called "The World's Fastest Indian" the best motorcycle movie since the legendary documentary "On Any Sunday" made in the early 1970s. The Early Years Munro was born in Invercargill, New Zealand in 1899.

He began riding motorcycles at the age of 15. His first bike was a British-built Clyno. He sold the Clyno to a blacksmith in 1920 and bought the Indian Scout, which he would continuously modify for the rest of his life. He later bought a 1936 Velocette, which he also modified and raced. In his mid-20s, Munro began competing in various forms of motorcycle racing in Australia. He rode in hillclimbs, trials, road racing, drag racing, flat track and early scrambles events. In other words, if there was a competition on two wheels, Munro probably tried it. He also participated in economy runs and once recorded 116 miles per gallon in one of the runs. In the mid-1940s, Munro and his wife divorced. He wanted to build a house with low ceilings to combat the New Zealand summer heat, but it was against local building codes. Instead, he got around the codes by building a low garage. It served as both his workshop and living quarters.

Dedication to motorcycles Munro quit working in the late 1940s so he could devote his time fully to improving his Indian and Velocette racing bikes. During this period, he honed his skills at designing his own parts for the bike. Munro found unique sources for raw materials. As an example, he once carved out rods for his Indian using a Ford truck axle. It took him five months, but the rods lasted over 20 years, through countless high-speed runs. He experimented with a variety of metals by trial and error, once melting down old gas pipeline and combining it with other melted metals to cast pistons for his bike. He converted his Indian to overhead valves from sidevalve. He made his own cams, often filing them by hand. From wheels, to engine parts, to the streamliner's shell, Munro custom made just about every part of his bikes. It didn't take long for the Munro Special to have very little of the original Indian Scout left. Munro's dedication to his motorcycles was enormous. For years, he worked 16 hours per day in the shed. In later life he backed off a bit and was working just 70-hour weeks.

While many of his neighbors viewed him as somewhat eccentric, he did not live the life of a hermit. Munro was a member of a motorcycle club and attended many club events and had a lot of friends whom he helped and who in turn helped him in his racing endeavors. Land speed record attempts Starting in the 1940s, Munro earned a number of New Zealand speed records. His first record was the New Zealand open road record set in 1940 at a speed of 120.8 mph. That record held for 12 years. He earned the New Zealand beach record of 132.38 mph in 1957 at the annual Canterbury Speed Trials. By the late 1950s, Munro's bikes were getting so fast that he was running out of room to run them on New Zealand's speed courses. He considered trying to run on some of Australia’s dry lakes, but in 1957 after visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, his goal became to compete on the flat and vast expanse of Bonneville's salt bed.

The 1962 trip to Bonneville With his savings and additional funds from motorcycling friends in New Zealand, Munro finally made the trip to America in 1962 aboard a rusting cargo ship. In order to pay for his ocean crossing, Munro worked as the ship’s cook. Once in the U.S., Munro bought a dilapidated Nash station wagon for $90 in Los Angeles to haul the Munro Special to Bonneville. Munro arrived at Bonneville ready to make his runs only to be told he was not pre-entered so he wouldn’t be allowed to compete. At home in New Zealand, riders simply showed up, signed up and raced. Munro's American friends, among them Rollie Free and Marty Dickerson, both of them long-time, well-respected members of the Land Speed Record fraternity, talked officials into letting Munro make his runs. Tech officials looked the other way, ignoring many of Munro's unorthodox means of putting his ancient Indian together.

In his inaugural run at the Salt Flats, Munro set a world record of 288 km/h (178.97 mph) with his engine configured with 850cc of displacement. Munro continued to compete at Bonneville through 1967, when he 68 years old. He survived a crash at top speed in 1967. In a New Zealand motorcycle magazine, Burt was quoted as saying, "At the Salt in 1967 we were going like a bomb. Then she got the wobbles just over half way through the run. To slow her down I sat up. The wind tore my goggles off and the blast forced my eyeballs back into my head - couldn't see a thing. We were so far off the black line that we missed a steel marker stake by inches. I put her down - a few scratches all round but nothing much else." Munro traveled to Bonneville ten times, the first time for "sightseeing" purposes.

In the nine times he raced at Bonneville, Munro set three world records: first in 1962, again in 1966, and once more in 1967. He also once qualified at over 200 mph (320 km/h), but that was an unofficial run and was not counted. Later years In 1975, Munro's failing health cost him his competition license. In spite of this, he still managed to make a few clandestine runs on his beloved Indian and Velocette. Doctors said Munro’s lifetime of heavy crashes caused damage to his heart. In January of 1978, Munro had returned from his daily walk when his heart finally gave out. During his life, Munro's accomplishments were little known outside a select group of motorcycle enthusiasts. With the release of "The World's Fastest Indian" in 2005, Munro suddenly became a cult hero in New Zealand. There, the movie became the biggest domestically produced film ever produced. Munro had a son and three daughters. His son, John, said that Munro would have shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the popularity he obtained after his passing.

"I'm sure he would have never believed the popularity the movie gave him," said John Munro. "I think he would have been quietly pleased at being able to share his life with millions of people." AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Burt Munro The Worlds Fastest Indian Bike & Story Records In 1962 he set a world record of 288 km/h (178.97 mph) with his engine bored out to 850 cc (51 in³). In 1967 his engine was bored out to 950 cc (58 in³) and he set a class record of 295.44 km/h (183.59 mph). To qualify he made a one-way run of 305.89 km/h (190.07 mph), the fastest ever officially recorded speed on an Indian. The unofficial speed record is 331 km/h (205.67 mph). [3] In 2006 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

References "Burt Munro: Indian Legend of Speed", George Begg (2002) "One Good Run: The Legend of Burt Munro", Tim Hanna (2006) Indian Motorcycle Reveals Spirit of Munro Short Film Showcases Bike, Beauty and Legacy Posted Jul 9th, 2013 at 5:12pm 04 Indian Motorcycle Reveals Spirit Of Munro Short Thanks to the 2005 release of the movie The World's Fastest Indian, much of the general public knows the story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building and rebuilding a 1920 Indian Scout to run at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Old Burt eventually set the land-speed world record for "streamlined motorcycles under 1,000 cc" on that bike, dubbed the Munro Special, in 1967, topping out at 190.07 mph on a qualifying run -- the fastest officially recorded speed on an Indian.

You'll recall that Indian/Polaris unveiled its all-metal tribute machine, the Spirit of Munro, at Daytona Bike Week earlier this year, in order to showcase its brand-new Thunder Stroke 111 engine and honor to Burt and his earlier machine. Jeb Scolman of Jeb's Metal and Speed in Long Beach California was tapped to build the new rig around a prototype Thunder Stroke 111, and the man managed to create a stunner of a tribute bike in just 3 months. While the new Spirit bike and engine were fired up for Daytona, most folks just assumed it was a beautifully crafted, carefully curated show pony -- a bike designed to pimp Indian's wares around the show circuit, and to sound really, really good doing it. But you know what happens when you assume. As if to make the point , Indian has just released a short film capturing the glory and full running prowess of the Spirit of Munro.

There are knowing nods to some scenes from the feature movie, but this isn't just a marketing project (which of course, it is partly); it's a beautifully shot, impeccably crafted, edited and scored piece of film that not only does right by Burt Munro, but showcases the commitment and tireless work that Scolman put into building the Spirit of Munro, as well as the efforts of others to run it and document it. Todd Eagan took on the challenge of piloting the heretofore untested rig on a dry lake bed; it should come as no surprise that the bike tracked perfectly straight for filming. And Indian spokesman Robert Pandya estimates speeds on subsequent runs were somewhere north of 100 miles per hour, with plenty left to give. Will we see a reenactment of Burt Munro's world-record quest in Bonneville in the future? Stay tuned. Adam Brummond and a crew from The Factory created a masterful visual celebration of the new Indian, shooting it all in only two days, and no matter what brand you affiliate with, this film is worth a look.

As a new steward of the brand, Polaris seems to be treading very carefully (rightfully so) while preserving the legacy of the Indian brand, and in this latest effort shows they're not doing it by halves. Below are links to the film as well as a behind the scenes mini documentary that tells the whole story. The Spirit of Munro will be on display in Sturgis this summer during the launch of the new Indian Chief. Indian Motorcycle: The Spirit of Munro Indian Motorcycle: Spirit of Munro, Behind The Scenes Tags: The Story of Burt Munro Deals of Note: Save on Suits, a Daydream View Headset & Cookware Speed takes time. The Bonneville Salt Flats, dubbed the fastest track in the world, is an extremely tricky race surface to figure out. Optimal conditions roll in around the end of summer, after the ridged and rigid crust has been appropriately baked by Utah’s summer sun. Unlike asphalt, that crust could quickly give way to a softer powdery bed below if it hasn’t had its time in the oven.

Jumping on the power too early and creating too much torque or adding one too many spoilers for down-force could spell doom — especially for motorcycle riders chasing a land speed record — by swallowing or re-directing a wheel before a rider has time to react. So you see, going fast takes time — and for some, a lifetime. MORE GO FAST GEAR: Schuberth S2 Helmet | Alpinestars Atem Leather Jacket | BMW Airflow 2 Helmet Burt Munro set his first speed record in New Zealand in 1938. He was riding an eighteen-year-old motorcycle that was factory built to top out at 55 MPH. Burt clocked 120.8. That sort of bump doesn’t happen on its own. When it left the assembly line, Burt’s Indian Scout was powered by a side-valved 600cc V-Twin complete with a mechanical oil pump and helical gear transmission, a very advanced system for the time. The tinkering began almost immediately, and the speeds increased. By the time Burt began his top-end conversion to an overhead valve assembly he was hitting 90 MPH.

With the help of a kerosene blow-lamp and hand-built castings, new pistons were forged to fit the over-bored cylinders, bringing the total displacement to 1000ccs. Those were connected to a larger crank pin via connecting rods that normally saw duty in Caterpillar tractor axles. The dry-sump system from the larger-engined Indian Chief was swapped in to meet the oiling demands, and those helical gears gave way to a chain driven primary, complete with homemade sprockets. With the bottom-end now built, an extra set of cams were introduced to allow for finer tuning during valve adjustments, and finally, the clutch was beefed up through the addition of extra springs to handle the extra power going to the 3-speed gear box. Built by his own hands in his own shed and seemingly held together with tie-wire and gaffer-tape, his 1920 Indian Scout was very much like the man himself: rough around the edges, but purpose built.

By the time he made it to Bonneville, everything had been changed in one way or another; most people wouldn’t dare swing a leg over his machine for fear it would fall apart, or worse, blow up with them on it. Despite the sport’s “grassroots” style, most other land-speed record seekers piloted machines that were team built, with professionally manufactured parts and in some cases, factory support, even back then. While other competitors were escorted to the staging lanes by their entourage of support staff and mechanics, who were also ready to change factory-finished parts if necessary, Burt usually had to ask folks for a push just to get his bike going. When asked in 1971 by then Bonneville chief referee Earl Flanders when he was going to wash that same (now fifty-one-year-old) machine, Munro replied confusedly, “Wash it? With water? Oh, I ‘aven’t ‘ad time to polish mine. It’s been nine months and nine days on that engine last year, and three minutes to three on a Saturday six weeks ago I got it to run right.

New cylinders, new pistons, new cam rod, new cams — eight of ’em — eight new pistons, new valves, all new eccentric tappets and guides. I wasn’t idle. I had three hours off on Christmas Day. In the middle of the day, when they eat”. “Wash it? With water? Oh, I ‘aven’t ‘ad time to polish mine.” – Burt Munro Munro’s story as the rider of the World’s Fastest Indian gained worldwide recognition when Sir Anthony Hopkins famously portrayed Munro in the movie of the same title. It was a heart-warming summary, one that really highlighted the manner in which Munro approached problems: namely, getting to Bonneville, being allowed to race and logging a legit run. In life, Munro made the trek to Utah ten times, racing there on nine occasions and setting three different land-speed records in the process — the most famous of which occurring in 1967 when the Munro Special registered 183.586 MPH, a class record for engines under 1000 ccs in displacement that still stands today.

ANOTHER LEGEND IN THE MAKING Rather than take his chances on the salt, Utah native Ken Merena took to the two-lane blacktop for his high-speed run. Back in 2008, at the age of 60, Ken (who already held the record for the fastest run on the highway at 241 MPH) tried to clock the fastest speed anybody on two wheels had gone: 270 MPH. Although not a backyard build, his bike is equally Frankensteined with go-fast bits, including a turbo charger. Ken didn’t hit 270 MPH (he barely broke 220), but it’s obvious that the relentless pursuit of speed is alive and well, on all surfaces and in all corners of the globe — especially Utah. Burt has gone even faster on his Munro Special. “At the Salt in 1967 we were going like a bomb. Then she got the wobbles just over half way through the run. To slow her down I sat up. The wind tore my goggles off and the blast forced my eyeballs back into my head — couldn’t see a thing… we were so far off the black line that we missed a steel marker stake by inches.

I put her down — a few scratches all round but nothing much else”. He topped out at over 200 MPH, but that spill meant the run remained unofficial. He even made runs without the safety of aerodynamic bodywork, wearing only an open-faced Bell helmet and a pair of goggles, at the age of 72, but his quest to repeat 200+ MPH remained elusive. Had he not suffered a career-ending stroke in 1977, we’re sure he would have kept pushing the envelope with his trusty steed — and succeeded. To commemorate his unwavering dedication to speed and his personalized Indian Scout, Indian Motorcycles recently released The Spirit of Munro . Built as a one-off custom to showcase their new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, America’s oldest motorcycle company looked to Long Beach metal fabricator Jeb Scolman to build the bike. The all-metal streamliner was designed to pay homage to Munro and other races of his ilk who helped cement the racing legacy of the Indian brand.

Stunningly crafted, the Spirit of Munro is also a runner, featuring custom exhaust and intake manifolds to allow it to fit within the body work and a final chain drive with extra tall gearing to challenge for a high speed run. Commemorative badging and a beautiful cork stopper serving as a gas cap truly complete the package. While it would no doubt bring a tear to Burt’s eye if he were still around to see it, he’d probably find it far too neat and tidy to trust on the track and opt to swing a leg back over his own creation. Such was the spirit of Munro. 1000+ images about Burt Munro on Pinterest | Burt munro, Indian scout and Indian motorcycles Burt Munro's Indian Scout in the 1953 Beach attempts - 123.831 mph See More The World's Fastest Indian: Burt Munro »True.Sports.Movies. Jeffrey D.

Hill June 21, 2016 Other Sports Burt Munro – The Fastest Human on Motorcycle “The World’s Fastest Indian” tells the story of New Zealand native Burt Munro on his journey to set a new land speed record with his 1920 Indian motorcycle at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The film begins in his hometown of Invercargill, New Zealand in the Southland region, where Burt spends most of his time tinkering on his Indian motorcycle in his garage. Many old parts are scattered throughout his garage, and he spent most of his time trying to modify his Indian to go faster. Set in the 1960’s, Munro was already of advancing age. He develops a friendship with the neighbor’s son Tom, who comes over to assist Burt as he modifies his motorcycle. Tom’s parents, particularly his father George, have a somewhat contentious relationship with Burt. George was not a fan of Burt’s odd habits of firing up his loud motorcycle at dawn, peeing on his lemon tree (which he tells Tom is because he thinks urine is the best fertilizer), and never cutting his grass.

In order to appease his neighbors, Munro dumps a jug of fuel all over his lawn and lights it on fire, which he casually chuckles about as the fire department arrives to put out the flames. Contributing author: Jeffrey D. Hill Real Life, Reel Differences In the film, Burt Munro’s record is vaguely called “a new world record.” His official record was for the AMA Land Speed Record in Class S.A. 1000, the record for top speed of motorbikes under 1000cc. Unlike the depiction in the film, his record was not 201 mph, but rather 183.586 mph. This was later adjusted to 184.087 mph due to a calculation error. Unofficially, he did reach 205 mph on his Indian in a qualifying run. Anthony Hopkin’s portrayal of Burt Munro has been argued to not have the appropriate “kiwi” accent Munro would have had as a native of the Southland region. Instead, it could be described as hybrid of Hopkin’s native Welsh accent, a bit of a South African accent, while blended with common New Zealander terminology.

Munro was not known to actually urninate on his lemon tree. Director Roger Donaldson added this detail to honor his own father whom actually did pee on his lemon tree. The first time Munro attended the Bonneville Salt Flats was for sight seeing, unlike in the film where he sets the new record on his first visit. Where Are They Now? Burt Munro would continue to return to the Bonneville Salt Flats 10 times over an 11 year span. He set multiple land speed records, all on his 1920 Indian as he gradually modified the motorcycle. Part of his modifying process was to bore out the engine to larger capacity, running first in the under 883cc class, then running in the under 1000cc class. He would set records in both categories throughout his visits in the 1960’s. Burt died in 1978 from natural causes related to his heart condition, but he was working on his Indian for his remaining days. He wasn’t a wealthy man, so he would often take an old school “good enough” approach by fabricating parts from scraps as opposed to buying expensive new parts.

For example, he would cast his own parts to make flywheels, barrels and pistons. Employed as a motorcycle salesman that didn’t earn much money, Burt had difficulty finding time and money to work on his Indian. It was known that he would sometimes stay up all night after work to modify his Indian, and then he would go back to work in the morning without any sleep. His 1920 Indian motorcycle’s original top speed was merely 55 mph, showing how much he truly modified a bike that was never intended to go so fast. It would eventually be capable of over 200 mph. The current owner of this motorcycle, Tom Hensley, produced this home video about the restoration of this vehicle: There is debate, however, on whether the bike Tom owns is authentic or whether the actual bike is in New Zealand . Before his trips to the Bonneville Salt Flats, Munro was married to Florence Martyn from 1927 to 1947, and together they had four children: John, June, Margaret, and Gwen. Burt was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 2013, Indian Motorcycles announced they were building “The Spirit of Munro,” a streamliner bike made to showcase the new Thunder Stroke 111 engine to be used in some new road models. Know a Sports Fan? Share this: Indian Motorcycle: The Spirit of Munro - YouTube Indian Motorcycle: The Spirit of Munro Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 8, 2013 Between the years of 1926 and 1961, one man from a small town in New Zealand dreamed of setting a land speed record on a 1920 Indian Scout. In 1962 at the Bonneville salt flats that man's dream finally came true. To honor the past and power the future, Indian Motorcycle built the Spirit of Munro, an all-metal tribute bike which would house the new Thunder Stroke 111™ engine.

On May 5, 2013 the bike was run on a dry lake bed in California. A tribute to the great Burt Munro, and a celebration of the Indian Motorcycle that is yet to come. ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF MUNRO: Fully custom-built, the Spirit of Munro is an all-metal tribute to the racers and mechanics throughout history who have collectively built the legacy of record-breaking racing performance and strength that is Indian Motorcycle. The motorcycle is named in honor of Burt Munro's "Munro Special," the historic 1920 Indian Scout that broke the under-1000cc land-speed record in 1967 at the Bonneville Salt Flats as famously portrayed in the motion picture "The World's Fastest Indian." The Spirit of Munro was constructed by Jeb Scolman of Jeb's Metal and Speed in Long Beach, CA. It was designed from the ground up to house the new Thunder Stroke 111™ engine and showcase its awe-inspiring power and performance.

See more at HERBERT BURT JAMES MUNRO AND THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN MOTORCYCLE WORLD LAND SPEED RECORD HERBERT (BURT) JAMES MUNRO 1899 - 1978 Burt Munro was born in 1899 at his parents home in Invercargill. His twin sister died at birth and Burt, said the doctor, "won't live till he's two". Fortunately for New Zealand's motorcycle history the doctor was wrong. In 1915 he bought his first motorcycle, a Douglas, and by 1919 had saved enough to buy a Clyno with sidecar. This cost him ï¿½50 new. The sidecar was removed and the Clyno entered in local races. Speed records were set at the Fortrose circuit, near Invercargill, but the Clyno wasn't kept for long when the Indian came on the scene. Burt Munro The Indian Scout came from the board of Charles Franklin, an Indian employee since 1914 and the first trained engineer to be employed by the company. Franklin's background well qualified him for the position.

Born in Ireland in 1886 he graduated from the Dublin College of Science in 1908, securing a position in the engineering department of Dublin's municipal government. He became interested in motorcycling, owning several makes of machine and becoming interested in Indian in 1910. He entered local competitions where his ability and success brought him to the notice of the sole British importer of Indians, Billy Wells. He was a member of the Indian team in the 1911 Isle of Man TT, gaining second place behind Oliver Godfrey, and in front of Arthur Moorhouse, both also Indian mounted, in the historic first 1-2-3 by the same make. Franklin conceived the design for the Scout as early as 1912, through his studies of advanced motorcycle design and built a prototype, under Indian auspices, in early 1919. Tests were satisfactory and production started in September of that year on the,1920 models, commencing with engine number 5OR001. In 1920 a 21 year old Burt stood gazing at a brand-new motorcycle in an Invercargill garage.

His eyes roved over the neat little V twin engine, the cast alloy primary case, the leaf sprung front fork. His hand lovingly stroked the gleaming red paint and the sparkle of the polished nickel matched that in his eyes. The proprietor was spoken to, a deal was struck, and the young man bought his motorcycle, beginning a partnership which was to last until his death in December 1978. The man was Burt Munro and the bike was an Indian Scout, destined to become the world's fastest Indian. Burt astride his Indian Scout The bike bought by Burt Munro carried engine no. 5OR627 and can therefore be seen to have come very early in the life of a machine which remained in production, in basically the same form until 1931. The Scout itself was a 37cu.in. (60Occ) 42 degree V twin with side valves. A helical gear primary drive was contained in an oil-tight, cast alloy case and a 3 speed, hand change gearbox with foot clutch was fitted.

A double down-tube cradle frame was used, rigid at the rear, and a leaf-spring provided the forks with nearly 2 inches of movement at the front. Chain drive was used in contrast to the drive systems still commonly used on English motorcycles. Burt began modifying his bike in 1926. His methods, to say the least, were unorthodox. He used an old spoke for a micrometer and cast parts in old tins although one American report has him casting pistons in holes in the sand at the local beach! He built his own four-cam design to replace the standard two-cam system and converted to overhead valves. He made his own barrels, flywheels, pistons, cams and followers and lubrication system. In their final form he in effect hand-carved his con-rods from a Caterpillar tractor axle, and hardened and tempered them to 143 tons tensile strength. He built a seventeen plate, thousand pound pressure clutch and used a triple chain drive. He experimented with streamlining and, in its final form, the bike was completely enclosed in a streamlined shell.

The leaf-sprung fork was dispensed with and what appears to be a girder fork from a 1925 - 1928 Prince substituted. Indian V Twin Motorcycle Engine A succession of NZ road and beach records followed. In February 1957 he set a NZ Open Beach record of 131.38 mph, raising this in 1975 to 136 mph at Oreti Beach. In April 1957 he set a 75Occ Road Record at Christchurch at 143.59 mph. In March 1962 he covered the standing 1/4 mile at Invercargill in 12.31 seconds. Burt, then a grandfather, visited the Bonneville salt flats several times from 1962 onwards. In that year he set a then world record of 178.971 mph with his engine out to 51 cu.in. (85Occ). In 1963 a con-rod broke while he was traveling at an estimated 195mph.

In 1966 it was displacing 920cc, when Burt, unhappy with some loss in top speed, completely rebuilt it again. In 1967, with his engine punched out to 58 cu.in. (950cc) he set a class record of 183.586 mph. To qualify he made a one-way run of 190.07 mph, the fastest ever officially recorded speed on an Indian. His visits to the salt were not without incident. In issue no. 1 of Motorcycle New Zealand, published in 1973 Burt is quoted as follows:-"At the Salt in 1967 we were going like a bomb. Then she got the wobbles just over half way through the run. To slow her down I sat up. The wind tore my goggles off and the blast forced my eyeballs back into my head - couldn't see a thing. We were so far off the black line that we missed a steel marker stake by inches. I put her down - a few scratches all round but nothing much else". At the time Burt was traveling at close to 206 mph!

His team at Bonneville consisted of Indian enthusiasts from all over the USA, who came voluntarily to provide help and encouragement. "Picked up a station wagon for $90 in Los Angeles last time," said Burt in the same interview. "It was the headquarters for Team Indian". Rumor has it that Burt made his barrels from pieces of cast iron gas pipe, which he scrounged from the gas company after they had been dug up for replacement. See the picture on this page for details. He reasoned that, after some years in the ground, they were well seasoned. He then made aluminum slices which he shrunk over the pipe to make fins. BURT'S OWN WORDS Well it is a bit hard to cram a brief history and spec of a bike I bought new in 1920 for 140 pounds cash and have been developing since 1926. it has gone 3 ï¿½ m.p.h. faster each year for 44 years which is about average for some factory bikes over the same period.

I have been riding since 1915 and owned a Clyno v-twin in 1919- 1920 which I sold to a blacksmith and then bought the 1920 Scout, engine number 5OR627. I have made 5 heads for it, countless pistons and conrods, carburetors, magneto parts , scores of cams, fork changes, many wheels built as tyres and rims changed. The last one was for the front wheel last July when I changed from 19ï¿½ to 18ï¿½ as I cannot get high speed from 19 x 2.75 tires anymore. This I cut the tread off with a knife then smoothed down to the bottom of the non-skid groove. For the first 22 years after 1926 it was weekends and nights getting ready for hill-climbs, trials and standing ï¿½ and flying ï¿½ mile events, and 1 mile dirt sidecar races at Penrith Speedway, NSW, Australia.

Between 26 and 29 I had records in hill-climbs, standing ï¿½ and flying ï¿½, and petrol consumption runs, one of 116 m.p.g. This covers the start of my tuning efforts and has continued up to the present time. I rode second next to les Weatherby in the worldï¿½s first mile TT in Chatswood in North Sydney. The track was cut out of the bush with stumps and roots left, and a high jump out of a deep creek. This is now known as a scramble or motocross. Indian barrels ala Burt Munro Then in 1927, solo on Aspendale Speedway, Melbourne, Australia, I jumped off at 90 m.p.h.+ when in a bad speed wobble at the end of straight with one hand on oil pump. We hit a deep gutter and took off on the bend, landed with the bars pulled round a little, and my heavy 29ï¿½ oversize tire on front just kept the wobble and was heading for the post and rail fence.

The 10,000 spectators were told in paper that I was unhurt but I was pretty sick in bed for a week or two with concussion and many bruises. The Saturday before this at Inverloch Beach in Victoria, my flathead Scout won a gold medal at 90.01 mph equal with a 1928 Chicago 61ï¿½ Harley Davidson ridden by an airforce pilot from point Cook, Victoria, Australia. From 1929 I returned to New Zealand after four years in Australia when work finally could not be had (this was the Great Depression). I spent the next 10 years as motor cycle traveler. This was finally given up around 1941 when one of my rare (by this time) crashes put me off for 11 months. When I returned to NZ I was invited to join the local motorcycle club and an now a life member and have been for many years. After joining I just lived for beach races, grass track, mile and also ï¿½ mile, hill climbs, speed trials, trials, road racing, drags and I think the beach was the greatest in 1940.

About seven years ago averaged 83.43 m.p.h. in a six mile race which I won. This was on a championship fancied beach course a few miles from Invercargill. This is where I do most of my testing nowadays. In 1948 I decided to give up work and concentrate on getting a good run out of my old bike as by this time I thought I was getting better at designing parts and would go to the Canterbury Speed Trials held each year north of Christchurch. Well I went there for 22 years, this was a 1,000 mile round trip from home. I broke the NZ records more than once, but was only three times satisfied I had gone as good as I could go at the time, and those three times their timer failed for me. The last time was 10 or 11 years ago and the ACU rep said, never mind, next year we will have cable buried in side of the road. Burt Munro at Bonneville Salt Falts Then they could not get it anymore because of increased use of this long straight road known as Tram Road, North Canterbury, NZ.

I will try and give you a rough specification of the past and present of engine and cycle. I have and still hold some records in the 37 ci class, under 750 cc class, 55ci class and lastly 61ci class, all with my 1920 flathead Scout. My first major record was the NZ Open Road record established on the Aylesbury straight in 1940 at a mean 120.8m.p.h. This was held for twelve years. The under 750 cc Road record at 143.43 and NZ Open Road record at the same time. Also NZ Beach record in 1957. Although this is still attempted each year it remains unbroken at 132.38 m.p.h. 55 ci AMA world record 1962 at Bonneville, engine was 51ci at this time. 1966 engine 56ci 168.06m.p.h. American 61 ci record 1967 183.6. best run 190.07 qualifying.

1969 record number of runs for a streamliner, 14 in four and a half days. I had magneto and carburetion troubles and finally burned-up pistons when gas tap shut off on last chance of a qualifying run. I have hauled bike or engine to USA eight times in my attempt to get one good run but this has always eluded my greatest efforts. The last 22 years has been full-time as I could never get enough hours to do things. After finally getting 94 m.p.h. from the flatheads and running on Borneo Aviation Gas I ahd a go at making ohv heads. A foundry told me how to go about making patterns and I finally had them finished after a year of work until the first day it ran. Believe it or not the first runs were slower than my best on the sidevalve but over the years I gradually got it going faster till in 1937 I was getting 110 m.p.h. from it, also breaking conrods. About then a mate and I were returning from a distant beach meeting and another pair of rods had broken, and he said why not write to the Indian factory and get special rods.

This got me thinking and I acquired a broken Ford truck axle and carved out two rods in five months. These were in it for 20 years and were standing up to over 140 m.p.h. By 1950 I was getting 150 m.p.h unstreamlined. I have had many terrific blow-ups, the last two were during this last 11 months. I will describe one I had at Muriwai Beach, Auckland in April 1969. I hauled my Munro Special up there 1130 miles and blew a piston ( I had just made thirteen new ones for 1969), the rod and pin toe up and down, put tram tracks and split both new cylinders, punched large hole in front of case, bent mag armature, broke slip ring and magnets on ML into five pieces. I hauled home and in eight and a half weeks had it running again. Eight more new pistons, two new home made rods, magnets cut form an old Bosch magneto. Burt Munro's Land Speed Record Indian Motorcycle The brief history is almost impossible to put together but I should give you a rough idea of some of my best crashes.

In 1916, out all day after landing on head. 1921, riding standing on seat of Scout waiting for Uncle Alf to get his King Dick going. I looked round and woke up that evening after a whole days absence from what was going on. In 1927, jumped off on a dirt track Aspendale Speedway at over 90mph. Concussion and bruising from feet to back of neck. 1932, stopped to get a rider going in Western Southland when on my traveling job. I told the guy I would follow him in case it stopped again. We came to a farmhouse at a cross road. A dog ran at him. I caught it on the rebound and came around later concussed and bloody from a deep scalp wound. 1934, crashed Clifton Gorge, struck a wash-out before could pull-up. Came around concussed. 1937, in 20 mile beach race, doing 110 when Hugh Currie, BSA Special, the last rider I had to catch, turned in front of me. I hit the 6ï¿½ brake and tried to steer behind him as he banked over to turn.

My bike climbed up and over his and sailed 120 feet clear of the beach before landing. He was knocked-out and had broken collar bone. My bash-hat was split from crown to rim in two places. Weeks later he told me what knocked me out and split the hat. The underside of his engine landed square on my head. When he was repairing his bike he found the varnish marks from my hat on the cases. I had all my teeth knocked out and my brother picked up numerous gold filled ones from the sand. This was one of the saddest moments of my life when I found my priceless teeth no more. 1940, running on home built gas producer. Still traveler for some motor cycle firm and running at top speed of 56 m.p.h. on coal. I hit a ridge of wet gravel and ran off to side of road but regained control on fence line. But before I could let go of bar and shut off gas and air lever I hit an 18ï¿½ deep cutting into a farmhouse, the bike struck the far bank and shot right up into the air and back to the gravel road.

My head hit the road, I was unconscious for one and a half hours and came-to blind from dried blood in eyes. I had hemorrhage of brain for a week and concussed, and was of work for 11 months. I had part concuss - ional headaches for about 15 years form this so I gave up the traveling as I did not care to travel by bus or car to sell bikes. A nicely restored Indian Scout (C 1925) 1959, was in a drag at Teretonga International track when at 110mph the bike got into a sudden fast speed wobble. I jumped off the side and rolled and skidded and bounced 15 feet high they tell me. I finished up in the hospital for seven and a half weeks. When I finished the crash I had bash hat still on, waistband of pants, tennis shoes and pieces of socks. I was only slightly concussed. It was missing flesh, and skin took building up again. One finger was ground half way through the bone but still works but one joint is crook. All the other crashes involved just bones or scars or burns and one arm ripped apart at the shoulder.

In five and a half months it grew back but still hurts at rest when I lie on it. For this year I have made the new cylinders and pistons to the largest bore ever, it is now 3.192 inches x 96mm giving 60.54 ci. For eight years I have carved out new rods, cylinders and pistons and cams, and work full time on either my 1936 Velo or the Indian. For 10 years I worked 16 hours a day in the shed and was told to slow up a few years ago and now work 7 days and about 70 hours a week. The flywheels I made form 5ï¿½ axle hammered out under steam hammer. Just finished pistons. I had these eight heat-treated for the first time. Crank in 1928 Scout turned down to ï¿½ï¿½ and then sleeved. I made this from oil hardening steel and squeeze on and pull up with standard nuts. I leave the taper with ï¿½ï¿½ hole in it to fit drive side flywheel. The rods of course now have bigger eye and smaller rollers.

The main shafts right up to about three years ago were standard, about 13/16ï¿½; with four sets of caged genuine Indian rollers ï¿½ x 5/16ï¿½ running on the shafts. Well, as speed mounted-up over the years I got visions of them breaking and in 1957 I had a new pin, crank-pin that is, given to me in Springfield on a visit to Indian factory. This I fitted to the timing side with big-end bearings. Then the drive side looked so thin. I looked around and had a spare gearbox mainshaft. So I ground the four outside splines off it and made up two drive shafts form it, then had them re-hardened and ground locally. I bored out the taper in flywheel in my three and a half inch Myford lathe. By the way, I completely made my new cylinder heads in the same lathe. The only change is to cut about one and a quarter off gap in bed for flywheels. This probably weakens it a bit but I still work it every day, and have since it was new 22 years ago.

I am on my second set of back gears, worn out about 12 years ago, and my third lead screw is now badly worn. Cams I made by file and saw since 1926 but now have built a cam grinder and make them in pairs as I spent 800 hours in 1963 making the engine into a four cam set-up. After I time them I pin them to the ï¿½ï¿½ hole in the standard cam-wheels on Scout. Cam followers are filed from axle steel and I make a fork to take a ï¿½ï¿½ x ï¿½ï¿½ roller running on needles, and an oiler to keep a good flow from the 1933 Indian oil pump I had given me in 1956. This I modified to pump the oil to big end, and was when I made my steel flywheels. The 1920 Scout frame and my third streamliner shell are still in USA. The first full shell I built tool me five years to hammer out of sheet aluminum.

I could only work at it when I had my bike ready for testing then if it blew-up I would work on the engine until running again, then hammer away at it again, or suddenly think of some new scheme to get more speed. Of course these brainwaves often made it slower or just more blown parts. By the way, I have read of E Fernihoughï¿½s death and perhaps I can offer a reason for him running off the road that day. I have several times had similar experiences caused by a side wind of only two to three m.p.h. if one is traveling at over 180 as on most occasions with me, the bike steers over to one side but I start to steer it back at once. But I have had it go 12 feet over the outside of the black line before getting it back to the center of track. If this were on a road of course there is no chance of survival. The first shell I took with me to Bonneville in 1962 was the second I had built. The first one of aluminum was too hard to ride, too neat a fit and I had great difficulty getting the gears.

So I modified it and used it as a mould for number two of fiberglass. I had my first run on it at Bonneville in 1962, and was ordered to have a test run with officials following in a car. It just veered from side to side at all speeds. I said to myself I may as well ship it back home, they will never let me run a thing like this. When they came up with me they said, handles ok. I said, What! They repeated handled good. All this was done through half a century of work and development. Originally the Scout was capable of about 55 mph. In 1926 it was raced on the Penrith Mile Dirt Track in New South Wales with sidecar attached, the passenger being Wells. The outfit lasted one lap for a speed of 46 mph. Despite this inauspicious start, Burt still held the Australian sidecar record, as-late as 1977, with a speed of 90 mph, set at Inverlock Beach, Victoria. Burt Munro died in December 1978.

The Indian, which had been his for 57yrs is in the hands of an enthusiast in the South Island. As well as the bike he left behind a legend of skill, perseverance, and courage which typifies the ingenuity and resilience of the New Zealand spirit, and of which all New Zealanders, motorcyclists or not, may be justly proud.

Question: Burt Munro set the current land speed record for motorcycles under 1000cc in 1967 on what make of motorcycle?
Answer: Indian