If you went to the movies in 2005, you probably saw The World’s Fastest Indian.
A feature film directed by Roger Donaldson and starring none other than Anthony Hopkins, it told the story of Invercargill motorcycle salesman and enthusiast Burt Munro.
Burt set land speed records several times, the most famous being in 1967 when he broke the record for bikes with under-1000cc engines at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. (For the record, Munro rode the bike at 184.087 mph, with an unofficial top speed of 205.67 mph). He did it on an Indian Scout, which he had modified in his Invercargill garage.
The World’s Fastest Indian was a hit, and made Munro’s Indian motorcycle, and, briefly, Invercargill (especially Oreti Beach), famous.
There’s a reason Anthony Hopkins didn’t sound super “Kiwi”
Anthony Hopkins said he watched archival footage of Burt Munro to prepare for the role, and noted that Burt’s Southland accent, with its rolled R’s, sounded more like someone from Devonshire than Auckland.
The New Zealand accent is famously difficult for actors. Exhibit A: The film Everest. Shocka.
Burt was short for Herbert
Burt Munro’s full name was Herbert James Munro. (William Munro was his dad – no word on whether he went by Bill.)
The record set by Burt Munro still stands
More than 50 years after it was set, Burt’s land speed record, set with his modified 1920 Indian Scout Streamliner, remains unbroken.
However, his great-nephew, Lee Munro did set a record of his own in 2017 on a modern version of the Munro Special. He took the new Indian to Bonneville to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his great uncle’s famous feat and set a record of 191.28 mph in the 1350cc class at Speed Week.
The Bonneville Salt Flats are not the world’s biggest
The Bonneville Salt Flats are used to set world speed records for a reason. Not only are they flat (obvs), they are huge, as in more than 30,000 acres huge.
But they are larger ones; Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni are more than 80 times larger than the salt flats in Utah. Burt Munro would have needed a bigger gas tank for his Indian Scout to compete there.
Burt Munro was 68 when he set his famous land speed record
Yes, that’s two years shy of 70. It’s never too late.
Burt Munro died only 10 years after setting the record, at the age of 78, on January 6, 1978.
Born to William Munro and Lily Agnes Robinson, Burt Munro was a twin
Burt Munro was born at home in Invercargill New Zealand, in 1899. He had a twin sister who died at at birth, and Burt himself was not expected to live beyond the age of two.
The Indian motorcycle company named a bike for Burt
In 2013, Indian released a motorcycle called Spirit of Munro.
Burt’s Indian motorcycle originally had a top speed of 55 mph
He almost quadrupled that at Bonneville, making the bike, yes, the world’s fastest Indian Scout.
You can still see Burt Munro’s Indian motorcycle in real life today
Burt’s ‘Munro Special’ modified Indian motorcycle company bike, or “the World’s Fastest Indian”, is on display today.
It has pride of place at the E. Hayes & Sons hardware store in Invercargill New Zealand, which as well as selling a range of handy tools and DIY-focused products, boasts an impressive collection of motorbikes, including the very Indian scout Burt Munro used to break the world record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
And it’s not the only famous vehicle in Invercargill, New Zealand
As well as being the setting for The World’s Fastest Indian, Invercargill is the place to visit for fans of everything vehicle-related, including Bill Richardson Transport World, which houses examples of everything that has helped us get from A to B, including a nearly-full set of Ford Models.
Then there’s the Classic Motorcycle Mecca, which takes up two floors of what used to be a department store. The place is serious: it has three of the four John Britten bikes on display in New Zealand.
