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Volume 11, Issue 5

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12 | WheelsOfGrace.com | Issue 51 • In 1962, he set an 883 cc class record of 288 km/h (178.95 mph) with his engine bored out to 850 cc. • In 1966, he set a 1000 cc class record of 270.476 km/h (168.07 mph) with his engine punched out to 920 cc. • In 1967, his engine was bored out to 950 cc and he set an under 1000 cc class record of 295.453 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 (officially timed) is 331 km/h (205.67 mph) for a flying mile. • In 2006, he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. • In 2014, 36 years after his death, he was retroactively awarded a 1967 record of 296.2593 km/h (184.087 mph) after his son John noticed a calculation error by AMA "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 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 the hot 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 Motorcycle. He set land-speed records on his home-built Indian Scout His story was the basis of the movie: The World's Fastest Indian B U R T M U N R O W O R L D ' S F A S T E S T I N D I A N By Leah Misch

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