Burt Munro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Burt Munro
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| Born |
Herbert James Munro
25 March 1899 Invercargill, New Zealand
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| Died | 6 January 1978 (aged 78) Invercargill, New Zealand
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| Resting place | Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Carpenter New Zealand Home Guard Speedway rider Motorcycle salesman Mechanic |
| Known for | Land Speed record holder |
| Spouse(s) | Florence Beryl Martyn (m. 1927; div. 1947) |
| Children | 4 |
Herbert James "Burt" Munro (born March 25, 1899 – died January 6, 1978) was an amazing motorcycle racer from New Zealand. He became famous for setting a world speed record for motorcycles under 1,000 cc. He achieved this incredible feat at the Bonneville Salt Flats on August 26, 1967.
What makes his record even more special is that it still stands today! Munro was 68 years old at the time, and he was riding a motorcycle that was 47 years old. He had spent 20 years working on and changing his 1920 Indian motorcycle from his home in Invercargill, New Zealand.
Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and went on to set seven more. He traveled all the way to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States to try and break world speed records. During his ten visits there, he set three world records, and one of them is still unbroken!
His incredible story and success inspired the 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian, which stars Anthony Hopkins. There was also an earlier short film in 1971 called Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed. Both films were directed by Roger Donaldson.
Contents
Burt Munro's Early Life and Dreams
Burt Munro was born in 1899 in Invercargill, New Zealand. His parents were William and Lily Agnes Munro. He grew up on a farm in Edendale, which is east of Invercargill.
From a young age, Burt loved speed. He would often ride the fastest horse on the farm, even though his father wasn't happy about it. Trips to the Invercargill port by train were exciting, and when cars, motorcycles, and airplanes started appearing, Burt became even more eager to explore the world beyond his farm.
His family wanted him to stay on the farm, but Burt found farm life boring. When World War I started, he wanted to join the war as soon as he was old enough, hoping it would be a chance to see the world.
Burt stayed on the family farm until the war ended. After his father sold the farm, Burt worked on building the Otira Tunnel. Later, he became a professional speedway rider. He raced motorcycles and became one of the best motorcycle racers in New Zealand, competing on Oreti Beach and in Melbourne, Australia.
After World War II, Burt and his wife separated. He then focused completely on his passion for motorcycles.
The Legendary Munro Special Motorcycle
Burt Munro's famous motorcycle was an early model of the Indian Scout. It was the 627th Scout ever made at the American factory. When it was new, the bike could only go about 55 mph (89 km/h). But Burt wasn't satisfied with that! So, in 1926, he started to change and improve his beloved Indian motorcycle.
Burt faced two big challenges while working on his bike: he didn't have much money, and he worked full-time as a motorcycle salesman. He would often work on his motorcycles (he also had a 1936 Velocette MSS) all night long. Then, he would go to work in the morning without any sleep.
Because he didn't have a lot of money, Burt often made his own parts and tools. He would cast parts using old tins and even made his own engine parts like barrels, pistons, and flywheels. He even used an old spoke from a wheel as his micrometer to measure things!
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Over time, Burt increased the Indian's engine size from 600 cc to 950 cc. He also added a special triple chain drive system.
Burt called his special motorcycle the "Munro Special." Today, this famous bike is owned by Neville Hayes in New Zealand's South Island. You can see it on display at E Hayes & Sons in Invercargill.
Racing at Bonneville Salt Flats
The Bonneville Salt Flats are located in northwestern Utah, USA. This area is famous around the world for its many miles of flat, hard salt. It's the perfect place for testing very fast vehicles. Every year, usually in mid-to-late August, vehicle fans from all over the world gather at Bonneville for an event called Speed Week.
Burt Munro traveled to Bonneville ten times. His first trip was just to see the place. In the nine times he raced there, Burt set three world records: one in 1962, another in 1966, and his final one in 1967. He even once went over 200 mph (320 km/h) in an unofficial run!
After his name was misspelled as "Burt" in an American motorcycling magazine in 1957, he decided to officially change his name from Bert to Burt.
Burt Munro's Family Life
Burt Munro married Florence Beryl Martyn in 1927. They had four children together: June, Margaret, Gwen, and John. They later separated in 1947.
Burt experienced some health problems in his later years. He passed away peacefully on January 6, 1978, at the age of 78. He is buried in Invercargill's Eastern Cemetery, alongside his parents and brother.
Burt Munro's Amazing Records
- In 1962, Burt set a record in the 883 cc class, reaching 288 km/h (178.95 mph). At this time, his engine had been made larger to 850 cc.
- In 1966, he set a record in the 1000 cc class, reaching 270.476 km/h (168.07 mph). His engine was 920 cc at this point.
- In 1967, his engine was bored out to 950 cc. He then set an under 1000 cc class record of 295.453 km/h (183.59 mph). To qualify for this, he made a one-way run of 305.89 km/h (190.07 mph), which was the fastest speed ever officially recorded on an Indian motorcycle. He also had an unofficial speed record (but officially timed) of 331 km/h (205.67 mph) for a flying mile.
- In 2006, Burt Munro was honored by being added to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
- In 2014, 36 years after he passed away, Burt was given another 1967 record of 296.2593 km/h (184.087 mph). This happened after his son, John, noticed that the AMA had made a mistake in their calculations back then.
The Film: The World's Fastest Indian
Burt Munro's life was the subject of a 2005 movie called The World's Fastest Indian. The film shows a determined older man who faces many challenges but still travels from New Zealand to the USA to race his motorcycle. The movie is based on real events, but some characters and incidents were changed or made up for the story.
The Spirit of Munro Motorcycle
In March 2013, the Indian Motorcycle company announced they had built a special custom motorcycle called the Spirit of Munro. This motorcycle was created to show off their new Thunder Stroke 111 engine. The company said that the Spirit of Munro Scout was a way to honor Burt Munro's amazing achievements with his Indian Scout motorcycle and to celebrate all old Indian motorcycles.
See also
In Spanish: Burt Munro para niños
