Burt Munro

Burt Munro
Born
Herbert James Munro [1]

(1899-03-25)25 March 1899
Invercargill, New Zealand
Died6 January 1978(1978-01-06) (aged 78)
Invercargill, New Zealand
Resting placeEastern Cemetery, Invercargill, New Zealand
Occupation(s)Carpenter
New Zealand Home Guard
Speedway rider
Motorcycle salesman
Mechanic
Known forLand Speed record holder
Spouse(s)Florence Beryl Martyn
(m. 1927; div. 1947)
Children4

Herbert James "Burt" Munro (Bert in his youth; 25 March 1899 – 6 January 1978) was a motorcycle racer from New Zealand, famous for setting an under-1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville, on 26 August 1967.[2] This record still stands; Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record.[3]

Working from his home in Invercargill, he spent 20 years highly modifying his 1920 Indian motorcycle that he had bought that same year. Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and later set seven more. He 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.

His efforts, and success, are the basis of the film The World's Fastest Indian (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed, both directed by Roger Donaldson.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hanna was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ [verification needed]The World's Fastest Indian, The Munro Special. A Tribute to H.J 'Burt' Munro, archived from the original on 23 July 2011
  3. ^ "Bonneville certified bike records". Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  4. ^ Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed at IMDB