Give it whatever it takes, but do it”. There was no way Burt was able to pay such a huge amount before even having started to compete. Having seen others compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah at the National Speed Trials Burt thought it was about time that he himself would ride on the Salt Flats in 1962. He decided to finally do what he loved and only concentrate on modifying the two motorbikes he owned at that time: The Indian and a 1936 Velocette. Donaldson, Roger (2009). The store’s late owner, Irving Hayes, bought his old friend’s bike after Munro passed away and put it in his shop – E. Hayes & Sons Ltd. His grandson now continues that tradition. It was designed from the ground up to house the new Thunder Stroke™ 111 engine and showcase its awe-inspiring power and performance.”, On behalf of his friends Frank Oddo wrote in his obituary “Even though most of his life was well spent some ten thousand miles away, he touched ours more than a little. Was he still racing in the right direction? According to his friends Burt was still disappointed as he had wanted to prove that his Indian could go 200 mph. He was not one to give up, so he opened the throttle and went as fast as his motorcycle would. more >, Weekly wind-on: your roundup of the stories that mattered in motorbikes this week, This week, Husqvarna have let us ride a prototype version of their Norden 901 model. Burt Munro, 1967, in his fireproof pants in Bonneville – Permission Munro Family Collection. The Salt Flat Speed Week always had a lot of willing participants waiting to compete. He wanted to visit them. Following that time he took a job in at Arthur’s Pass working on the Otira tunnel. In the late 1960s, after a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, Burt sets off from the bottom of the world, Invercargill, New Zealand, to clock his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. When he was born, doctors did not have a lot of confidence in Burt’s survival as his twin sister was still born. This garage was the maximum size of 20 x 10 feet allowed by post war building regulations. Discover (and save!) When Burt had a stroke in 1977, he sold his motorbike, the Munro Special Indian Scout and most of the contents of his work shed to Norman and Neville, so that they would remain in his beloved Southland. I know (dad) is always breaking down, but he’s very happy working away (…). Motorbikes were his life after all. Burt, 1969, in front of his shed with his “wee friends Denise L & Heather Butler” and his 1936 Velocette – Permission Munro Family Collection motorcycle enthusiast passed with flying colours and everything was set to return to the Speed Week. “If it’s hard, work harder; if it’s impossible, work harder still. “I guess I am a fanatic or an enthusiast. We got to keep you here – keep tabs on you’ and Burt said ‘How much?’ and the guy told him – $14 a day – and Burt said ‘Bloody hell, that’s too dear. Nobody knew what had happened when Burt didn’t return to the starting line. At first sight, Munro drew every cent of his savings out of the bank and bought one. Little fella Herbert James Munro – Permission Munro Family Collection. Burt Munro: The Lost Interviews is published by Penguin Random House, RRP $35. However, what was most remarkable about Burt’s journeys, was that no matter what happened to him, Burt always found a solution and never gave up. With a In 2006 “the legend of motorcycle speed demon” was entered to be eternally remembered in America – in the American–based Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Unfortunately the Indian’s motor had enough and blew up so that Burt did not have any choice but to travel back to New Zealand. However it seemed that the Indian’s old-fashioned pistons were unable to deal with the modern fuel and piston after piston blew up and Burt ultimately had to give up on his record attempts in 1970. The greatest underdog stories in New Zealand Sport. Answer 1 of 12: So sad to hear about the closure of the Southland Museum (https://southlandmuseum.co.nz), when a huge portion of our trip to Invercargill was to visit this motorcycle mecca. The 2005 Anthony Hopkins movie The World’s Fastest Indian was a huge success but the story it was based on is even more astonishing. Burt had very clear ideas as to how his new home should look.