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View Full Version : Burt Munro inducted into US Motorcycle Hall of Fame



Bob
11th October 2006, 00:31
Burt Munro has been inducted into the American Motorcycle Association's Hall of Fame.

Munro set a world land speed record of 266.4km/h at the Bonneville salt flats in Utah on his highly modified 1920s vintage Indian motorcycle in 1966, with his exploits being made into the film “The World's Fastest Indian” in which he was played by Sir Anthony Hopkins. Munro went on to set a new world speed record of 305.9km/h the following year, which still stands as the fastest by an Indian motorcycle.

Brian d marge
11th October 2006, 05:16
The thing is why wasnt he inducted before the movie ... I mean he did the biz a few years ago,

Either way its good to see him recignized,

At the end of the day other countrys may win the Moto gp or what ever ,,Nz did it through sheer Shutzpa ( sp)

Anyway good to see it hapen

Stephen

Quasievil
11th October 2006, 10:06
Would be nice to celebrate him here a bit more I reckon, I was in Invercargill the other week and I went to the visitors info centre to find out where he lived , rode his bike blah blah blah...........answer.........sorry we dont have any information, that was in his Home town, disgraceful I thought, apparently there are some plans underway, but sheesh getting on a bit.

JimO
11th October 2006, 10:53
you should have called in and asked grinning tim he could have helped you:cool:

Paul in NZ
11th October 2006, 11:01
Would be nice to celebrate him here a bit more I reckon, I was in Invercargill the other week and I went to the visitors info centre to find out where he lived , rode his bike blah blah blah...........answer.........sorry we dont have any information, that was in his Home town, disgraceful I thought, apparently there are some plans underway, but sheesh getting on a bit.


It's a little know fact the Burt built the Indian to escape from Invercargill but it didn't make enough power to escape the time warp.

I took some Japanese colleagues there for a meeting recently and was faced with finding them a place to have lunch mid week... egad... Eventually we found a halfway decent place but I was sweating it...

MacD
11th October 2006, 18:00
There is the Burt Munro Challenge/Rally coming up in November. I would have thought the Visitor Information Centre would be gearing up for that?

Burt Munro Challenge website (http://www.burtmunrochallenge.southlandnz.com/burtmunro/theStartLine/)

doc
11th October 2006, 18:46
Would be nice to celebrate him here a bit more I reckon, I was in Invercargill the other week and I went to the visitors info centre to find out where he lived , rode his bike blah blah blah...........answer.........sorry we dont have any information, that was in his Home town, disgraceful I thought, apparently there are some plans underway, but sheesh getting on a bit.

This is the hypocrisy of the Kiwi anti "tall poppy" "flash in the pan" attention span. How many of us Kiwibikers paid any attention to him prior to the movie which is brilliant production. I actually met him at a race meeting at Woodburn in the 70's, well not to talk too but he was there but basically everyone just talked about him behind his back as that old fart with the indian from Invercargill. that had some world speed records, he didn't have a bike with him no one was actually interested we had pre unit triumphs that we were fanging around the sprint circuit. And we thought we knew more with our real bikes, quite sad really. I'm now an old fart and no one notices. Don't think my life will end up in the Fit aye Whare (The Red Shed ) discounted DVD section .

Paul in NZ
11th October 2006, 19:58
I disagree...

Yesterdays heroes belong to the past - old F1 drivers fall into the same sort of slot. I met him in the early 70's and he was held in awe by the folks I knew and the old coot loved it and played up to it. We all knew who he was and what he had done. Before any movie or the internet.

Wheres Ronnie Moore? Even Ivan Mauger?

I cannot ever remember anyone disrespecting him... or them but their era has passed and we have new heros - that not tall poppy - it's normal

sunhuntin
12th October 2006, 16:37
There is the Burt Munro Challenge/Rally coming up in November. I would have thought the Visitor Information Centre would be gearing up for that?

Burt Munro Challenge website (http://www.burtmunrochallenge.southlandnz.com/burtmunro/theStartLine/)

im hoping to go to that....just gotta work out time off etc.

id never heard of burt prior to the movie, but am proud hes part of our history.

doc
13th October 2006, 04:54
I disagree...

Yesterdays heroes belong to the past - old F1 drivers fall into the same sort of slot. I met him in the early 70's and he was held in awe by the folks I knew and the old coot loved it and played up to it. We all knew who he was and what he had done. Before any movie or the internet.

Wheres Ronnie Moore? Even Ivan Mauger?

I cannot ever remember anyone disrespecting him... or them but their era has passed and we have new heros - that not tall poppy - it's normal

Yep I think you put that well, sort of what I mean't.There must be more stories out there like that.