What an awesome film, I highly recommend it. If you rent try to get the one that has the original documentary about Burt Munro "Offerings to the God of Speed" that was several years ago by the same guy that produced this movie. He was/is obsessed by the Burt Munro Story.

It was so good my wife even said what a great movie it was and she was surprised because she thought it was going to be just another gearhead flick.

It is amazing that his under 1000cc record still stands today, wonder if Dan and the boys from AWS racing have any plans to take a shot at it???!!!???:tour

Saw it last weekend and you're correct....It's a great movie and everyone here should see it!

I can't believe his bike was that ratty though.

Watched it last night! BEST movie ive seen all year!

Excellent flick, he embodies the spirit of gearheads everywhere.

I just watched it on DVD, I though the movie portrayed Burt as a bit of a country bumpkin (this may be fact but it seems a bit too Hollywood). I can't believe he had a brohter called Ernie (Burt and Ernie, this seems a bit too Hollywood but I guess the story pre-dates the Muppets). I also thought the movie focused too much on the journey, not enough on his acomplishment at Bonneville. The DVD included the orignal documentary that I did not watch yet, but I hear it is worth watching.

Overall a good motorcycle movie, but I found Faster much more interesting and Mark Neale has come out with another movie called "The Doctor, the Tornado & the Kentucky Kid" it looks very good. Has anyone seen the preview of this movie?

Just rented it, awesome movie... now i want to set a record(would they let a 16 year old do that?) lol :D

i can dream

Just rented it, awesome movie... now i want to set a record(would they let a 16 year old do that?) lol :D

i can dream
...once you go to the salt you get hooked!!!! just don't wear shorts....your privates will get sunburned from the reflection off the salt!!!:doh

I have been there, not for speed week but just passing through, you can drive right out onto the course and go!!! I went 130mph for 7 miles in my Buick that I had shipped back from England to San Diego when I was in the Air Force. Smooth would be a step down from what the surface there was!!!

If you really want to set a record, Find one you can beat and DO IT!!! That is what the spirt of the movie was about!!!!!!!!

I had to drag my wife to see it in the theatre, but she ended up loving it. Great movie.

We just watched it last night, loved it! My wife was afraid it would bore her, but she liked it a lot. Great flic.

Watch the documentary on the DVD, Anthony Hopkins did a great job acting like the real Burt Munro.

I pre-ordered it on DVD (it never played at any local theaters). To be honest I thought it started sorta slow, but once you got past the first part, it was really good. Great story!

I just bought it at Walmart,but haven't watched it yet.

Amazing movie, and funny at times as well. Old dog likes to chew his bones as well. (If you catch my drift). My god, I wish I had that effect on all the (some) of the women I bump into...

Great movie tho!!

What a terrific old guy! Doesn't even use a seat of some sort... just rides on the metal!
Great movie and the documentary was great too! Just amazing... takes a 1920 Indian, rebuilds it through the years, makes parts from scratch, and breaks a bunch of records!!!
Great movie! :banana :banana :banana :banana

[QUOTE] I also thought the movie focused too much on the journey, not enough on his acomplishment at Bonneville.QUOTE]

I thought it was all about the journey! :doh and his accomplishments were and are great! i felt the "journey" was the best part it showed that when you believe in something and you are genuine about what you believe in... people will and do respond to it.

its out on DVD thats sweet I have to go pick it up today on my 2 days off. Working for a union shop rules!!! saw the previews and the Doc on Discovery or the history channel but it skipped lil old Erie.

Oh yeah and trips and adventures are all about the journey not the destination.

We just watched this.. a real nice movie..

Burt seemed to be able to make friends with every one.

I didnt know the story before hand.. kept wondering when he was going to get hurt, robbed, or just die..

yeah.. it's nice to know it's a true story. Very inspiring

Wonderful movie! Good for gearheads and non. I think it reallly captured the spirit of the man.

Two thumbs up!

Great movie watched it a couple of times.

I just watched this film last night, and I wholeheartedly agree! It was a fabulous film. Anthony Hopkins was brilliant as Burt Munro. What a character! And that 1920 Indian was unbelievable. To look at it you wouldn't think it would make it around the block! And it's incredible that its 1967 speed record still stands.

I enjoyed it so much I just may buy a copy, and I hardly EVER do that.

Great movie loved it...

http://www.indianmotorbikes.com/features/munro/munro.htm

Interesting Articles here...:D

Great movie. I think it captured the spirit of Burt Munro and his love of not just his motorcycle, but life and living. My wife got a kick out of the part where he is trimming his toe nails (I do it that way, only with a Dremmel).

I recommend it to everyone. I had to find the one Blockbuster out of about 5 in town that stocked it :(

Great movie loved it...

http://www.indianmotorbikes.com/features/munro/munro.htm

Interesting Articles here...:D

Thanks Bill! Those look good. I'll check them out.

Taking a bus trip to the IMS at the Javitt's Center this Saturday. I'm bringing my copy of the movie.

I can't wait until March for the release of Wild Hogs.

Somehow it seems more my speed...

http://wildhogs.movies.go.com/

Jack :spineyes

The wife just got it for me, awesome. thanks for bringing it to my attention

Where are you guy's buying it at ???

Yeah, awsome movie I have had It for a while, and have watched It alot. But the best feature Is the real Burt Munro Interviews and the clips about him. Helluva goal focused Man, his legacy lives on..Forever on the flats.

She got it at Walmart Milmat

Was a damned good movie, we had to wait forever to see it on the big screen here in Boise, but it was worth the wait.

I volunteer at a old single screen movie theater (built in 1903) that shows art and independent films. We screened "The World's Fastest Indian (http://imdb.com/title/tt0412080/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9d29ybG RzIGZhc3Rlc3QgaW5kaWFtfGZ0PTF8bXg9MjB8bG09NTAwfGNv PTF8aHRtbD0xfG5tPTE_;fc=1;ft=8;fm=1)" and I was amazed at the cross section of motorcyclists that came to see the movie. I want to buy a house like Burt's! Great Movie.

I volunteer at a old single screen movie theater (built in 1903) that shows art and independant films. We screened "The World's Fastest Indian (http://imdb.com/title/tt0412080/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnx0dD0xfGZiPXV8cG49MHxrdz0xfHE9d29ybG RzIGZhc3Rlc3QgaW5kaWFtfGZ0PTF8bXg9MjB8bG09NTAwfGNv PTF8aHRtbD0xfG5tPTE_;fc=1;ft=8;fm=1)" and I was amazed at the cross section of motorcyclists that came to see the movie. I want to buy a house like Burt's! Great Movie.


Thanks for the link to the trailer, I was pretty lost here. But now I'm gonna find that movie !!!:D :D

Went to Walmart bought the DVD and came straight home and watched it this afternoon.(Raining and Cold here).

That is a great movie. Never really knew anything about Burt Munro before you started this thread. What a Man !!!

Thanks for the Thread and the info, I wouldn't have wanted to miss that!!!


And Hats-Off !! To Burt Munro !!!:clap

Finally rented it last night.

What a great flick! Nothing else to add at this length of this thread.

Thanks to all who had recommended it.

KiltBill: Nice link...


Jack:spineyes

I've been wanting to catch this movie since I saw the first trailer for it.

Came on Dish this weekend. Fantastic! Watched it twice, now I gotta find the DVD.

I hadn't heard of Burt Monro prior to this film either, so I googled him. There's tons of info about him. Check it out.

I really liked the scene in the movie on the beach when he races a bunch of young biker dudes.

JC

Thanks for the Thread and the info, I wouldn't have wanted to miss that!!!

Glad I could share, I have known the story(ies) of Burt since I was a kid from my Grandfather, but I can't really say as to where he go them from?

Thank you for the tip on the movie, just rented it and it is one of the best movies i have ever seen! The gf loved it too!

I bought the DVD last year - the whole family loved it. I just watched it again a couple of nights ago when nothing was on TV (which happens a lot). Makes me want to go cast a new Sportster piston......:laugh

^^Just watched it again too.......makes me want to piss on trees!!:smoke

After Burt did his 8-9 or trips to Bonneville, they changed the rules for a fairing (enclosed) motorcycle. I wouldn't doubt it if his records stand forever. Dude's a truly amazing man for what he accomplished, yet along a 60ish year old man. To this day, I hope to God I'm as stubborn as he is. When the nurse tells him to lay off the motorcycle he says "like hell I will".

Burt Munro In His Own Words

For this year I have made the new cylinders and pistons to the largest bore ever, it is now 3.19" x 96mm giving 60.54ci. For eight years I have carved out new rods, cylinders, pistons and cams, and work full time on either my 1936 Velo or the Indian. For 10 years I have worked 16 hours a day in the shed and was told to slow up a few years ago and now, I only work 7 days and about 70 hours a week. The flywheels I have made from a 5" axle hammered out under a steam hammer. I just finished the new pistons. I had these eight heat-treated for the first time. I had the crank in the 1928 Scout turned down to 3/4" and then sleeved. I make this from oil hardening steel and squeezed on and pulled up with standard nuts. I left the taper on one end and made another taper with 3/4" hole in it to fit the drive of the flywheel. The rods of course now have a bigger eye and smaller rollers. The mainshafts, up to about three years ago, were standard, about 13/16" with four sets of caged genuine Indian rollers 1/4" x 5/16" running on the shafts. Well, as speed mounted-up over the years I got visions of them breaking and in 1957 I had a new pin, crankpin that is, given to me in Springfield, Mass. on a visit to Indian. This I fitted to the timing side with big end bearings. Then the drive side looked so thin. I looked around and had a spare gearbox mainshaft. So I ground the four outside splines off it and made up two driveshafts from it. Then I had them re-hardened and ground locally. I bored out the taper in the flywheels with my 3 1/2" Myford lathe. By the way, I completely made my new cylinder heads on the same lathe. The only change is to cut about 1 1/4" off the gap in the bed of the lathe for the flywheels. This probably weakens the lathe a bit but I still work it every day, and have since it was new 22 years ago. I am on my second set of (lathe) back gears, worn out about 12 years ago, and my third lead screw is now badly worn.

Cams I made by file and saw since 1926 but now have built a cam grinder and make them in pairs. I spent 800 hours in 1963 making the engine into a four-cam setup. After I timed them, I pin them to the 1/4" hole in the standard cam wheels on the Scout. Cam followers are filed from axle steel and I make a fork to take a 3/4"x 1/4" roller running on needles, and an oiler to keep a good flow from the 1933 Indian oil pump. This was given to me in 1956. This I modified to pump oil to the big end. At this time I made my steel flywheels.

The 1920 Scout frame and my third streamliner shell are still in the U.S. The first full shell I built took me five years to hammer out of the sheet aluminum. I could only work at it when I had my bike ready for testing, then, if it blew-up I would work on the engine until it was running again, then hammer away on the shell again. Or I would suddenly think of some new scheme to get more speed. Of course these brain waves often made it slower, or just more blown parts. By the way, I have read of E. Fernihough's death and perhaps I can offer a reason for him running off the road that day. I have several times had similar experiences caused by a side wind of only two - three mph. If one is traveling at over 180 mph as on most occasions with me, the bike steers over to one side but I start to steer it back at once. But I have had it go 12 feet over the outside of the black line before getting it back to the center of the track. This I have known to take about a mile from start of swerve to be back on center of track. If this were on a road of course there is no chance of survival.

The first shell I took with me to Bonneville in 1962. It was the second I had built. The first one, of aluminum, was too hard to ride, too neat a fit and I had a great difficulty shifting the gears. I modified it and used it as a mold for shell number two of fiberglass. I had my first run on it at Bonneville in 1962, and was ordered to have a test run with the officials following in a car. It just veered from side to side at all speeds. I said to myself, "I may as well ship it back home, they will never let me run a thing like this." When they came up with me they said, "It handles ok." I said, "What!" They repeated it handled good.

Well for the next five or six years I had some of the worst out-of-control rides on record. The worst was for five miles late in 1962 when in an effort to stop wheel-spin at 160 mph I built a 60 lb. lead brick and bolted it in front of rear wheel. By the time I got to the three mile marker the top of the shell was swerving five feet and wheel marks were five inches wide and snaking 30 inches every 200 yards, when we measured it later. Well, when you figure you can only die on the next skid you try anything. So I wound it "all-on" for another one and a half miles. Then, when I found out it would go on like that forever, I rolled it back out and got it stopped. When the gang arrived and found me laughing and asked me the joke, I said I was happy to still be alive. The cure is to sit up and let the body strike the air. This shifts the center of pressure back behind center of gravity. I learned this the hard way. The lead brick should have been in front of the front wheel and shell higher off the ground. At the rear, the air packed under the tail and lifted weight off rear wheel, thus caused wheel spin.

More specs. I have mods in the clutch. The standard Raybestos plates are long gone and I have 17 standard steel plates, hardened and ground. I fit 24 standard clutch springs giving a pressure of 1360 lbs. on the pressure plate, and the standard thrust race and withdrawal screw haul this free for freeing and gear changing. I have a left hand lever and wire to operating arm and a small fort assist lever on the clutch worm shaft. I only use this for low gear engagement during test runs without the shell. Over the years I made four chain drives having finally ground helical teeth off the clutch body and filed out 46 half inch pitch teeth by hand and now run a three-row chain on a 22 tooth engine sprocket and still the 46 tooth clutch sprocket. This, Reynolds in London, told me 15 years ago, would be impossible and would never work but it has run for the last 35 years or so, in 10 SAE oil. The gearbox is original but I was unable to get a new sliding dog. On a visit to an old acquaintance in Sydney in 1948, he had bought out Mr. Biden's stock on Indian parts. I bought a set of 1916 Power Plus Indian gears, lay shaft cluster and sliding dog. The cluster I shortened to 3/8" and have run on these for the past 22 years.

Cylinders I usually make from very old city gasworks pipe, cast-iron condemned because of very large pits. I manage to get short lengths without too deep marks and because of the thickness, about 1/2" to 5/8", I have enough thickness for a base. The barrels are old pistons melted in a small pot on the two-gallon can furnace I use for melting-down to make pistons. The muff casting I turndown in the Myford lathe bore undersize then heat-up with a blowlamp and drop onto the liners. Pistons I redesign every year and make about half a dozen or so and take them with me to the U.S. for spares. Some years I have used every one and even welded up burned-out ones. When Jim Enz and his wife wanted to help me with fuel I said I would like to try alcohol and they brought me five gallons of the best brand, Mickey Thompson alcohol. Boy, it sure was the best piston burner! I guess it had Nitro or TNT in it. Every run, the pistons vaporized. No alloy heads on my heap.

Carburetor is 1924 Indian Chief. I have sawn a cut full length on top of it, bent it out and welded a piece of brass in the gap and ran it in normal position with a T shape manifold made from 1 3/8" steel tubing. I have turned five carbs for my bike since 1927 when I swapped the Schebler H for a Schebler De Luxe. All the others I have tuned and modified have been Schebler De Luxes as fitted to Indians made later than mine.

This year since arriving home from the U.S. five months ago, I have put in 560 hours on the Munro Special. The main jobs were two new alloy rods - two weeks, two new cylinders and barrels - one week, eight new pistons (and much work on old dies for the same) - three weeks. I am making two new sets of cams for this year. Making a 180-degree Bosch mag into a 42-degree by making a new brass cam ring. From an old ball race I made the two magneto cams, filed and timed accurately then quenched in oil. As this 20-year-old magneto rotated backwards I had to make up a drive different from the standard. This I finally got working by taking out the two idler pinions, and fitting a big cam wheel from a late model Indian. This has four teeth more than my engine and by cutting 1/8" off the base of mag and cutting into the cases a little and jamming it back and boring new holes and tapping-out the same, I finally got the drive fixed. I also made a movable shaft to run the large pinion on and thus I get a close tooth adjustment.


Since finishing the above I have been testing at the beach. I have been out 17 times and had 11 blow-ups. This consisted of mostly broken pistons of older designs. I was testing out a steel rod and a new carb I had made in the last two or three years. I ran it on 20 to 1 to test the rod, then built better pistons and ran three in it, one after the other, until I had one that would stand-up to 13 to 1 compression. As soon as I lowered the compression to 13, the rod which had stood-up to all the broken pistons finally shattered the top end when I was accelerating hard in top gear at 5,500 rpm. I tore it down. The new piston was in many pieces, pin broken in half, cylinder scored, split at the skirt and hammered out wedge shape and locked in the cases. One rocker arm was broken, one twisted, one push rod broken, one buckled. Other breaks were the cam follower I had made from magnesium four or five years ago, another rocker and pushrods bent and both valves bent. Development goes on all the time and has been full-time these last 22 years. I would like to make another DOCH set up. I still have the one I made and ran in quarter mile grass track races about 1951. This was fitted on the front cylinder. The rear cylinder was blanked off. It was just an exercise as everyone was talking double knockers at the time. It is only lately that I have had ideas to try to fit up one for the rear as well, but have so far failed to get the time needed for this project.

I pulled the head off this morning and am now starting to make two new rods from a DC6 propeller. I hope to find it strong enough. It was sent to me from Auckland, as I cannot get the 70-70 or 20-24 alloy in New Zealand. I like to improve my cam design every year, carbs (just finished a new one yesterday), conrods, pistons and sometimes valves and guides when they wear a little, and of course the cylinders.

About photos, I had many over the last 40 years but most early ones were lost when my fairly new house burned down over 25 years ago. I will have a look round. Most are stuck in books and are not available. I will see if I can get a photo of the engine but if I can't get this posted this afternoon, it will be another four days gone. I have had a quick look round but things are all over the place. I have found these two. They give a view of engine and hope it will help with these notes. It is almost impossible for me to give you a true picture of the time I have spent on my cycles. The last 22 years have been full-time and for one stretch of 10 years I put in 16 hours every day, except Christmas when I took the afternoon off.

I have a berth on the SS P&O Oriana for the U.S. on June 15th but will not go if I cannot pass the doctor.
I am yours sincerely,
H. J. (Burt) Munro

After Burt did his 8-9 or trips to Bonneville, they changed the rules for a fairing (enclosed) motorcycle. I wouldn't doubt it if his records stand forever.

Actually there are a lot of 1000 cc opened wheel bikes that have gone faster then his record, but they are not in his class. For example one of the Amo brothers went 240 mph on a open wheeled 1000cc Kawaski. That same motor in a streamliner could yield a number over 250 mph and maybe closer to 275 mph. His class is S-F 1000cc which is streamliner/fuel and he went 183.586 in August of 1967.

A lot of people say his record is cursed and you are just throwin money away chasing it. I have a friend who built a streamliner and went after that record after he broke the record in the gas class which he set at 179.xxx mph. He qualified for the record at over 200 mph if I am not mistaken and on the back up run he crashed at 217 mph and did not get the record. The streamliner sidecar record set last year is 198 mph.

I have heard of others who have qualified over the record and I mean way over the record and on the back-up run blew up the motor.

So maybe it is a cursed record, there are a few of them that racers talk about...........this is the one the bike guys speak of............

The new rules actually are against Burt and his record versus for him. They cosidered his bike a streamliner and by todays standards he is at a big disadvantage.


Scott

Good post Bob.......Burt was quite a persistent fellow for sure!:):):):)

I love that movie! It's most definitely in my collection!

After seeing this thread, I picked up a copy of the film and watched it. I can honestly say this is in the top 3 of my all time favorite movies. Simply a phenomenal movie. And I am not just saying it because it is about a motorcycle. The entire story line is awesome. Anthony Hopkins pulled this off perfectly, like he usually does. He nailed Burt Munro perfectly.

Finally got to watch this movie this last weekend and all I can say is what everyone else has already said, "It is a MUST SEE!". I had heard bits and pieces of the Burt Munro story prior and have to say that the movie and Anthony Hopkins did a great job of portraiting his life from what I had previously heard.

As I was growing up and getting into drag and street cars first, I hung around a guy who really reminds me of Burt. He always had to try to go fast of a shoestring budget but he never let that hold him back. His humor was even exactly like that portrait of Burt in the movie. So this movie took me back to those days in my friends garage wrenching on his Nova and listening to all his incredibly humorous one liner lifes lessons.

If you still have not seen this movie, buy it, rent it, do whatever it takes, but spend the couple of hours and watch this incredible salute to a man and his dream.