Challenges and Burt Munro

by John Stumpner

As long as engines have existed, people have been trying to make them and the vehicles they power go faster. Racing vehicles and setting speed records are challenges that require a lot of time and money. Most often, vehicle manufacturers, with lots of money and trained mechanics, are the biggest participants in racing. Having the best and fastest are great advertisements to help car, truck, and of course, motorcycle sales.

The money and equipment requirements to make things go really fast are often too much for most individuals. But a person, even of modest means, can often accomplish great things through grit and determination. History is full of examples of bikers that have met these challenges and become famous for their accomplishments. One such example is a motorcycle racer from New Zealand named Burt Munro.

Burt Munro was born in 1899 and raised on a farm in New Zealand. At an early age, he became interested in seeing how fast he could go. Often, terrifying his parents, he would see how fast he could go on the fastest horses on the farm. Later, when cars and motorcycles came to New Zealand, Burt became keenly interested in the new vehicles and seeing how fast he could make them go. A poor farm boy doesn’t have a whole lot of money to put into vehicles though. Burt managed to find work on a tunnel construction project and buy a motorcycle, a 1920 Indian Scout.

Of course, Burt wanted to make the Scout go faster. As made, the 1920 Indian Scout had a top speed of about 55 miles per hour. So, in 1926, Burt started making modifications to the bike. He faced many challenges though. He worked full time as a professional motorcycle racer, salesman and mechanic, and would occasionally have to return to help his parents on the farm. This limited the amount of time he had to work on his own motorcycles, so he would often stay up all night to work on his bikes. He never had a lot of money, so he would often make his own parts and tools. He even made a micrometer, a type of precision measuring tool, out of an old spoke.

Starting in the 1950’s, Burt started making the long trip overseas to the Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah. In a total of nine trips to Bonneville with his now highly modified Indian Scout, Burt set speed records three times, including one record of over 180 miles per hour in 1967 that still stands. At that time, the Scout had been around for 47 years, and Burt was 67 years old.

Burt Munro is an example of a biker that rose to the challenge. In spite of his limited time and money, he was able to accomplish things that many richer people can only dream about. In addition to his records, Burt has many memorials in the motorcycling world and in New Zealand. Burt is, of course, in the American Motorcycle Association Hall of Fame. New Zealand has a six-day motorcycle racing event every year called the Burt Munro Challenge.

Ensuring the future of biker’s rights, motorcycling and freedom of the road is a challenge met by ABATE of Wisconsin. As part of that group, the Junior Patriots are also helping meet that challenge.
John