This record still stands; Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record. From then on record after record flew Burts way. Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile. In America, he was talked into trying new fuel for his Indian nitro based fuel, which was quite common at that time. Burt nearly left his family in 1940 for the Second World War. He had burnt his leg on the exhaust pipe. In the same year of 1951 Burt raced at the NZ Open Beach Championship on December 8 at Oreti Beach. According to his friends Burt was still disappointed as he had wanted to prove that his Indian could go 200 mph. Therefore racers had to qualify as high-speed racers and undergo a pre-race check in order to be allowed to run for. When the Kiwi returned to the base, he was surprised to hear that he had indeed broken the record for 55cu inch displacement (883cc) bikes with a speed of 178.971 mph. In 1975 he broke another record with an average speed of 136.15mph on the New Zealand beach, for the first time in four years. Then it got serious. Well never forget him., Burt Munro Permission Munro Family Collection, You can live more in five minutes on a motorcycle in some of these events Ive been in than some people do in a lifetime., Ive always been working on my bike even when it blows into hundreds of pieces I just wade in again and start all over again. Indian Summers, Sunday Star Times, November 14. Replica of Burts 1920 Indian, on which he broke the land speed record at TePapa Wikipedia. [10] Burt Munro, 1967, in his fireproof pants in Bonneville Permission Munro Family Collection. Burt knew his Indian could go higher; he just had to prove it. The Salt Flat Speed Week always had a lot of willing participants waiting to compete. This time nothing seemed to help and the Indian was running comparably slow, so Burt decided to say goodbye to 1968 and try again in 1969. Even though he recovered well, Burt Munro passed away in January 1978 and left behind his four children and many grandchildren. After the success of 'The World's Fastest Indian,' the Southland Motorcycle Club created the Burt Munro Challenge, which began in 2006. They have four children together, a son John and three daughters June, Margaret, and Gwen. From 1963 until 1966 Burt spent his time modifying his Indian and travelling back and forth between America and New Zealand by ship. Burt Munros Indian at the Salt Flats stripped of its streamliner shell Permission Richard Menzies, Burt Munro with his 1936 Velocette- Permission Munro Family Collection. He was a member of a motorcycle club and attended club events regularly. Burt lived and worked in his shed. Burt was responsible for truck maintenance and the mechanics of the business, whilst Mac worked on the accounting and business side. He found his co-ordination had diminished. . Florence Beryl Martyn (m. 1927; div. At the outbreak of the First World War, he intended to go to war as soon as he was old enough, for a chance to see the world. Burt Munros income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. The New Zealander was not too familiar with the race course, which is why on that return run, he got confused by the now descending mileage boards. Theres a lot of famous names at the museum, but hes the only New Zealander here. [2], In its final stages, the Indian's displacement was 950cc (as built it was 600cc) and was driven by a triple chain drive system. That blocked his vision and Burt lost his sense of direction. It was in 1920 that Burt bought the motorbike love of his life his Indian, which he would ride until his death in 1978. Unfortunately, his twin sister died at birth, and Burt himself was not expected to live beyond the age of two. I have been called a super-enthusiast, working on my bike for so many years I think if a things worth doing, its worth finishing if you can. Again he could not repair the bike in time to have a go at the record 24 hours later. He had a stillborn twin sister. He had accomplished and done what he had wanted. Munro rode a 'Douglas' until he could afford a British-built 'Clyno' with a sidecar, which he later sold to a blacksmith. Stopping was out of the question for Burt. He goes out and blows up an engine and it keeps him busy for weeks hes very happy, he really is.. In eleven record attempting trips to the National Speed Week, the Kiwi broke three world records on his Indian motorcycle one of which still stands today. When my friends got down there I was laughing like hell and they wanted to know what I was laughing at. The bike was shaking at his tremendous speed of 200 mph. [10] Munro's father was a farmer and owned a farm in Invercargill. His story is one of punching above his weight, taking on the world, and coming out on top. Munro travelled to Bonneville ten times, the first time for "sightseeing" purposes. Nobody knew what had happened when Burt didnt return to the starting line. Wherever he went people seemed to be fascinated by the fast New Zealander and his unique approach to life. Login to find your connection. It was also the biggest domestically produced film in New Zealand. If you dont put an effort in at anything you might as well be a vegetable.. This, however, did not remain the only obstacle the fastest Kiwi had to face as many of Burts friends recall inter alia George Begg in his book Burt Munro: Indian legend of speed. After the success of The Worlds Fastest Indian, the Southland Motorcycle Club created the Burt Munro Challenge, which began in 2006. Ian Johnston, another one of the kids who spent his time at Burts shed told Roger Donaldson: I always had confidence in Burt and thought of him as the nicest, kindest man in the world. Herbert Burt James Munro was born in 1899 in Invercargill in Southland NZ. Give it whatever it takes, but do it. In the nine times he raced at Bonneville,[9] Munro set three world records: in 1962, in 1966 and in 1967. The accidental death of his older brother at the age of 13 had a profound effect on his life. Munro and Florence Beryl Martyn were married in 1927 and had four children, June, Margaret, Gwen and John. This time things went surprisingly smoothly and Burt broke the record for the highest speed ever recorded by any timing apparatus at Bonneville or anywhere else for the Indian Munro Special with 190.06 mph. He had made many friends on his 14 visits to the Bonneville Speed Week. He turned the 600 cc displacement 'Indian' into a 950 cc vehicle with a triple-chain drive system. He knew, however, that repairing his bike would be costly. She was the daughter of Frederick Martyn and Florence Richardson. The story goes that in the qualifying run for that 1967 record Munro clocked 305.89km/h. Used parts of motorbikes were lined up on a shelf, which he called Offerings to the God of Speed. When she landed she got into a speed wobble () I knew she wouldnt take the bend () I didnt want to die till the end of the race at least, so I jumped off the back and let her go Burt wrote in his scrapbooks. Burt Munro was born on 25 March 1899 in Invercargill, New Zealand. The film stars Anthony Hopkins . However, it was against the local building codes. In addition to Roger Donaldsons acclaimed movie The Worlds Fastest Indian, Burt Munro has been honoured with many exhibitions in New Zealand museums such as TePapa and the Southland Museum & Art Gallery. Famous Burt Munro was born on March 25, 1899 in New Zealand. Munro was 68 years old at the time. ", In March 2013, Indian Motorcycle announced that it was producing a custom-built streamliner named the Spirit of Munro. Munro set numerous land speed records for motorcycles with engines less than 1,000 cc at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the late 1950s and into the 1960s. With a big chuckle Burt replied Yeah, gives the tea a nice taste of titanium, doesnt it?. The Burt Munro story. Knight, Kim (2004). When Australia was struck by the Great Depression in 1929 Burt and his family had to return to New Zealand. In one of the qualifying runs, he made a one-way record run of 190.07 mph, which was the fastest officially recorded speed on an Indian. His unofficial speed record (but officially timed) was of 205.67 mph for a flying mile. Florence Beryl Munro formerly Martyn Born 11 Sep 1908 in Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria Daughter of Richard Fredrick Martyn and Florence Emmaline (Richardson) Martyn Sister of Nelson Fredrick Martyn, Dulcie Joan Victoria Martyn, Sibyl Edith (Martyn) Bryant and Richard John Martyn This record still stands; Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record. Together the couple sailed to Australia where his daughter June was born (Rose Bay, Australia . Please leave a comment wed love to hear your thoughts. 0 . Working from his home in Invercargill, he spent 20 years highly modifying his 1920 Indian motorcycle that he had bought that same year. Following several small jobs such as working at the waterfront or sawmill for instance, he went into partnership with one of his acquaintances: Mac Tulloch from Mataura. Also Known As: Herbert James Munro Died At Age: 78 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Florence Martyn Born Country: New Zealand Motorcycle Racers New Zealand Men Died on: January 6, 1978 place of death: Invercargill, New Zealand Diseases & Disabilities: Angina Recommended Lists: New Zealander Celebrities Male Sportspersons New Zealander Sportspersons Aries Men However, he was unable to turn the Indian quickly as it did not have proper brakes. This record still stands; Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record. Burt Munro at Bonneville with his 1920 Indian Scout based streamliner in 1967 It's worth noting that the two-way average speed calculation on the original 1967 record certificate was. They had four children: John, June, Margaret, and Gwen. memorial page for Burt Munro (25 Mar 1899-6 Jan 1978), Find a Grave Memorial ID 13731724, citing Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill, Invercargill City, Southland , New Zealand . Herbert James "Burt" Munro ( Bert in his youth; 25 March 1899 - 6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville, 26 August 1967. Following the call for volunteers he went down to the drill to attend medical examinations which were part of the selection process. Burt lived in Invercargill. Burt wanted to build with a height of seven feet as otherwise he would have to pay for extra heating. Burt Munro was born in 1899 to William Munro, a farmer and Lily Agnes Robinson in Invercargill. In 1957 he left New Zealand again to travel to the famous salt flats at Bonneville, Utah in the United States. 1945 was also the year that the Munros family home went up in flames when Burt was in hospital himself recovering from three degree burns from an accident. dacans() . Still stopping was no option. Contents Burt munro s 1920 indian scout He is buried at Invercargill's Eastern Cemetery, with his parents and brother. He died on 6 January 1978 in New Zealand. Taking life easy did not mean, however, that Burt stopped riding his motorbikes. Sell, Bronwyn & Sheehy, Christine (2014). Munro also qualified at over 200 mph but was not registered, as it was an unofficial run. He had no idea how his run had been and had to fix up his bike before he could go for the return run. Just like on his previous runs, he lostorientation. Unfortunately it seemed that Burts luck had not returned fully when in his second qualifying run the Indians clutch gave him grief. Discover Burt Munro's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. From then on the travel bug had truly bitten Burt. [11], Burt Munro was the subject of a 2005 film, The World's Fastest Indian, based on a composite of his Bonneville speed runs. [1], Munro remained on the family farm until the end of the First World War, when his father sold the farm. AKA Herbert James Munro. His requests got declined, which is why Burt settled for a single car garage where he lived and worked from then on. He purchased his first motorcycle at the age of 15 and had his first Indian Scout in 1920 - the bike he would continue to modify (with his own custom made unique parts) for the rest of his life. Herbert James 'Burt' Munro ( Bert in his youth; 25 March 1899 - 6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville, 26 August 1967. Burt Munro, known as the fastest man from New Zealand, became internationally known for the records he broke at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the 1960s. Luckily he got help quickly and after securing a wheel and cleaning his goggles he was ready to go back. He lived in the garage which always smelled of engine oil. This film depicts a determined old man who, despite facing many difficulties, travels from New Zealand to the USA to test run his motorcycle west of the Great Salt Lake. With the additional time spent to modify his bikes, he quickly got back into serious competitions. Random House, New Zealand. Get Full Access to Martyn's Info . In 1915 the farms horses were not enough anymore. Burt Munro Challenge Rally: 8 th February - 12 th February 2023. Having suffered from angina since the late 1950s, Munro . To make a flywheel he cut a coin-sized slice from a hydraulic ram, and used a steam-driven hammer to flatten it out to about 180mm diameter He made high-speed tyres by carving the treads off factory-made racing tyres.. His grandfather was from northern Scotland and later settled in Invercargill. We couldnt find Burt anywhere he was nowhere in sight. The raw material Munro used for the modifications had unique sources. Burt married Florence Beryl Martyn in 1927 and they had four children. Munro ended up losing his coordination. Burt was the second child of four children. In 1967, 68-year-old New Zealand native Burt Munro made motorcycle history by setting a new official land speed record - 184.087 mph with unofficial top speed of 205.67 mphwhen he raced his heavily modified 1920 Indian Scout Streamliner across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, U.S.A. Earlier this year, Baume & Mercier announced their partnership with Indian Motorcycle. During Speed Week, usually in mid-late August, vehicle enthusiasts from around the world gather at Bonneville. In eleven record attempting trips to the National Speed Week, the Kiwi broke three world records on his Indian motorcycle - one of which still stands today. Florence Beryl Watson . Williams, Tony (2006). In 2006 the legend of motorcycle speed demon was entered to be eternally remembered in America in the Americanbased Motorcycle Hall of Fame. At the time the council had a stipulated minimum stud height of eight feet in a domestic dwelling, as described in Tim Hannas One Good Run: The Legend of Burt Munro. He was a resourceful, unconventional motorcycle racer, who constantly pushed his bikes to new speeds, a traveller with many friends around the globe and a curious explorer. Family (1) Spouse Florence Beryl Martyn (1927 - 6 January 1978) (his death) (4 children) Trivia (2) Had four children: John, June, Margaret, and Gwen. From then on it was clear to him that he wanted to produce a blockbuster movie to honour the Kiwis life work and his belief that If its hard, work harder; if its impossible, work harder still. John has also patented many of his inventions, such as an innovative way of insulating the underground water pipes and control systems for school boiler houses. Discover how the spirit of Burt Munro lives on, as Indian take to the Bonneville Flats. Written January 24, 2020. Again he was lucky: No one seemed to have realized and Burt got the permission to start, qualifying as a high speed bike with 174.75mph. He grew up in Edendale, east of Invercargill. Florence Margaret Preston (born Munro) was born on month day 1905, at birth place. A storm made a race impossible and caused the Speed Week to be delayed. Typical for Burt, he waited until he felt better and then simply kept on driving according to his friend Marty. [2], The "Munro Special," as Munro called his bike, is now owned by Neville Hayes, in New Zealand's South Island, and is on display at E Hayes & Sons, Invercargill. Burt Munro: The Lost Interviews is published by Penguin Random House, RRP $35. He was also fond of riding the fastest horse of his family across the farm, much to his father's resentment. The company said the Spirit of Munro Scout was a tribute to Munro's achievements with the Indian Scout and to all Indians of old. Bored of his mundane life on the farm, Munro showed interest in going to war in the wake of the First World War. 1957-ben Munro nevt helytelenl rtk be egy amerikai motorkerkpr-magazinban, s ezt kveten neve Burt" lett. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. The burn itself was not reason enough for Burt to stop though. Since the late 1950s, Munro had been suffering from angina. An entry of the Invercargill City Council in 1924 shows Burt already was testing the speed limits when he was caught driving on the North Road at a greater speed than 15 miles per hour. Angus Edward "Burt" Munro, born 1876 Angus Edward Munro was born in 1876, at birth place, to John Munro and Alice Elizabeth Munro (born Thring). There are two types of Rally Site passes available for purchase; both give you access to the Rally Site, with the option to purchase entry to ALL six racing events, or selected racing events. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 79 years old group. Burt married Florence Martyn. thank you for choosing me as your brand ambassador The Attorney And Legal Resource For Auctions And Auctioneers In 1925, Burt married a woman named Florence Beryl Martyn. Burt on his Indian qualified with an incredible 190.06 mph. He broke the National Speed record 61 cu inch 1000 class with an average speed of 168.066 mph. With a speed of 178.971 mph (55cu inch 883 class) Burt broke his first record on the Salt Flats in 1962; in 1966 he set a new National Speed Record with 168.066 mph (61 cu inch 1000 class) and in 1967 with 68 years of age, he broke his final US record with 184.087 mph. He was previously married to Florence Beryl Martyn. His occupations were Solicitor and Solicitor. In 1967 Burt found that he was ready: It was time again to travel to America. [1], After the Second World War, Munro and his wife divorced, and he subsequently gave up work to reside in a lock-up garage.[6]. Its pretty amazing, quite a privilege said Burts son John when he was told about the honour. [5], Munro's interest in speed began at an early age, riding the family's fastest horse across the farm, despite the complaints of his father.