Cant wait to see the new flick about Burt Monroe! This guy was a legend from down in the deepest darkest reaches of the south island. Invercargill. The most southern city on the planet. I,ve heard a few cool stories about this old guy, mostly from the older dudes that used to race bikes with us at the local track. All seemed inspired by this chap and raced bikes well into thier 60's and a couple of them even older. Nice old Nortons, Mitesse Triumphs, BSA gold stars and the like.
Burt Monroe decided that he could take his 1920 Indian motorcycle to Bonneville salt flats and clean up. He built a streamliner body for it, changed the framework and hoted the motor. One guy told me that he used to make his own pistons. Out of old Cat dozer con rods! The guy work at getting more speed from his bike from 1926- 1970. Averaging 3 1/4 mph every year for 44 years. At one stage was having trouble with wheelspin at 160 mph.
He went on to break records. Huge speeds. One pass at over 200mph. This out of an 1926 Indian!!
Kiwi enguinuity. Great stuff. Should be a good film. Some of it was film right here in my home town, Timaru. The harbour scences I think. And a lot was shot in Invercargill as well.
Check it out... Tim
