Lee Munro Blasts to New Speed Record on Indian Scout
Rennie Scaysbrook | July 20, 2017
50 years after Burt Munro set an Under 1000cc class speed record of 183.59mph at Bonneville on his Indian Scout, his great nephew Lee Munro has set a new 1350cc class ‘Modified Partial Streamliner—Gas’ class record of 186.861mph at El Mirage in California.
Using the Spirit of Munro 50th anniversary 2017 Indian Scout, Munro made the run as a shakedown to the official Bonneville Speed Week trials in August, where Indian Motorcycle will be hosting a large celebration to commemorate Burt’s run that’s gone into motorcycling folklore and immortalized in the Anthony Hopkins film, The World’s Fastest Indian.
“They’re not going to let any monkey on a bike twist a throttle without proving that,” Lee said to 1NEWS. “You’ve to prove your salt. The bike moves around a little bit but the Indian was pretty well planted, it didn’t give me any reason to worry that it wasn’t stable. The engine’s so strong, the chassis is so stable—it felt like I was riding on a street on a well-built road bike—nothing scary.
“Everybody’s been coming up to me and they associate me with Burt and what he accomplished on his Indian, and it’s quite a special feeling. I’ve been told ‘get used to being recognized, boy, because it’s about to happen’. I’m real proud, I’m very, very proud to be able to carry the name.”
Two more records were broken by Indian riders at El Mirage, with Indian Engine Calibration technician Chet Michaelson breaking the 150mph record in the 2000cc MPS-G category (Modified-Pushrod Gasoline), going 154.132mph on a 2015 Indian Chief Classic. And Dan Gervais, Senior Engine Calibration Technician at Indian Motorcycle, broke the M-G (Modified-Gasoline) 1350cc class record of 153mph by going 154.354mph on a 2015 Indian Scout.
“Motorcycling is about shedding boundaries and limitations to go beyond the norm and there is no better example of that than Burt Munro,” said Indian Motorcycle Marketing Director Reid Wilson. “Driven by unparalleled determination and a legendary passion for the pursuit, Burt Munro embodies the spirit of Indian Motorcycle and we couldn’t be prouder to honor his legacy with an updated version of his historic record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in August.”
