Indian Motorcycle is celebrating Burt Munro’s induction into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame. Munro, one of land speed racing’s most recognized names, spent decades chasing speed records that still stand today.
Born and raised in Invercargill, New Zealand, Munro built his reputation the hard way. “You live more in five minutes on a bike like this going flat out than some people live in a lifetime,” he once said. For decades he worked on his 1920 Indian Scout in his garage, turning it into the machine that would eventually set three world records at Bonneville.
In 1967, at age 68, Munro set an under-1,000cc record of 184.087 mph — a record that still stands.
Aaron Jax, Vice President of Indian Motorcycle, says Munro’s story has shaped how the brand sees itself.
Gary Gray, Vice President of Racing, Technology, and Service for Indian Motorcycle, says Munro’s legacy still shapes the brand’s racing program.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame inducts figures who’ve left a lasting mark on motorcycling. Munro joined the museum’s 2023 class of inductees.
Munro never set out to be enshrined anywhere — he just wanted to go faster than the record book said was possible. In 1967, at 68 years old, he did exactly that, and the number he set has outlasted him by decades.
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