Burt Munro bought his Indian Scout in 1920 and kept modifying it for the rest of his life. A 1936 Velocette later joined it in his workshop. His record-setting career began in New Zealand; in 1962, he travelled on a tight budget to compete on America’s Bonneville Salt Flats.
Munro made many components himself, including cylinders, pistons and flywheels. Through successive rebuilds, the Scout’s original 600 cc engine grew to 950 cc. This was gradual development: one motorcycle became a long-running engineering project instead of being replaced by a newer model.
In 1967, aged 68, Munro set a record in the under-1,000 cc class with his streamlined motorcycle. His story combines two roles: rider and builder, the person who made the components and then found out what they could do in competition.
Munro’s original Indian is now in the E Hayes Motorworks Collection in Invercargill, inside a working hardware store. The collection is free to view during shop opening hours. A motorcycle surrounded by tools and other machinery is a fitting reminder of the workshop origins of his achievement.