Worlds Fastest Indian

[jguzzi]

We have all probably seen this at least once but it is free on youtube right now....I always enjoy it and then go for a fast right down a local 4 lane with half helmet and goggles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fK1pZ38lqw

[Kiwi_Roy]

Not in Canada it's not, just as well I have the CD

[oldbike54]

 There was something strange about the distribution contracts for the movie , it showed for one day here in Muskogee , and was gone . Had planned on seeing it in the theater , no luck . No doubt it is a brilliant movie , Hopkins got to show his comedic chops a little .

 Dusty

[Kiwi_Roy]

I never met Burt Munro, he was down at the bottom of the South Island but we used to hear stories about him.
Hopkins did a great job of playing an eccentric old Kiwi, I could recognise some of the ones I know in his portrayal.

[Huzo]

He didn’t let the grass grow under his feet with that lady on the farm. He’s no slouch in the boudoir either..
World’s fastest Kiwi...

[bassa99]

This is the only movie I cried while watching. The scene when the other racers pitched in money for him got me. Still does as I type now.
Classic film.

[steven c]

 If you can get the DVD the movie is great,but on the DVD you have interviews and film of Munro I like it as much as the movie.

[PeteS]

We saw one of the Premiers in Rochester a few weeks before it was released to the public. The other was in New York City. Dianne Ladd (old lady on the farm) did the presentation. It was held in the Dryden theater which is on George Eastman’s old estate. A smaller theater probably 2/3rds filled with bikers. I also have the DVD and worth having for the extra content with Burt.

Pete

[LowRyter]

The DVD contains the original documentary as well as the Hopkin's movie.   For sure it's worth a pick up at the bargain bin and is a keeper.

[Daniel Kalal]

We have all probably seen this at least once

I watched the opening when I was in Auckland, New Zealand.  That was especially fun because there were quite a number of people in the audience who were in the movie--or were somehow connected with it, so there were frequent call-outs during some scenes as people identified themselves or people they knew as the otherwise ignored actors in the crowd scenes.  Naturally, the movie received a loud ovation from that crowd.

here's the lobby of the theater complex in Auckland; a large multilevel thing.

[mobiker]

Such a great movie. I bought the DVD. I've loaned it out several times. Even the non-gearheads, both male and female, have enjoyed it. My favorite part is when he's putting shoe polish in the cracks of his tires 

[Zenermaniac]

I’ve watched it several times. Still my favorite movie.

[randy yocum]

I was at a MGNOC national rally I think it was in Elkader Iowa that year, the same  year the movie came out,  someone connected to the rally was able to commander the local movie theater to show the film for all the rally goers ,The theater was packed with Moto Guzzi club members only , which was very cool... I never seen the film before so it was pretty exciting . Still one of my top 5 favorite movies...

[Muzz]

Many years ago there was a doco shown here.  At one stage as they were heading towards Bonneville they blundered into a restricted military zone.  Things were getting tense with armed military police, especially when they saw a camera in operation.  One of them asked what was under the tarpaulin.  When told it was a bike one of them whipped the cover off, took one look, instantly knew who it was, invited them back to base and gave them all a right royal reception.

I still find it quite sad that an MP in the middle of nowhere can recognise Burt's Indian while, until at least until the film was released, many kiwis simply didn't know who Burt Munro was and what he achieved.

Sad he was never named Sportsman of the Year here.

[cliffrod]

It is a bummer that he wasn't embraced or recognized more substantially at home at the time.  the fact that he did what he did regardless of that makes his story even more relatable to many who try to do the similar things.  Essentially doing it for & by yourself no matter what, especially on a motorcycle, really resonates with me. 

It's one of my favorite movies, period.  I really appreciate the mechanical aspect of the movie being very realistic, not typical made-up bs by some writer or director who knows nothing about engines or machines.  I did a small steel sculpture of his streamliner a few years ago for the local AMCA chapter, named the Legends chapter in honor of the legendary Burt Munro,  He is their icon, inspiration, mascot, whatever.

[LesP]

It is a bummer that he wasn't embraced or recognized more substantially at home at the time. 

Its not really like that in New Zealand, he just did some stuff and it worked out, remembering he was at the other end of the country in the days of lesser communications.
There was no television until mid 1960 which were expensive and powered by steam so only for the fancy folk.

The guy who built/flew a plane before the Wright brothers was no different, have a crack and off he went for a bit. I think a gorse bush cushioned the landing.

[Muzz]

I
The guy who built/flew a plane before the Wright brothers was no different, have a crack and off he went for a bit. I think a gorse bush cushioned the landing.

Richard Pearse, farmer and inventor.

[Daniel Kalal]

The guy who built/flew a plane

I took this photo of the (it is claimed) very accurate replica in the Auckland Museum.  I've no doubt that the builder was a fun guy to have a drink with, but unfortunately, there's no way this thing ever flew.  I'm not sure it'd even be able to move on the ground under its own power as it had a pretty weak engine and it looks really heavy (plenty of steel).  Having small, flat wings (with no airfoil shape at all) might have kept it from flipping over in a breeze, so that's a good thing.  This replica was was said to have flown, too, but witnesses were not available, unfortunately, and I gather they decided not to try it again.  A museum is probably the safest place for it.  By the way, there's a museum in Kansas with the worlds very first helicopter on display (also, built by a farmer).  Sadly, there's just no way it could ever have flown.

[JC85]

Been one of my favorites since I first saw it, years ago. I hadn't watched it in years, until this thread came up. Still love it. I also just came across this fun interview about him: https://youtu.be/HjQxQTAlxpg

[oldbike54]

I took this photo of the (it is claimed) very accurate replica in the Auckland Museum.  I've no doubt that the builder was a fun guy to have a drink with, but unfortunately, there's no way this thing ever flew.  I'm not sure it'd even be able to move on the ground under its own power as it had a pretty weak engine and it looks really heavy (plenty of steel).  Having small, flat wings (with no airfoil shape at all) might have kept it from flipping over in a breeze, so that's a good thing.  This replica was was said to have flown, too, but witnesses were not available, unfortunately, and I gather they decided not to try it again.  A museum is probably the safest place for it.  By the way, there's a museum in Kansas with the worlds very first helicopter on display (also, built by a farmer).  Sadly, there's just no way it could ever have flown.

 The French guy was probably the first to get airborne , the Wrights were probably the first to achieve controlled flight .

 I've seen the Kansas Helo , you are correct , it can't fly 

 Dusty

[LowRyter]

That looks like Chuck's new plane!

[Rough Edge racing]

The French guy was probably the first to get airborne , the Wrights were probably the first to achieve controlled flight .

 I've seen the Kansas Helo , you are correct , it can't fly 

 Dusty

Controlled flight is what made the Wright's a success. What you might expect from bicycle riders with a hands on approach..Their aircraft was as light as possible, a 200 pound engine that was only expected to run for a very brief time with only as much power as needed...Brilliant thinking for the time...

[Huzo]

a 200 pound engine that was only expected to run for a very brief time with only as much power as needed.

Sounds like most Guzzi’s..

[larrys]

Controlled flight is what made the Wright's a success. What you might expect from bicycle riders with a hands on approach..Their aircraft was as light as possible, a 200 pound engine that was only expected to run for a very brief time with only as much power as needed...Brilliant thinking for the time...

Then there is Gustav Whitehead. Claimed to have achieved controlled, powered flight before Orville and Wilbur.
Larry

[Rough Edge racing]

 World's Fastest Indian. ? How about the world's fastest Triumph. At least in land speed racing modified production pushrod gas class. The 650 Triumph I built from a pile of parts was the first  naked frame 650 pushrod production based bike to set a speed record over 130 mph...

[Moparnut72]

I enjoyed the movie however I saw it after I had read the book. The movie took a lot of liberties for more effect. The book explained why he did some of the things he did and most weren't because he had no money to do what he did. The movie made a big deal of his using used tires for his runs. He did this not because he couldn't afford new tires but he wanted worn ones because they had less tread. Generous tread would lead to more drag, at least in his mind. He used plow shares to make some parts, not because he couldn't afford to buy steel but that the steel in the plow shares was of very high quality. He was amazing.
kk