World's Fastest Indian-pics needed!

Personally I think it's a crying shame this bike was restored - at the same time I have to wonder why it couldn't be "unrestored" at least made to look like what many believe to be it's true glory. Guys build "hot rods" all the time duplicating patina - why couldn't this happen to such wonderful items such as the WFI bike???

 

Fake patina sucks worse than over-restoration.

 

This is Rollie Free, not Burt Munro, but I just love the shot.

Balls like a canal horse...

 

The Velocette turned up at the local VCC swap about 3 years ago (before the movie) looking just like that, fairing stitched with wire. I think it changed hands very quickly and was only to be seen on club day morning for a couple of hours.

Big A love that pic, it's adorned my fridge for years.

 

I might agree with that when it is used to make something look like something it NEVER WAS - what we're talking about here is different. Call it "restoration" if you like - museaums do it all the time working with various artifacts - this bike is an artifact - it should be treated that way - leaving it as it is now is shameful IMHO. It's hard to undo stuff, but c'mon would you really leave it as is????

 

The book I read about Burt, by his friend George Begg, said the bike is in the US and the original engine is down under. The bike has the number two engine in it. Neither owner will sell to complete the bike.

 

NO!! I snapped this picture in '71, I believe the last year Burt had the bike on the salt. The SCTA had changed the streamliner rules, and banned bodies on upright bikes. Burt didn't get the memo. He lost the arguement, and tried running the bike without the body in a non streamlined class, but the slippery little body was part of what made the Indian so fast, and he fell short of a record.

This pic was at the end of the bikes racing days, and it was really showing the wear and tear of years of flogging. I saw the bike every year it was on the salt, and while the restoration is beautiful, I'm sure Burt would have rather the money had gone into making it faster. I never saw a lick of paint on anything but the body. Every piece was bare metal. I probably would have cleaned it up a little, but would not have made it the show piece it is today out of respect for the man that built it.

Note the Isky sticker on the body. That's Isky for ya. Never miss an opportunity for some PR. The funny part is, everyone knew Burt ground his own cams!!

 

It's a tough call. It sucks to see that bike all dolled up like prom night, but to undo it or try to recreate the patina just seems wrong to me.

You start unrestoring, re-restoring, faking patina, unfaking patina, un-re-restoring, re-un-re-restoring... um, you get the idea... and you end up with grandpa's axe.

Dean, very cool shot and story.

 

Lots of great stuff here, much of it I had not seen before. Thank you all!

 

the Rollie Free Pic was also on a Vincent, not an indian..

 

The trailer Burt built and used has been found after having been stored since the last time Burt was in the USA http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/burts-trailer-simple-and-effective.html

 

The engine in the bike has been rebuilt and is running. Might be at some shows this summer. I would LOVE to see it again at Hershey.

 

My sister told me to watch the movie and I did and as it went on I realized, as my sister did, that Burt Munro had the same character trates that our father did.
He was was a person that was able to do alot with very little and was very inventive.
Iam very glad the movie was made as I would have never known of this interesting soul, it also made me sad that Dad couldn't have seen his kindred soul as he passed away almost 4 years ago . Seems as if Mr. Munro has struck a cord in alot of peoples lives and there is nothing wrong about that. Rob.

 

I can definitely see both sides of this question.

But in my opinion trying to recreate something that was, probably trumps creating something that never was ...(a spiffed-out Burt Munro Special).

I grew up reading about Burt's exploits in the bike mags of the day. I have undying respect for what the man achieved.

I've also got a lot of respect for the filmmaker for tackling such an unlikely story, and for Anthony Hopkins for recognizing this story as an apt vehicle for his awesome talents.

Hell, I even respect the '80s restorer for trying to make the bike as attractive as possible .... just think it was a misguided effort.

 

Also fully restored, and seen last year at Pebble Beach

 

I sure enjoyed that movie. Anthony Hopkins was great in it.