OK, so this is about LSR vintage bikes but I'm sure you won't mind as there's a Burt Munro and Bonneville connection. Last month I went to the Goodwood Revival Meeting as a spectator rather than a competitor, which made a pleasant change. One of the most interesting areas of the paddock was the bikes. As a Bonneville addict, this road going Indian and this racing Vincent caught my eye... They reminded me about an interesting encounter a few years ago at Bonneville. We become friends with a former LSR bike record holder whose unbelievably lucky job was to put together a private collection for an extremely wealthy pal. The star of the collection was the Burns & Wright Vincent Black Lightning that Russell Wright rode to a world land speed record in New Zealand in 1955 at 185.15mph. They then took the bike to Bonneville in 1956 and it was left pretty much untouched after it was pulled off the salt - it even still has the same tyres. Here's the '55 world speed trophy... We were fortunate enough to spend an afternoon at the private museum and that Vincent was really something special - it's difficult to explain but it had a presence, like it was alive - a soul perhaps? No wonder Richard Thompson wrote a song about the Lightning. The connection with Burt Munro is that Burns and Wright were fellow racers from NZ - I recall from the book that Burt didn't really hit it off with Burns but was great friends with Wright? Anyway, from what I remember that was Burt's first trip to the salt in '56, to help with the Vincent. You know the rest - he caught the fever and his name's still in the record book today. Oh, and I also snapped this neat old gas truck at the museum too. Regards Jon'.
Great photos!! I was in line to run at Bonneville this year and was right behind an aussie Vincent. A beauty! It ran 160 with a fairing. Can't remember what it ran naked.
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