Today in motorcycle history, March 25, 1962

  

  



  

  Known to most as the subject of "The World's Fastest Indian",  Herbert James "Burt" Munro celebrates his 63rd birthday by setting a New Zealand motorcycle speed-record for a standing start, open-class, quarter-mile with a time of 12.31 seconds/138 mph aboard his 1936 600cc Velocette MSS. 

  Burt Munro also set six other New Zealand motorcycle speed-records:  

  Flying half-mile, Road, Unlimited Class
Munro Special Indian - 99.45mph, Canterbury, January 27, 1940

  Flying half-mile, Road, Open Class
Munro Special Indian - 120.8mph, Canterbury, January 27, 1940

  Flying half-mile, Road, 750cc Class
Munro Special Indian - 143.6 mph, Canterbury, April 13, 1957

  Flying half-mile, Beach, Open Class
Munro Special Indian - 131.38mph, Oreti Beach, February 9, 1957

  Flying half-mile, Beach, 750cc Class
Velocette 600cc - 129.078mph, Oreti Beach, December 16, 1961

  Flying half-mile, Beach, 750cc Class
Velocette 618cc - 132.35mph, Oreti Beach, May 1, 1971

  During his life, Munro's accomplishments were little known outside a select group of motorcycle enthusiasts. With the release of "The World's Fastest Indian" in 2005, Munro suddenly became a cult hero in New Zealand. The movie became the biggest domestically produced film ever produced.


  His son, John, said that Munro would have shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the popularity he obtained after his passing.


  "I'm sure he would have never believed the popularity the movie gave him," said John Munro. "I think he would have been quietly pleased at being able to share his life with millions of people."






  He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2006.

Today in motorcycle history, March 24, 1972

  

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 Evel Knievel jumps thirteen cars at the 5,600 seat State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Detroit, Michigan. 

 Evel successfully clears the thirteen cars but, he also successfully clears the landing ramp and crashes into the Coliseum's newly erected safety wall and breaks his collarbone.  
 Three weeks earlier, in San Francisco, he broke his ankle and bruised a few ribs attempting to jump fifteen cars.  But, the show must go on...




 Knievel began his snake/barrel/bail/motorcycle/car/bus/canyon jumping career on a 350cc Honda, in 1966 he did two jumps on a Norton Atlas, from March 9, 1967 until October 1968 he used a Triumph Bonneville, April 1969 to August of 1970 jumps were performed on a Laverda American Eagle 750cc and then, the bike he's best known for, a Harley-Davidson XR-750 from December 1970 until he called it quits in 1977.

 Evel Knievel often said that his Triumph was by far the best bike he ever jumped with, hands down. According to Evel – “The Harley’s got a little too much torque when it comes to jumping.”






  The State Fairgrounds Coliseum, aka Hockeytown State Fair Coliseum, is included in the U.S. Natonal Register of Historic Places.