Did Burt Munro break the land speed record?

Yes—Burt Munro set multiple official class world records for motorcycles at the Bonneville Salt Flats, most notably in 1967 at 183.586 mph (295.453 km/h) in the under-1000cc category. No—he did not hold the absolute world land speed record (the overall fastest on land), nor the absolute motorcycle land speed record; his achievements were class-specific but historically significant.

What “land speed record” really means

When people say “the land speed record,” they often mean the absolute world record—the single fastest officially measured speed on land, typically set by purpose-built cars. Motorcycles have their own absolute record as well. Beyond those headline marks, international bodies also track dozens of class records based on engine size, fuel type, and aerodynamics. To count officially, speeds are usually the average of two runs (a “flying mile” or kilometer) within a set time, under rules set by the FIM (for motorcycles) or FIA (for cars).

What Munro actually achieved

Munro, a New Zealander, campaigned a home-built, heavily modified 1920 Indian Scout at Bonneville in the 1960s. Across several trips, he set recognized FIM class records in partial-streamliner motorcycle categories—remarkable feats given his budget, his age, and the bike’s humble origins.

The bullet points below summarize the best-documented official records widely attributed to Munro by sanctioning bodies and historical sources.

• 1962: 883cc Modified Partial Streamliner class — 178.971 mph (288.026 km/h), officially recorded at Bonneville.
• 1966: 1000cc Modified Partial Streamliner class — 168.066 mph (270.476 km/h), officially recorded.
• 1967: 1000cc Modified Partial Streamliner class — 183.586 mph (295.453 km/h), officially recorded; a higher one-way pass was timed but does not count as a record without the required two-way average.

Taken together, these runs established Munro as a multi-time class record holder at Bonneville. His 1967 mark—achieved with a near-1,000cc version of his Indian—became the most celebrated of the trio.

Absolute record vs. Munro’s class records

Munro’s feats did not supplant the absolute land speed record. In cars, the absolute record is far beyond motorcycle speeds. In motorcycles, the absolute mark has since exceeded 376 mph (605 km/h) in streamliner machines built solely for top speed. Munro’s 183.586 mph was a world record within a specific class (engine size and aerodynamic configuration), not the all-time fastest motorcycle or vehicle on land.

The 200-mph myth and what the timing shows

Popular retellings—and the film “The World’s Fastest Indian”—often cite 200+ mph. Munro did record higher one-way trap speeds during his 1967 campaign, sometimes reported around 190 mph. But official records require a two-way average under sanctioning rules. The ratified figure remains 183.586 mph for his class that year, which is the speed historians and record keepers recognize.

Why his records still matter

Munro’s story resonates because of how he did it. He was in his late 50s and 60s, working out of a shed in Invercargill, New Zealand, hand-making pistons and reshaping the engine he’d owned since 1920. Competing against deep-pocketed teams, he forged repeatable, sanctioned performance on one of motorsport’s most unforgiving stages. His records, though class-bound, helped define the mythology of Bonneville and inspired generations of garage builders and speed seekers.

Key context and governing bodies

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) governs motorcycle world speed records, while Bonneville events are commonly timed under SCTA/AMA procedures. Munro’s records are cataloged within those frameworks as class achievements from 1962, 1966, and 1967. Though subsequent technology has pushed many categories faster, Munro’s 1967 1000cc partial-streamliner mark remains one of the era’s most storied entries in the official record books.

Summary

Burt Munro did not set the absolute world land speed record, but he indisputably broke multiple FIM-recognized class world records on a home-built Indian Scout—capped by 183.586 mph in 1967 at Bonneville. Those class records, not an all-time fastest mark, are what earned him a lasting place in speed history.