Fifty years after Burt Munro set a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, his great-nephew Lee Munro has set at the El Mirage Speed Trials in Southern California.a new speed record on a customized Polaris Indian Scout.
The speed was 186.681 mph (300.4 km/h) with a v-twin 1350 Scout engine for a new record in the MPS-G class.(MPS-G class means modified partial streaming and G for gas/petrol engine.)
Lee Munro is in the US speed racing “The Spirit Of Munro”, a highly-tuned Indian Scout in preparation for the August (weather permitting) Bpnneville Speed Week in Utah. 2017 is the 50th anniversary of Burt Munro’s iconic land speed record on a self-modified 1920 Indian Scout. Lee’s run in Bonneville will honor Burt’s storied legacy in the world of motorcycling.
Polaris needs to find a new marketing gimmick. Their scouts have nothing to do with the original ones and no amount of pretending or glomming on to famous names will change that.
… nor does this Scout have anything to do with the one you can buy off the showroom floor . But the most disingenuous of all their ad campaigns ? Theirs and the AMA’s pretense of Flat Track racing and TV coverage that is in fact nothing more than a begin to end infomercial
Folks hate Indian’s marketing and to express displeasure, talk about the brand? Maybe Indian is winning anyways.
Those who hate the marketing may never have bought the bike anyways since it isn’t a Harley or whatever the marque of choice is, so nothing lost.
Facts: The Scout is a well powered bike for it’s weight and displacement. It handles corners well and stops well. Dealers are everywhere so service is not an issue. Aesthetics are subjective.
More Facts: 186 mph on a 1350 cc engine burning gas is fast. Congratulations, Lee and good luck at Bonneville. I’m certain your great uncle would be proud and would not care one bit about the climate of complaint regarding marketing strategies.
Meh, I probably hate Polaris more than anyone now. But racing is cool and always will be. I’ll give them credit here ’cause it’s due. They’ll still have to bring back Victory to see another one of my dollars though.
I definitely agree with bobs on his second sentence, most racing bikes have little to do with what you can buy off showroom
Dude,
Whoever made this video must think we’re all speed readers.
I am no slouch when it comes to reading English, but when you can only read 1/3 of the extra wordy writing before it vanishes, it pisses me off.
I may have had merely 1 or 2 adult beverages, but damn man, we can’t read that fast.
I’m glad that Lee made the record setting run on an American made Indian motorcycle. Burt Munro would be very proud!! Wishing Lee Munro continued success!
Not the biggest fan of the Polaris, but quite an achievement nonetheless. Congratulations!
Looking forward to good salt and seeing this bike and mine set new records.
Beautiful, well engineered bike, brave pilot/rider, extraordinary speed, all the things we admire, and love in this field of motor-sport. And, the fact that Lee Munro is carrying on his great-uncle Burt’s amazing legacy. He would be so proud of you Lee! Congratulations, I know this won’t be the last we hear of Lee Munro.
Good on ya mate!
Polaris,build a dual sport adventure bike!
Banger of a run! Nice job Lee!
I feel a little clarification is needed relative to the above comments. The bike actually has a high degree of stock Scout content. The frame is completely stock (requirement of “Modified class”). The rear shocks have been replaced with struts, the front forks are stock but travel limited. The bottom end of the engine is mostly stock except for modifications to the crankshaft, con rods and pistons, The cylinder heads of course are highly modified. The normal fuel tank is an airbox, the actual fuel tank is under the seat. The tail section houses the ECU, battery and harness components. this was not a high dollar build. Many parts were repurposed parts procured by dumpster diving Indian Engineering personal who volunteered their time to build the bike. Lee Munro not only has a famous last name, but has shown he is also a talented motorcycle rider.
Wayne: Thanks for that info. Sad that some people don’t like to be confused by facts.
Good job Lee and best of luck at Bonneville. And Wayne–thanks for clearing the air on the Scout. Some may complain about Indians marketing, Harley has and always have had excellent marketing and they are very good at it. I admire Harley for that, and No, I do not own a Harley, haven’t for years like 40 some years. So those who have a problem with Indian marketing…get over it already. Quit bitching and go for a ride on your m/c, not a keyboard. I am going out for a ride on my Indian, or Yammi or…
@SYF: dude, ever heard of a pause button? The music sucks beyond redemption, but well done Lee stepping into your uncle’s footsteps!
Harley sales are down sharply; Indian sales are up sharply. What was that again about somebody needing to change their marketing approach?
Extremely cool, well done, fueling our industry.