Topic: 200mph+ Indian Scout... How?

[loonymoon]

 I'm buying a biography about Bert Munroe. But after watching the film, I'm fascinated to know HOW he made a 1920's 600cc with a stock top speed of 57mph (if you go by the film dialogue - not sure how accurate this is!) go over 200mph and hold a record that STILL STANDS to this day!! And I can't wait until the book arrives so...

Does anyone have any info?? I understand that by cutting weight, tuning, lighter components and special fuel you can improve perfomance, but by 400%???

"Tuning for dummies" style answers please as I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination!!!

[mcpuffett]

well he cut the tread off his tyres with next doors carving knife  , so that will have helped and he made numerous offerings to the speed gods  , besides being a brave old bugger i don't know hope someone else chirps up ,    mick.

[loonymoon]

well he cut the tread off his tyres with next doors carving knife  , so that will have helped and he made numerous offerings to the speed gods  , besides being a brave old bugger i don't know hope someone else chirps up ,    mick.

The carving knife scene was quite a good one, as was the hiding the cracks in the tyres with boot polish. I can't wait to find out if this stuff is true - I have a feeling that the truth may be stranger than the fiction - I think the director of the movie was  obsessed with making it and had been trying to get it done for 20 years so i doubt that he went off on too many wild flights of fantasy....

That film sure caught my imagination -anyone who hasn't seen it, see it NOW!

[dusterdude]

the bonneville salt flats have some of the best air in the world and the salt is very very very smooth,he wouldnt have been able to do that anywhere else.

[Bob Wessner]

I did see the movie. Did he actually say it was still a stock engine? I remember one scene where he was forging his own pistons in that shop/shed/garage. I just can't recall if anything was said about any engine mods.

[brian]

If you google Bert Munroe you will get all the details on his engine mods, He built his own overhead cam system,used discarded Iron pipe to make the cylinders putting alum. fins over them for cooling .and of course making his own pistons making the engine over 900cc . He was obsessed !

[Rocking-M]

And, his record was for bikes under 1000cc's, a heck of a feat for an "agricultural" engine builder.

(I think that is the word they use over there

[BobbyR]

Here is a link that has a pretty good history, and what he did. The man had a jumbo pair, I would not ride tha thing down the block.  http://www.indianmotorbikes.com/features/munro/munro.htm

[Pinhead]

The aerodynamic profile of his streamlined shell is the biggest advantage he had over the stock bike. Remember, wind resistances rises to the square of speed. Wind resistance starts becoming a pretty big factor at about 45-50mph and above 75 it is a huge factor.

[Bob Wessner]

Here is a link that has a pretty good history, and what he did. The man had a jumbo pair, I would not ride tha thing down the block.  http://www.indianmotorbikes.com/features/munro/munro.htm

Thanks for the link. An interesting read for sure.

[Sam Green Racing]

If your intrested check out the avatar for Andynzl.
The picture shows Andy on the actual bike that was used in the film.
The sad thing is it was fitted with a V twin Ducati motor. 

Sam.

[scunny]

the film "condensed" his need for speed, he made or tried improvements over a number of years, hence the wee sign in his workshop " sacrifice to the speed god" and an assortment of different pistons etc

[seaweb11]

And, his record was for bikes under 1000cc's, a heck of a feat for an "agricultural" engine builder.
(I think that is the word they use over there

I thought I saw a muffler clamp on one of those photos

[Brunow]

Yeah the dvd it out here in belgium. Kinda hoped i could see more in the special's (extra stuff) but not that mutch about the bike...

What is the max that anyone ever got out of a honda 4 750? 

[loonymoon]

Interesting link - I did google quickly but just got film stuff.

I realise it wasn't a "stock" engine. Still it's quite a feat but I guess he did it over 40 years of trial and error (and piston blow ups). He must have been a VERY brave man.

I was wondering also what the highest speed anyones ever got out of an SOHC4 (any cc).

[bill440cars]

If you google Bert Munroe you will get all the details on his engine mods, He built his own overhead cam system,used discarded Iron pipe to make the cylinders putting alum. fins over them for cooling .and of course making his own pistons making the engine over 900cc . He was obsessed !

           There were some Over Head Valve conversions our there back then. I didn't recall anything about OHC so,I  went back and read the details. I read about 4 cams and an OHV system but, didn't see anything about overhead cam though.  Doesn't matter, he made an incredible run with such a simple bike.

                                                       Later on, Bill

[super pasty white guy]

I was curious about top speeds and spent my lunch at google.  Couldn't find the absolute top speeds, but found this link listing 150 mph speeds on Honda's race CB750F and another link listing the Daytona 200 qualifying speed for this bike at 153 mph.

http://www.motorworld.com/roadtests/2000/honda_rc51/history/index.html

Interesting, at any rate.

Now back to work.

Dave

[Sam Green Racing]

What is the max that anyone ever got out of a honda 4 750? 

If you are talking single engined, I think (and this is not a joke) the Irish land speed record was once held by a guy (maybe still is) riding a overbored 750 Honda.
It achieved about 180/190 but I am not sure, it's an age thing.

Sam.