Lee Munro Carries on Family Tradition of Indian Motorcycle Speed

Land speed racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats is steeped in history. Last year saw Danny Thompson get into the 400mph club with the streamliner his father built 40 years prior. This year, another storied land speed racer’s legacy will be honored when Lee Munro takes to the salt 40 years after his great uncle Burt Munro set the still-standing 1000cc motorcycle fuel streamliner record of 184.087mph.

Lee called us between shake down runs at southern California’s El Mirage dry lakebed to give some background on his racing history and what he and the Indian Motorcycle Company hope to achieve at Bonneville Speed Week 2017.

Lee moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1996 and began racing downhill mountain bikes in 2000. In 2003, he bought his first motorcycle and the thrill of riding on the street lead soon lead to the race track. He won his first race and continued to do well in club racing throughout New Zealand. Land speed racing had never been on his radar until Burt Munro’s son John contacted Lee in mid-2016 about racing an Indian at Bonneville. John and Lee first met at the Burt Munro Challenge in 2008, where Lee took first place.

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