Plot

The story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years rebuilding a 1920 Indian motorcycle, which helped him set the land speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.

For twenty-five years in Invercargill, New Zealand, Burt Munro (1899-1978) has been working on increasing the speed of his motorcycle, a 1920 Indian. He dreams of taking it to the Bonneville Salt Flats to see how fast it will go. By the early 1960s, heart disease threatens his life, so he mortgages his house and takes a boat to Los Angeles, buys an old car, builds a makeshift trailer, gets the Indian through customs, and heads for Utah. Along the way, the people he meets are charmed by his open, direct friendliness. If he makes it to Bonneville, will the old guy be allowed on the flats with makeshift tires, no brakes, and no parachute? And will the Indian actually respond?—<jhailey@hotmail.com> / edited by Hans Delbruck

After a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, Burt Munro (Hopkins) set off from the bottom of the world to test his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With all odds against him, he set a new speed record and captured the spirit of his times. Based on a true story, and directed by Roger Donaldson (Thirteen Days, No Way Out)

It is a movie about the life of Burt Munro, a New Zealander who set multiple world speed records on his Indian Scout motorcycle. The movie begins in the 1960s with Burt's life in Invercargill, New Zealand. Burt is a passionate, yet eccentric inventor who dreams of riding his beloved Indian Scout motorcycle on the Bonneville Salt Flats and setting a speed record. Despite his limited financial resources, Burt is determined to make his dream come true and begins to prepare the bike for the journey. Burt sets off on his journey, encountering a number of people along the way who help him with his quest. After numerous mechanical difficulties and financial setbacks, Burt finally arrives at the Bonneville Salt Flats. He sets a new world record, but due to a technicality, the record is not recognized. Even so, Burt is proud of himself and the achievement, and returns home to New Zealand. Upon his return, Burt is heralded as a hero and is no longer the eccentric old man of Invercargill. He is embraced by his community and is the talk of the town. The movie ends with Burt celebrating his success and enjoying the adoration of his hometown.—elwarts

Based on a true story, an elderly male from New Zealand travels to the USA to compete to break the land speed world record. Along the way, he meets multiple types of people and teaches them the values of living a good long life to the limit.—RECB3