New Indian Thunder Stroke 111 Engine in “Spirit of Munro” Streamliner
To mark the unveiling of its new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, Indian Motorcycle revealed a custom-built streamliner motorcycle dubbed the “Spirit of Munro“, equipped with the new Indian engine.
The “Spirit of Munro” is a tribute to the Munro Special, the 1920 Indian scout that set a new land-speed record in 1967 at the Bonneville Salt Flats for under-1000cc motorcycles. The Munro Special was famously depicted in the 2005 film “The World’s Fastest Indian“, starring Anthony Hopkins.
The streamliner is fully operational, designed from the ground up around the new Thunder Stroke engine. The engine is paired with a custom exhaust and intake system as well as a chain drive conversion for the tall gearing required of a motorcycle built to set speed records.
“Part of the process of building a new motorcycle is building many pre-production and production test engines,” says Gary Gray, product director for Indian Motorcycle. “The Indian Motorcycle engineering team is fully conscious that every day we are working with history and over the course of design and development many parts and complete engines are built, tested, disassembled and measured. We thought it a fitting tribute to place one of our pre-production engines in a one-of-a-kind vehicle to pay homage to the racers who have helped build the legend of the Indian Motorcycle brand over its 112-year history.”
Surrounding the engine is a custom chassis and all-aluminum bodywork constructed by Jeb Scolman of Jeb’s Metal and Speed in Long Beach, Calif.
“When the guys from Indian Motorcycle called to ask if I would be willing to play a part in this historic endeavor, I could not say ‘yes’ fast enough,” says Scolman. “We built the Spirit of Munro in just three months of straight long work days. It was a brutal schedule, but to be a part of re-launching this brand and giving Indian Motorcycle fans a historic new piece of Americana makes it all worth the effort.”