Hello to my friends in the Powersports Industry. One of my most proud career moments is upon us – the release of a short film that captures the enthusiasm, work ethic and commitment by those connected to the Indian Motorcycle brand through the Spirit of Munro tribute motorcycle. Below you will find links to the film itself as well as a behind the scenes mini documentary that lets you visit with some of the amazingly creative people behind this work.
I must give credit and the utmost respect to my friends who made this project possible. As I have managed the program and proudly unveiled it in Daytona Beach in March, it has grown to be seen and appreciated at an International level and has been lauded with many kind words and the support of Indian Motorcycle fans. Jeb Scolman of Jeb’s Metal and Speed in Long Beach California was tasked to build this machine around a prototype Thunder Stroke 111. Jeb did so with three solid months of 18 hour days, taking only Christmas day off, building a truly stunning tribute machine to Burt Munro and the spirit of those who choose to do rather than just watch from the sidelines. It’s a remarkable piece of work that must be seen to be appreciated. It will be on display in Sturgis this summer as we launch the new Indian Chief.
Also requiring credit are Polaris Industries media team members David Shelleny and Mark Nevils who took on pushing the film project through Polaris Industries. Commitment is one thing – but it takes money to make something as beautiful as this film – and they asked favors of suppliers and pushed our managers for final approval and a budget – the results are worth putting their necks on the line as you will see. Adam Brummond and the crew from The Factory did an outstanding job in interpreting our shared vision in the final piece, also calling favors and assembling a committed, talented and rugged crew. Credit Barry Hathaway for some remarkable photos and his own commitment to the project as he documented the secret build for months as well as shot the images of the bike in motion. Todd Eagan accepted the challenge of riding the untested bike on the dry lake. The first time power was applied in gear was on that dry lake. Jeb’s work shone through as the bike tracked perfectly straight. While we certainly were not going for high speeds for the film – Todd told me after two runs “It’s perfect and man does she want to GO!” We estimate speeds on subsequent runs just topping 100 miles per hour. And yes, there is plenty left.
This complete film project was shot in only two days. It took guts to makes the commitments, skill to tell the story and faith in people that it would represent what is truly a key piece in the long history of motorcycling. This is the first motorcycle to be publically seen powered by the Thunder Stroke 111, and the Spirit of Munro film captures the legacy of this great brand while pushing it forward to the future. – Robert Pandya
The post Indian Motorcycle reveals Spirit of Munro short film appeared first on USRiderNews.