The Tram Road Monument, unveiled in 1975, commemorating two motor cycle world records on the Tram Road near Swannanoa. The Vincent Owners Club financed the plaque to commemorate the records set on July 2, 1955, by Russell Wright and Bob Burns. Burns set a world sidecar record of 162mph on the Tram Road with a Vincent 1000cc Rapide. Wright raised the world solo record to 185mph.
Burt Munro also did speed trials on this section of the road. His Canterbury records with his Munro Special Indian are:
Flying half-mile, Road, Unlimited Class, 99.45 mph. 27/1/1940.
Flying half-mile, Road, Open Class, 120.8 mph. 27/1/1940.
Flying half-mile, 750 cc Class, 143.6 mph. 13/4/1957.
The South Eyre Road near “Claxby” has also been used for car and motorcycle speed trials.
Tram Road Monument
Awesome monument. Great to see. Massive achievement by Russell and Robert and to do this in Canterbury New Zealand was brilliant.
what was the start and finish points for the speed record in 1955? Is this monument location and indication of one of those points?
I couldn’t find any information on the exact spot of the start and finish points.
What a memorable time in history.. My father, Noel Flewellen and my uncle Ken Lipscomb were on the team with Bob Burns. Noel was the mechanic. Ken Lipscomb also road the bike that day, without the cowling. His recorded top speed was 183mph. Bob and Ken went on to pioneer speedway side car racing, grass track and at Aranui.
Ken passed away 2023 aged 94, as a tribute to Ken his ashes were released to the air as I travel the same path where the records were made.