Burt Munro's children visited the set one day, when, according to writer, producer, and director Roger Donaldson, "Tony (Sir Anthony Hopkins) was having a particularly good Burt day." His performance was so authentic that it moved them to tears.
The set of Burt Munro's (Sir Anthony Hopkins') garage and shack was formerly the site of a gang headquarters in Invercargill, New Zealand.
Many of the props from his home and workshop used for filming were actually owned by Burt Munro, including all the exploded pistons and the piston mold that Sir Anthony Hopkins uses for a scene in the film. These were on display at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. These, as well as small pieces of costume, such as one of Munro's ties on loan from his son, were used by Hopkins to add to his character's authenticity.
Burt Munro was 68 years old when he set the still-unbeaten record of 1000 cc world record (Born 1899; record set in 1967). Sir Anthony Hopkins was 68 years old when he shot this movie (Born 1937, movie filmed in 2005).