Story Photos
 Kelso resident Ron Meredith built this "trike" from parts he has come across over the years. His creation started out as a police motorcycle. Brenda Blevins McCorkle / The Daily News
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People and Their Wheels: Ron Meredith's 1977 Moto Guzzi trike
Friday, January 2, 2009 11:48 PM PST
By Brenda Blevins McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleBackground: Ron worked for Boeing from 1969 to 1980 when he moved from Everett to Kelso. He went to work for Weyerhaeuser and retired from there in 1999. He and his wife of 29 years, Noni, have a daughter and two granddaughters.
His hobby is motorcycles. Ron stores more than 50 motorcycles in various stages of dismemberment in his back yard. He also has a covered area he calls the “operating room.” As he works, Ron swaps parts around until he gets something that works or that he likes. When he has time, he sells bikes and helps people build them.
His wheels: A trike Ron created from parts he has come across. The vehicle started its life as a police motorcycle. The 1977 Moto Guzzi came to Ron after some work had already been done on it.
“The people who were working on it didn’t have any expertise,” he said. “And it didn’t get any better. So I got ahold of it, and this is what I did with it.”
The trike is still a work in progress, but it’s easy to see what Ron is going for.
From the main frame forward, the trike is all Moto Guzzi.
“From the rear wheel back, it’s a 280Z Datsun rearend assembly,” Ron said. For comfort, he said, “the forks on it are off a Goldwing with air ride. I put air ride in the rearend, so I had to do it in the front too.”
Ron’s sense of adventure continued as he created the rear of the trike.
“The rear section is a Corvette,” he said. “I’ve had that thing around here for 15 or 20 years. I was going to make a clock out of it. The whole thing is just pieces and parts.”
The main frame he created from one-inch square tubing.
“I will never do that again,” he said. “It was difficult trying to keep it plumb so that I didn’t end up with a basket case, pointing every which way when I was done.”
He changed the gas tank on the bike over to a glove box, and installed a larger tank at the rear of the trike.
“Other than two welds, I can reclaim the bike,” Ron said.
Looking forward: Ron said he decided to make the trike when he began to consider his grandchildren and his age.
“At some time, I have to give up the two wheels,” he said.” To buy something like this would be 50 or 60 thousand bucks, well I can’t go there. I might have three into this when I’m done.”
Although the construction portion of the project is 95 percent finished, Ron said the detail work is only about 30 percent complete.
When it is complete, Ron said he plans to use the vehicle for vacationing and weekend drives. He would like to show if off in parades.
The paint job also will gather attention, he added.
“It will be bright,” he said. “I want people to see it.”
Other recent People and Their Wheels articles:
Rod Ribelin's 1963 Chevrolet stepside pickup
Jack Wendel's 1965 Ford Mustang
Jim and Donna Grose's 1970 Chevrolet El Camino
Karolyn McFadzen's 2005 Dodge delivery van
Cathy Beehler's 1964 Chevrolet Impala
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