AMD261 April 2021 American Motorcycle Dealer 261 April 2021 | Page 59

Of course , no one person can be successful without help , and Ron is quick to recognize the contribution that his employees have made . " We have been fortunate along the way due to having some very talented , devoted and loyal people involved . " It is rewarding to be able to have worked with and watched these people develop and be successful in their own right . It has also been rewarding beyond description to having had the opportunity of working with and befriending some amazing and amazingly talented people , such as some of the engineers I worked with during the early aerospace days , and people such as Big Daddy Roth , Matt Hotch and Chip Foose ." Mark Ashton is still with the business as General Manager of the group , with MSI blanks , Metalsport Wheel and Vee Rubber tire sales in the hands of V- twin market veteran Lizette Hotinger . " Everyone who has had a long career in this business will tell you that at the end of the day it is all down to people and relationships ," says Ron . " Of course , you have to have great product and the right products and capabilities at the right time . " But in the end , it all comes down to people - those who work for you and those who buy from you ."

Ron was approached by an aluminum forging company in California in 2017 to take over its wheel blank business . So he created MSI ( Metalsport Industries ), and in just three years has tripled sales and is now " the largest distributor of motorcycle wheel blanks in the world ".

METALSPORT WHEELS South Gate , California , USA Tel : [phone] info @ metalsportwheels . com www . metalsportwheels . com

Metalsport has recommended and sold Vee Rubber tires since 2005 , and were instrumental in the manufacturer ' s decision manufacture proprietary big tires - the 26 , 30 , 32 , 34 and whitewalls for Metalsport . Last year Metalsport became exclusive U . S distributor for Vee Rubber ' s 302 line of Street and Touring tires .

Metalsport / Bordo were major collaborators with leading custom bike builder Matt Hotch with Bordo ' s Mark Ashton helping with the the design and manufacture of Matt ' s famous Laydown frame on ' Chignon ', his 2004 Biker Build-Off winner . Famously Matt rode ' Vinnie ', his 2007 Vincent replica Build-Off winner down the salt at the Bonneville Bub Speed Trials for a 97.948 mph two way average - on prototype Metalsport wheels and the first Vee Rubber 26 x 4 " ( front ) and 200 section 20 " rear production tires - the Great White Dyno living up to its reputation as the ultimate proving ground !

Photo by Horst Roesler