Ron Keed
In his working life, RON KEED reckoned he had painted 30,000 petrol tanks, and Ron was not prone to exaggeration.
He began his spray painting craft when he worked for NSW distributors Bennett Honda at Mascot in the late ‘sixties, and four years later branched out (with brother Alan) to set up a motorcycle spray painting business from his mother’s modest home in the southern Sydney suburb of Arncliffe. I have lost count of the number of tanks and other components Ron painted for me in the past 50 years, but it is a great many.
Ron’s knowledge of colours for the Japanese bikes, especially Honda, was encyclopaedic, but perhaps hisRon submitted a report of that trip, which included racing at Roebling Road in Georgia, for our issue number 4. That marked the high point of Ron’s racing career, but allowed more times for the rallies and get togethers that he loved. There were also several holiday trips to the States to visit son Ben, who lives in Las Vegas, and his family, usually involving Ron and his wife Lyn getting aboard a Harley and riding all over the place. Sadly, Ron developed lung cancer and although the treatment appeared to be working, he lost his battle on 2nd March. A measure of Ron’s popularity, and the esteem in which he was held, can be seen from the turnout of nearly 400 people for his Memorial Service at Sydney’s Woranora Cemetery on 14th March.
