This is a rare, original B.G.W. TR-3075 Tri-Rod. It’s a three-wheeler that was made in America during the trike boom years of the 1970s, and unlike its Japanese competition it had a laid back, chopper-like riding position.
Countless thousands, or tens of thousands, of unusual American-made three-wheelers were produced during this period but remarkably few have survived to the modern day – having succumbed to rust, neglect, crashes, or abandonment. Survivors like this are now hugely popular with a growing community of collectors.
The Tri-Rod followed the conventional 1F2R layout, with one wheel at the front, two at the rear, a chopper-style front fork, raked back handlebars, and a molded fiberglass body over a steel frame. The early TR and STR models measured 79 inches long and 48 inches wide, which put them firmly in adult-sized runabout territory rather than kid-sized ATV.
History Speedrun: The B.G.W. Tri-Rod
The B.G.W. Tri-Rod was a recreational three-wheeler built by BGW Industries Inc. in Mansfield, Ohio, and sold during the first half of the 1970s. It was one of a wave of American-made trikes that arrived alongside (and slightly before) the first generation of Japanese three-wheeled ATVs, and BGW pitched their model as a “dual-personality” recreational machine that could be run on or off-road, with utility, street-legal, racing, and winter-use variants offered across the range. The company was later sold and renamed ARMS Industries, which continued to build closely related Tri-Rod models under the same name.
Mansfield and north-central Ohio made up one of the principal centers of the American three-wheeler industry, alongside Southern California, the region that usually tends to get most of the credit. The city was home to Rupp Industries, the firm founded by Mickey Rupp that had grown from a basement go-kart operation in 1959 into a 400-employee manufacturer of minibikes, snowmobiles, karts, and, from 1974, the Kohler-powered Rupp Centaur trike.
Alsport, another Ohio company, built the chopper-styled Tri-Sport a short distance away. A Popular Mechanics magazine feature from June of 1974 profiled ten domestic manufacturers building three-wheelers during the mid-1970s boom, with makers scattered across California, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, and several parts of Ohio.
The Tri-Rod followed the conventional 1F2R layout, with one wheel at the front, two at the rear, a chopper-style front fork, raked back handlebars, and a molded fiberglass body over a steel frame. The early TR and STR models measured 79 inches long and 48 inches wide, which put them firmly in adult-sized runabout territory rather than kid-sized ATV.
The TR and STR models used leading-link front suspension, while the STR versions added additional A-frame rear suspension with twin shock absorbers. BGW’s core models used relatively simple 5 and 8 bhp industrial engines, although more powerful street and racing variants soon followed. Power on the mid-range TR-380 came from a 319cc single-cylinder Briggs & Stratton rated at 8 bhp, which passed through a torque-converter belt drive to a jackshaft, then by chain to an automotive-style rear differential.
Surviving factory literature and archives show us that there was a range of Tri-Rod variants, and the exact roster shifted significantly over the production run. Some of these models include the TR-350 and TR-380, the STR-350 and STR-380, and the STR-3160, powered by a 16 bhp CCW two-stroke.
The B.G.W. Tri-Rod was a recreational three-wheeler built by BGW Industries Inc. in Mansfield, Ohio, and sold during the first half of the 1970s.
Later advertising lists the STR-3200, described as a street-legal 20 bhp Kohler-powered model, and the XTR-340 Racer, which was offered with more powerful engines up to 30 bhp and advertised by BGW as “America’s Fastest Production Three Wheeler.”
The XTR-S20/RL-20 Mini Pickup had a small cargo bed in place of the standard tail section and was the most street-oriented model in the lineup, promoted as a commuter and short-haul utility machine rather than a trail bike. After the business changed hands and became ARMS Industries, five further models followed under the same Tri-Rod name – the MTR-331 Mini, TR-351, TR-381, STR-381, and XTR-351.
The Tri-Rod always used mechanically straightforward industrial-engine running gear, due to necessity rather than anything else, as the parts were readily available and priced well into more affordable territory. Perhaps as a result of this Popular Mechanics praised the wider class of motorized trikes in-period for their low cost and low maintenance requirements.
Honda’s established distribution network and the rapid development of Japanese three-wheelers during the 1970s and into the 1980s created increasingly formidable competition for smaller American manufacturers. As a result, the small American road-going trike industry faded after the 1970s, even as Japanese three-wheeled ATVs grew into a major market during the following decade.
That U.S. market was curtailed after a preliminary consent decree entered on December the 30th, 1987, and final decrees approved on April the 28th, 1988, which bound Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Polaris not to market, distribute, or sell new three-wheeled ATVs in the United States for a ten-year term.
This would spell the end of the three-wheeler market, but it marked the dawn of the era of the quad bike – the ATV format that now dominates the industry.
Countless thousands, or tens of thousands, of unusual American-made three-wheelers were produced during this period but remarkably few have survived to the modern day – having succumbed to rust, neglect, crashes, or abandonment. Survivors like this are now hugely popular with a growing community of collectors.
The B.G.W. TR-3075 Tri-Rod Shown Here
This B.G.W. TR-3075 Tri-Rod was bought new in the early 1970s by the seller’s great-uncle and remained in his barn until 2018, when the seller retrieved it and carried out a refurbishment. The seller believes the trike dates to 1971 but can’t be 100% sure on the date.
Power comes from an 8 bhp Briggs & Stratton four-stroke single driving the rear wheels through a Comet Clutches continuously variable transmission, a jackshaft, and a drive chain. The engine is fitted with an electric starter, a backup recoil starter, 12-volt charging, a silver-finished air cleaner, a fuel cutoff switch, and an exhaust with a high-exit silencer.
The battery has been replaced and an oil change performed in preparation for sale. The metallic blue paint and Tri-Rod decals on the fiberglass body are described as original, and no bodywork was needed during the refurbishment, though scratches are noted on the paint and polished brightwork.
The frame and various brackets have been repainted black, portions of the engine have been repainted with new decals applied, and the 8-inch steel wheels have been resprayed white and fitted with new tubes. The Goodyear tires show dry rot and will need to be replaced. Additional equipment includes a chrome engine guard, a horn, headlight, turn signals, taillights, and a bracket holding a custom license plate.
Suspension is by a leading-link front end and a pair of springs on each side at the rear. Braking is by a rear band brake that the seller notes requires some adjustment. The contoured black vinyl seat has been reupholstered with pleated detailing, and a twist-grip throttle and brake levers are mounted on the polished pull-back handlebar.
This B.G.W. TR-3075 Tri-Rod was bought new in the early 1970s by the seller’s great-uncle and remained in his barn until 2018, when the seller retrieved it and carried out a refurbishment. The seller believes the trike dates to 1971 but can’t be 100% sure on the date.
An aftermarket fuse panel, taillight switch, and kill switch have been added alongside a keyed ignition. Replacement work during the refurb also covered the majority of the wiring, the brake and throttle cables, the band brakes, the drive belt, the fuel lines, and the turn signal relay.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Portsmouth, Ohio and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
