Dragon Trike Part Eight: The Horns

                          

Beau Vighn & Katy Kruze have a new morning show on Westplex 100.7 (click the link to listen live online). We were on their show this morning. We have the last half of it here. Tom The Kong Westplex

Join St. Louis’s Queen of Rock ‘n Roll, Katy Kruze and the guy Katy has to keep in line, Beau Vighn, each Monday through Friday from 6am to 10am ONLY on Westplex 100.7 FM!  Both of them tow the line with ‘Crazy Joe’ each Friday.  What a way to kick off your weekends!

                          

Dragon Trike Rendering

This is a time-lined rendering on the Dragon Trike (without the wings).

Dragon Trike Part One: Scrapping for parts.

Well, we started scrapping for metal today. We checked out a few local scrap yards and luckily ran into some of the owners. We explain what we were trying to accomplish and they obliged to help us out. We’ll post a video of how we go about scrapping soon. So stay tuned.

Meanwhile, check out some of these local guys when you need scrap…

Dragon Trike Part Two: Finding our wings.

As we continue to scrap for parts we run into a stroke of luck and find wings for the dragon trike.

Dragon Trike Part Three: The Wheel

We got our spindle and tow arm for the swing arm suspension and frame. Watch as we put it together.

Dragon Trike Part Four: The Swing Arm

Now that we got the wheel assembly done; it’s time to hook up to the swing arm.

Dragon Trike Part Five: Dragon’s Hull

We’re ready to add the battery compartment and finish the gas tank. Before we complete the hull; we’ll also have to pressure test the tank.

Dragon Trike Part Six: 3 Wheels

Dragon Trike Part Seven: The Head

Dragon Trike Part Eight: The Horns

                          

Excerpts from Sep 2009 article in Biking Life Magazine about how Tom built this trike then converted it to a National Treasure.

There was a lot of awesome iron on display at The Biking Life Bike Show held recently in Belleville, Illinois. However, one seemed to attract more people than some of the others, a trike. Its genesis was a 1983 Oldsmobile Toronado chassis, but you would certainly never recognize it unless someone told you. The person who told us is the owner and craftsman behind this vehicle, Tom Compton. If the name sounds familiar, it is because Tom is a local DJ and the track announcer at several motorcycle racing venues in the area including B.E.T. (Belleville Enduro Team). Tom started riding minibikes around the age of 10 and has been around bikes ever since.

Custom Eagle Ferring

Tom on his Custom Trike.

LED, Night View.

Side view.

Rear View.

Biking Life Magazine

Newspaper Article

SPACE EAGLE

His first passion was dirt bikes, but later the sport of hill climbing caught his attention., He bought a 250 Ossa, stripped it down, lengthened the swing arm and hit the hills. It seems fabrication and design are also two of his talents and Tom is always thinking about new ways to do things. Tom started on the trike five years ago with the Toronado, 500 pounds of scrap steel and 80 pounds of aluminum.

In his work as a DJ, Tom has done many charity functions and developed an affinity for the disabled, so in its original form the trike was made accessible for those with disabilities. He tried to sell the vehicle in that configuration, but was unsuccessful. He then cut it down and kept it for himself. Did I mention Tom is a thinker? He wanted a theme for his trike and pondered what that should be, finally like a vision, it came to him in August 2006. That is how the Eagle came to be. Tom says he started the project and worked on it almost nonstop for the next two weeks paying little attention to sleeping or eating during that time. That was the basic Eagle, but since then he has added more than 500 LED lights to it. At night the red, white and blue lights reflect off the highly polished aluminum making this a sight to see.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this project is people’s reaction to it according to Mr. Compton. It does truly represent a lot of what America is about with the red, white and blue paint, the Eagle which is our Nation’s symbol and, of course, the red, white and blue LED lights. Tom told how well the trike was received during the Vietnam Veterans Poker Run earlier this year. It seems it strikes a special chord with those who have served our nation. In addition to that run, he also was among the riders who escorted the Traveling Wall from Effingham, Illinois, to Troy, Illinois, this year. He said the recognition it received from the many folks who stood on overpasses to pay homage to what the Wall symbolizes as it made its journey across Illinois was both gratifying and humbling.

Tom truly appreciates the effect that his trike has on others and he never ceases to be amazed at how his creation touches people’s lives. If you haven’t seen it in person, you need to get out more. If you do see it out, ask Tom about it. He can share even more of the story with you and maybe, if you are really lucky, he will share the DVD he has made of how he built it.

Eagle Trike gets hit by some lightning.

Tom’s Custom Air Brushed Lightning

                          

CRF 1200 HD

Bitchin' Buell Honda Crossover.

Harley makes a CR?

Red Kong : Custom Trike

Red Kong : Custom Trike (Front View)

Excerpts from Sep 2009 article in Biking Life Magazine about how Tom built this trike then converted it to a National Treasure.

“Its genesis was a 1983 Oldsmobile Toronado chassis, but you would certainly never recognize it unless someone told you. The person who told us is the owner and craftsman behind this vehicle, Tom Compton. If the name sounds familiar, it is because Tom is a local DJ and the track announcer at several motorcycle racing venues in the area including B.E.T. (Belleville Enduro Team). Tom started riding minibikes around the age of 10 and has been around bikes ever since.

Red Kong : Custom Trike (Rear View)

His first passion was dirt bikes, but later the sport of hill climbing caught his attention., He bought a 250 Ossa, stripped it down, lengthened the swing arm and hit the hills. It seems fabrication and design are also two of his talents and Tom is always thinking about new ways to do things. Tom started on the trike five years ago with the Toronado, 500 pounds of scrap steel and 80 pounds of aluminum.

In his work as a DJ, Tom has done many charity functions and developed an affinity for the disabled, so in its original form the trike was made accessible for those with disabilities. He tried to sell the vehicle in that configuration, but was unsuccessful. He then cut it down and kept it for himself. “

                          

Tom first got Dusty in January of 1989. Dusty was 6 weeks old. Dusty’s current owner’s situation was bizarre. She had picked up a puppy for a friend that said she wanted one. Tom agreed to take care of Dusty until the friend showed up to pick him up. She never showed.

15 years later Dusty was laid to rest. In the meantime he learned over 40 different tricks. Dusty would balance a slice of pizza on his nose until Tom was done eating, and then devour it in one flip-catch-swallow maneuver. Dusty would ride with Tom everywhere; even race with him on a specially constructed tank saddle Tom built for him.

Japanese Magazine Article

Tom said, “He was the best dog in the whole world and my best friend.”

Tom has had many dogs over the years but anyone who knows Tom knows Dusty was “the Dog”. Blue was Tom’s first dog. A smart, outgoing and down right sneaky little pup; Blue would sneak out in the morning before Tom would leave for work and hide behind the bench seat of Tom’s truck. He’d wait until Tom got a half way there and poke out his head, “SURPRISE!

Sage was another long-time dog of Tom’s. A tenacious Chow-Chow, Sage would go on to become Dusty’s mate and hunting buddy. Dusty and Sage bore many cute puppies for Tom and anyone who was lucky enogh to get one of these beautiful chow mixes knew they had something special.

Motorcycle Riding Dog

                          

Question 2: How much does the Eagle Ferring weigh?

Question 1: Why a Harley and a Honda?

                          

Ainad Shriners Parade in Belleville, IL is one of the largest parades in Illinois. As you can see, Tom’s Eagle Trike was a huge hit at the Shriners Parade.

Geo’s Bike Night with DJ Kong

                          

Geo’s Bike Night with DJ Kong

Relay for Life with DJ Kong

                          

We are now accepting $100 Sponsorships. By sponsoring the Dragon Trike project; upon completion of the Dragon you are entitled to:

1. A picture of the completed project.
   If you’re local we can take a picture of you on the Dragon.
2. A Certificate of Sponsorship
   You will receive a framed certificate of sponsorship with the aforementioned picture mounted within.
3. Your Name Immortalized on the Dragon
   We will engrave every sponsors name or company name on the dragon.

                          

Tommy takes on the hill. I called him an old man once… once.

Awesome Hill Climb Jump

Jumpin like a big dog!

BET Belleville Enduro Team

Tom has been a member of Belleville Enduro Team for almost 2 decades. He is the Head Announcer for the sanctioned races and he heads a children’s learning workshop where he teaches kids how to airbrush, maintain there bikes, and the fundamentals of sport racing.

Here’s some video of various BET activities:

Checkout Belleville Enduro Team at: http://www.betdirt.com/