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Former carpenter now customizes motorcycles

Craftsmanship is all about paying close attention to details.

For many years, Tony Prust honed those fine skills working as a carpenter. He specialized in high-end trim and finishing work on North Shore Chicago homes. However, his woodworking career hit a snag with the early 2000s economic crash, leading him to seek out employment elsewhere.

Prust turned to a passion that had been brewing inside.

“The more creative, mechanical side of me wanted to come out,” the Gurnee resident said. “I started customizing motorcycles.”

The next step was opening his own shop, Analog Motorcycles in Gurnee. There, he took what he learned while cutting and trimming lumber and applied it to wrenching on and fabricating some awesome metal machines.

One such creation is a 1971 Triumph Trailblazer 250. Prust bought it from a seller in Barrington in 2010.

“It was rough. Both tires were rotted and it needed some ‘trickery' to get it to run,” Prust said.

He used it as a runabout for many years until a full overhaul commenced in 2013. Custom work abounds with specific items addressed, such as rebuilding and powder coating the engine, relocating all the electronics to under the seat and fabricating a custom exhaust.

“I'm very pleased with how it turned out. It's a very comfortable ‘putt-around-town' kind of bike.”

Another stunning piece of rolling artwork is a 1996 Bimota DB3, built for Sam Loeffler, drummer for the band Chevelle, which got its start in Grayslake.

“He wanted to do an ‘obscure' project,” said Prust, who found this unusual Bimota at a swap meet in Wisconsin at Road America in 2011. “I knew it would fit the bill perfectly.”

While Loeffler wanted a unique piece, he had his doubts about this obscure Italian two-wheeler. “I sent him pictures and immediately he said ‘No way,' ” Prust said. After a couple months, Loeffler came around and greenlit the project. Heavy frame modifications were made and the gas tank was custom-created.

“The (tank) design was something I dreamed up,” Prust said. “To help flesh it out, I made it out of wood first.”

Another significant modification was with the wheels. “The stock wheels are very narrow. It was quite a challenge to shoehorn the new and much larger Alpina wheels in.”

All that work paid off as the final product was enough to win over Loeffler. “He loved how it took shape and evolved.”

It's not just the design that's appealing but also the on-road experience. “It's so light and narrow, making for a unique ride. You're almost riding on top of the engine.”

After hanging up his router and trading miters for motors, Prust hasn't looked back.

“I have no complaints about changing careers. I'm a two-wheeled fanatic. To be able to work on motorcycles on a daily basis is a dream come true.”

So what lessons did the artisan learn from his carpentry days that he's putting to use now? “Forward thinking is crucial. Just like when building an intricate staircase, a thought-foundation has to be there in place for not just the next step but many more out.”

Another take-away is with fit and finish in the final product.

“In carpentry you want all the miters and details to be spot on. It's the same thing with motorcycles,” he said. “You want things like welds and the design to flow and work well.”

1996 Bimota DB3 custom
Sam Loeffler, right, drummer for the band Chevelle, rides an Italian-made Bimota customized by Tony Prust, left, owner of Analog Motorcycles in Gurnee.
This is Loeffler's 1996 Bimota DB3 before Prust went to work on it. Courtesy of Tony Prust
The Italian-made 1996 Bimota DB3 was acquired at a swap meet in Wisconsin.
Prust's Bimota customization included shoehorning in wider tires.
During his 1971 Triumph rebuild, Prust relocated all the electronics under the seat of this Trailblazer 250.
Prust fabricated a custom exhaust for his Triumph.
When designing the gas tank for the Bimota, Prust first sculpted a prototype out of wood.
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