Category: Honda Dominator

RC Dept’s Honda Dominator: Big style from a tiny country

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date February 26, 2019

The modern custom scene has infiltrated the most distant corners of the world. This very slick custom Honda Dominator comes from the tiny European principality of Andorra—the 16th smallest country in the world. (At 181 square miles, it’s about an eighth of the size of Rhode Island.)

Despite its compact dimensions, Andorra is now home its first fully-equipped custom workshop: RC Dept, run by Roberto Conde. And he’s not alone in his passion for bikes.

“Andorra is full of motorcycle enthusiasts and collectors,” he reveals. “There are many big private collections—some exceeding 200 bikes. You can find amazing bikes from Vincent, Matchless and Norton. And Triumph prototypes, official MotoGP bikes from the 60s and 70s, vintage off-road racers and much more.”

Roberto’s Dominator could hold its own against many of those bikes. And as you’d expect from a former Dakar factory team mechanic, the build quality is tremendous.

Roberto says the budget was ‘comfortable but defined’ when this 1990-spec Dommie arrived in his workshop. He’s based in the mountain village of Santa Coloma, some 3,700 feet above sea level, and shares the space with second mechanic Pierre Carcouet and company manager Marc Casadevall.

Since the engine was almost thirty years old, RC Dept stripped it down and gave it a thorough overhaul, including a new camshaft. It’s also been treated to a coat of black paint on the cases, to balance the black bodywork.

The frame was heavily reworked too, with a new rear section designed to take a waspish tail unit. Motocross pegs have been added on, and even the side-stand has been repositioned.

With the engine shoehorned back into the frame, it was time to craft an exhaust system. Roberto and his crew built a completely custom system from scratch using stainless steel, with multiple bends snaking around the cylinder head and the frame tubes. It’s terminated with a stubby SuperTrapp muffler.

The 41mm forks have been overhauled and lowered, and the rear monoshock has been upgraded to a YSS unit, adjustable for both length and rebound. The stance is now spot on.

As a true dual sport, the NX650 originally had a 21-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear, hooked up to the famous Pro-Link suspension.

RC Dept have evened things out with new 19-inch rims front and rear for a hint of a tracker vibe, painted black, and added street legal Mitas H-18 flat track rubber. (There’s a new front sprocket to keep the gearing within range.)

Sharp eyes will recognize the Honda CG125 fuel tank, an inspired choice that’s matched to a flat track tail unit. Side plates and a curved front plate with a built-in LED light complete the look—all subtly shaped for maximum impact.

New bars are fitted with a Motogadget Motoscope Mini digital speedometer,  and a fresh set of controls and push-button switches. They’re hooked up to a new, stripped-down wiring loom.

Like everything else on this Dominator, the effect is ultra-minimalist. That’s unusual for a tracker-style bike, but it works perfectly here—right down to the satin black paint with white and gold striping.

We rarely feature custom Dominators because most look slightly awkward after they’ve gone under the grinder—especially if they’ve been given the short-seat treatment.

But this one ticks all the boxes, and suggests that the tracker style is a great match for the Dommie frame. And despite Andorra’s tiny population, we don’t think RC Dept are going to be short of work.

RC Dept | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Sam Decout

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A scrambled Honda NX 650 from Asphalt and Gravel

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date September 21, 2018

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
The Honda NX 650 Dominator is one of the custom scene’s greatest sleepers. It’s not the most prolific donor, but it’s loaded with potential. Even in stock form it has tons of 90s adventure bike charm—and if you tweak it just right, you’ll end up with a killer scrambler.

At first glance, this Italian-built Dommie looks like a rough-hewn weekend thrasher. Look past the murdered-out paint job though, and you’ll find a slew of tasteful changes.

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
It’s the work of Tommaso, founder of the unusually well curated Asphalt and Gravel Instagram account. Tommaso’s wrenched on his own own bikes before, but this is the first official Asphalt and Gravel bike built for a customer—’#AG01.’

“I started riding at 10 years old in the family quarry,” he tells us, “and I haven’t stopped since then. I created a space inside the quarry, where I can work on my projects, and take care of my bike collection—the so-called ‘Asphalt and Gravel den’.”

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
Tommaso’s client wanted a scrambler with some 70s dirt bike influence. After some deliberation, they settled on the Dominator—so Tommaso sourced a good condition example, and brought it back to the den. There, he and his friend Edoardo set to work.

Given the state of the donor, the guys didn’t have to crack open the motor. But they did bin all the bodywork, so that they could start fresh.

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
On went the fuel tank from a 1971 KTM 125 cc dirt bike, held in place by a custom-made leather tank strap bearing the A&G logo. The strap is all that’s holding the tank down, and had to be attached via custom-made mounting brackets, welded to the frame.

Out back, Tommaso and Edoardo edited the subframe, finishing it off with an LED strip that handles both taillight and turn signal duties. There’s a custom-made saddle up top, and a pair of hand-made side panels to round out the design.

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
Underneath the seat, the team ditched the airbox for a pod filter. They also re-did all the wiring, tucking the battery and a bunch of other components up under the seat.

The Dominator’s new headlight shroud proved to be a tricky piece to execute, and it took several tries before the final fiberglass part was ready. It houses two powerful Baja Designs LED headlights, and a pair of turn signals.

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
The guys also grafted on upside-down forks and a new front wheel, lifted off a modern scrambler, and overhauled the rear shock. Both rims and the fork legs were anodized black, and the wheels were wrapped in chunky Continental TKC80 tires. The front brake disc was replaced, the master cylinders at both ends were upgraded to Brembo items, and the brake lines replaced.

There are a bunch of subtle touches that give this Dominator a really sorted feel. A&G have seen to the minutiae; installing new cable guides and adding an inline fuel filter. But they’ve also mixed in some great visual hits, like those vintage Supertrapp cans, courtesy of eBay.

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
The front fender is a generic item that Tommaso cut to length (he cites his lack of an English wheel as his reason for not rolling his own), while the rear plate bracket is a hand-made piece.

Other small changes include grippy Accossato foot pegs, Tarozzi passenger pegs, Magura grips and a single bar-end mirror. The Dominator’s bulky dashboard is gone, replaced by a tiny digital Motogadget unit, mounted just off the bars. And the ignition’s been moved to the side of the bike, to clean the cockpit up even more.

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
Even though #AG01’s livery is hardly in-your-face, it involved a lot of thought. The customer wanted a ‘very dark’ bike, but not completely black. So the frame, motor and a bunch of other mechanical components were finished in black, while the bodywork was painted a dark grey.

Matteo Murgia did a stellar job executing the paint job. He even added light grey, period-correct Honda logos to the tank—giving the bike more of an OEM vibe.

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel
With Asphalt and Gravel’s Dominator all buttoned up and ready for delivery, there was only one thing left to do: drag it into the quarry for its glamor shoot.

Looks like it would be a total blast to hammer around on, doesn’t it?

Asphalt & Gravel Instagram | Facebook | Images by Andrea Caredda

A Honda NX 650 Dominator scrambler from Asphalt and Gravel

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Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Dominator 650

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date October 26, 2017

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
We all love gushing over high-end custom motorcycles, but the truth is that these incredible machines cost real money to build. Which begs the question: is it possible to create something truly cool, without breaking the bank?

This 1994 Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom in Padua, Italy says Heck Yes. Brothers Diego and Riccardo Coppiello have made good taste their hallmark, and the tight budget on this project hasn’t held them back one bit.

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
Sure, there’s nothing revolutionary or over the top about this thumper—and North East know it. But their goal was to build a neat and simple daily runner that could head to the hills on the weekend, and they nailed it.

“We believe that expensive motorbikes and customizations are not necessary to have a beautiful machine,” says Diego. “You can still have an amazing bike without spending loads of money. You just need good taste and proportions, and that’s what we did with this bike.”

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
“We always like to do our best in achieving beautiful projects according to the customer’s budget. It’s a kind of a challenge, always different, but that’s what makes our work exciting.”

“And the best comes at the end, when we lift the cloth up and show the final motorbike to the customer and we see the joy and surprise on his eyes. That’s priceless.”

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
Most of the work happened at the rear, where the guys tailor-made a new, looped subframe for a cleaner effect—and to accommodate a new perch. The custom-made seat is long enough to take a pillion, and upholstered in brown leather with a unique slanted pattern.

Even more work went on under the seat, where North East spent time repositioning all the electrical bits to keep things tidy. They also ditched the Dominator airbox in favor of a foam filter.

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
A new pair of side covers was then fabbed up to hide everything away, with the brothers taking design cues from the fuel tank’s silhouette. The tank itself is from a Honda CG125, and it was a perfect match after it was modified to fit the Dominator 650 frame.

Though the Dominator has shed its plastic bulk, it hasn’t lost any of its old-school dirt bike appeal. North East capped it off with high fenders at both ends, and even picked an enduro-style taillight to drive the point home.

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
They dropped the front forks ever so slightly—and stiffened them—to improve the stance and handling on the road. But they kept the stock 21F/17R wheels, and wrapped them in Continental’s popular TKC80 dual-sport tires for maximum grip when things get sketchy.

They even left the wheels in the original gold, echoed up top by a set of gold handlebars. The cockpit’s also sporting a new set of grips and an MMB speedo—with a hand-made bracket designed to play nice with the stock ignition. The lighting package includes a Bates-style headlight, and small LED turn signals on custom mounts.

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
The Dominator’s one of the few single-cylinder bikes with dual exhaust ports, giving Diego and Riccardo the opportunity to go to town on the exhaust. So they ditched the OEM high system in favor of hand-made, two-into-one headers, terminating in an off-the-shelf muffler.

The Dominator’s killer new stance and lines are matched by an equally well thought out color scheme. The brothers were after something elegant, so they opted for ‘metallic sage green’—a hue found on the Mini Countryman. They then added the iconic Honda wing logos to the tank, and the original 80s ‘Dominator’ graphics to the side covers, as a nod to the original bike.

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom
Every last inch has been considered. The frame’s been done in dark grey, and the engine’s been cleaned up and treated to complementing black and raw finishes. Even the fork lowers and swing arm got a fresh coat of black.

The result is a funky scrambler that proves that you don’t need to fork out for a Walt Siegl Leggero or a Mule flat tracker to be cool. Just as long as you have the right donor—and as much talent as the Coppiello brothers.

North East Custom | Facebook | Instagram

Dirt on the Cheap: A Low Budget, High Fun Honda Dominator 650 from North East Custom

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Custom Bikes of the Week

Post author By Matt Neundorf
Post date January 31, 2016

A pair of ‘official’ Ducati customs, a stunning Indian Scout from France, and a Honda Dominator from a Finnish automotive engineer. Meet the motorcycles that got our motors running this week.

Ducati draXter concept The Diavel has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Riding one, I found it extremely comfortable, delivering copious amounts of grunt and just nimble enough to find its way off the boulevard cruise. But I dare say it’s never been a looker. At least not in my eyes.

The Ducati draXter, on the other hand, fully embraces its steroidal persona. It’s a dragster concept based on the new XDiavel cruiser, and instead of trying to blend in amongst the screaming eagles, it wears its Affliction T-shirt with pride. Raiding the parts bin, Ducati’s Advanced Design unit picked out the Panigale’s suspension and braking components—and then the stylists took the bodywork to the extremes.

The swooping line from front fender to tail is exquisite, and I can’t think of a more entertaining way to melt 240-series rubber. [More]

Honda VRX 400 by La Busca Motorcycles Racing’s past is rich with machines of inspiration. This 1998 Honda VRX400 was built in tribute to the Harley KRTT that Roger Reiman rode to victory at the first Daytona 200 race held at the speedway in 1961.

Crafted by Jez and the lads at La Busca Motorcycles of Lancaster, England, Riff Raff looks like it’d be right at home tackling Daytona’s old beach course. Thanks in part to the Full Bore AT tires and its tracker stance this completely re-built VRX400 can probably handle any terrain you wish. The engine was brought back to within spec, and the carbs re-jetted—to maximize the gains from the slash-cut exhaust. (An admittedly cleaner design than Reiman’s originals.)

The front number board has integrated project beam headlights to deliver a modern, roadworthy touch, but that sprung seat is period correct—so you’ll want to stand on the pegs when heading off-piste. [More]

Mr Martini Peace Sixty2 As everyone knows, the Scrambler has been a huge success for Ducati. It occupies a rarified space: it’s excellent in stock form, and it’s also a stellar base for customization. The dust has now settled after the launch of the 400cc Sixty2 variant, so Ducati has enlisted a handful of builders to show what the smaller Scrambler is capable of.

‘Peace Sixty2’ comes to us from the talented Mr Martini and the retro vibe is strong with this one—check the sixties-era fiberglass fairing, the rainbow racing-stripe, and the John Lennon lyrics surrounding its racing number. In profile, it looks a stunner. But I can’t decide whether I love the simplicity of the headlight treatment, or wonder why the lamp isn’t fully integrated.

Regardless, the work to the subframe and tail looks the business. And if that fairing became a factory option, I’m sure it’d sell like hotcakes. [More]

Indian Scout by V-Twin Garage The Indian Scout is another excellent new platform for riders and builders alike. We’ve already seen a few stunning Scouts on these pages, but this one is ‘official.’ Called Tomahawk, it’s from Bordeaux’s V-Twin Garage and was created for Project Scout, Indian’s global dealer contest.

Thirty-five different dealers are transforming the entry-level Indian, with only one caveat: each dealer must use a minimum of three official Indian accessories. It took four of V-Twin Garage’s builders four weeks to turn Tomahawk into a rolling reality. All the metalwork has been done by hand, including the narrowed tank and the one-piece seat and tail.

Top shelf components from Motogadget, Roland Sands Design, Joker Machine and others are fitted, plus four pieces from the Scout catalogue. Voting for the winner closes February 19th. [More]

Honda NX650 by Janne Hietakangas Proportions on a custom build can be tough to get right—especially your first time around. But Finland’s Janne Hietakangas may have had a slight advantage: he’s an automotive design engineer, which explains why this Honda NX650 Scrambler sits so perfectly.

Being able to manipulate ideas in photoshop and CAD, Janne took his time to dial everything in digitally before breaking out the grinder. Working with his stock Dominator, Janne stripped what wasn’t desired or needed and sold the parts to fund his build. With $550 in his pocket, he set to work using scrapped parts whenever he could, and tackling everything else himself.

The finished product may fall outside of the realm of calendar grade customs, but it’s bloody impressive and incredibly inspiring. Hyvä työ, Janne! [More]

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Double Act: Dream Wheels’ custom scrambler

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date July 30, 2015

Nuno Capêlo is one of those renaissance guys who have way too much talent. He’s an architect-turned-bike-designer, who can sketch out sharp-looking concepts ready to be turned into metal.

Nuno’s CV includes Portugal’s best builders—including it roCkS!bikes and Ton-Up Garage. And now he can add this very funky custom scrambler to the list.

It’s a collaboration with Dream Wheels Heritage, and based on a 1989 Honda Dominator. After a little brainstorming, the guys decided that the bike should be a nod to 70s-era Hondas—referencing bikes like the TL250 and CL450. Nuno would create the design, and Dream Wheels would execute it.

“We wanted to give to this build a retro scrambler look,” says Dream Wheels’ Hélder Moura, “paying attention to functionality and more accurate lines, for a mix between the new and the old stuff.”

To recreate the TL250-esque line and paint scheme that Nuno laid down, Dream Wheels restored and fitted the fuel tank from a Portuguese-made Casal T-185 Trial. CL450 cues are found in the plump tuck-and-roll seat and the high, two-into-two exhausts. Both items were fabricated in-house.

Dream Wheels also built a new subframe, with a discreet under-seat tray to house a gel battery and electrical components. Nominal hand-made fenders were added at both ends, with a small LED tail light peeking out at the rear.

The headlight is an unusual feature—it’s an old car fog light, poking through a custom-made number board. Behind it is a Koso speedo, a set of fatbars from Dyna Racing and Domino grips.

The Dominator’s engine was stripped, rebuilt, repainted and set up. There’s a new transmission, and the airbox has been chucked for a K&N filter adorned with Dream Wheels’ logo.

Up front are a set of Yamaha YZ426 forks—rebuilt and setup for the bike. The stock wheels have been swapped for a pair of 17-inch spoked numbers, wrapped in Continental TKC80s, and the brake lines have been replaced.

It’s another home run for Dream Wheels, and one of the freshest Honda Dominators we’ve seen. Now if only we could get our hands on the keys.

Dream Wheels Heritage | Facebook | Nuno Capêlo