It’s hard to deny the allure of a rally motorcycle. Every inch of it is built to perform, and every part on it serves a specific function. Add it all up, and it’s a total vibe; the very definition of form following function.
It’s little wonder then, that many modern adventure bikes take styling cues from purpose-built rally machines. And why the aftermarket is loaded with parts to convert dirt bikes into rally bikes—either to actually race them, or to simply make them more suitable for dual-sport use.
This custom 1989 Honda NX650 Dominator, from Holger Breur at HB-Custom in Germany, was built to do a little bit of everything. It’s the second Dominator that Holger has done up in this style, both with the specific purpose of tackling the Trans Euro Trail.
The Trans Euro Trail is an 80,000 km [49,710 mile] adventure riding route, 64 percent of which occurs on dirt roads. It’s a virtual navigation rally of sorts—participants can download free GPS routes, stretching from the Arctic Circle all the way to Africa, and tackle them at their leisure, bit by bit. And this Honda looks perfect for it.
Holger took some of his inspiration from a friend’s Husqvarna 701 Enduro, which had been equipped with an aftermarket navigation tower. 701 conversions are commonplace, and parts for them are easy to find. But this isn’t the case with the Dominator.
That’s why the nav tower on this particular bike is a mash-up of repurposed, modified and one-off parts. Holger started with a handful of KTM bits, then pieced them together with a number of custom-made items. The actual windscreen comes from Rade Garage, a company near Prague that specializes in this sort of stuff.
Lighting the way forward is a pair of Hella headlights. The nav tower is flanked by a pair of hand-made panels that tie everything together. But there are many mods that can’t be seen, too—like the tweaks to the steering neck and steering stops.
The layout behind the screen is tidy and practical. A digital Koso dash sits front and center, with a smartphone mount higher up for navigation. Holger’s added a charge port too, to make sure he doesn’t get lost.
Also in play are a set of Magura handlebars, fitted with cushy rally-style grips, hand guards and new switches. The brake lever’s another Magura part, and the brake hoses at both ends have been upgraded to braided stainless steel items. Holger also fitted a pair of grippy KTM foot pegs, but he had to modify the peg mounts to accommodate them.
Most of the bodywork is actually OEM, but the whole package has been refined somewhat. Holger left the fuel tank and seat pan alone, but added a gel insert and fresh upholstery to the latter. The front fender is from Polisport, while the rear fender is stock, with the addition of a pair of grab handles for dragging the bike out of tricky spots.
The wheels are stock too, but they’ve been stripped, powder-coated, and re-laced with stainless steel spokes. Other upgrades include Brembo brake discs, Michelin dirt tires and protectors for the front and rear brakes.
Holger upgraded the factory forks with new, adjustable internals, and swapped the rear shock out for a fully-adjustable YSS unit.
The Honda’s guts were also overhauled. Holger rebuilt the motor, and installed a Mikuni TM40 carb. He also fabricated a two-into-one-into-two exhaust system, and capped it off with matching titanium Leo Vince mufflers designed for the Honda CRF-series.
All the wiring’s new, built around a control unit from Axel Joost Elektronik in Germany.
The Dominator’s livery is simple, yet highly effective. Tasteful swathes of black and red adorn the bike, complemented by graphics ripped straight from Honda’s style guide.
Holger went to great lengths to add a sense of authenticity to the graphics. The Honda ‘Wing’ logos, seat logo and ‘PRO-LINK’ motif on the swingarm are obvious hits. But look even closer, and you’ll even spot Honda’s ‘Rally Touring’ logo on the side covers; a graphic that’s adorned countless Honda Transalps and Africa Twins throughout the years.
It’s details like these that make this Dominator so tasty. But the irony is that Holger probably won’t ride it on the Trans Euro Trail after all. He’s got another NX650 already lined up—so he’ll either make this one available to his girlfriend for the trip, or sell it.
Either way, we’re hoping it gets used for what it was designed for; dominating trails and getting dirty.
HB-Custom | Instagram | Images by Emayat Wahab
