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
