If we had to use one word to describe the bikes that roll out of Holger Breuer’s workshop, it would be ‘crisp.’ Whether he’s building a bobber or a scrambler, the man behind HB-Custom has an eye for perfect proportions and liveries that pop. Even when he’s working with a tired old Suzuki dual-sport as a donor, Holger manages to make magic.
This 1994 Suzuki DR650 came to the HB-Custom workshop in Husum, Germany, all the way from Berlin. Holger’s client actually booked two bikes in at once; an old BMW boxer to turn into a bobber for solo rides, and the Suzuki, which was destined for around-town duties and the occasional two-up jaunt.
The bike arrived as a rolling chassis with a very loose brief, so Holger envisioned a svelte scrambler for whipping through Berlin’s city streets. He’s built a number of handsome custom Honda Dominators, and figured that he could apply the same formula to the Suzuki DR650. And he was right.
But first, the Suzuki’s well-worn motor needed attention. Holger tore it down and rebuilt it, complete with new seals and gaskets and a fresh coat of paint. This engine might be almost three decades old, but it’s clean enough to eat off of.
Holger installed a Mikuni TM40 carb too, equipped with a K&N air filter in place of the airbox. The exhaust header is custom, while the muffler is a repurposed Shark unit, attached to a handmade hanger.
None of the Suzuki’s OEM bodywork remains. Starting up top, Holger adapted a Yamaha XT500 fuel tank to fit the Suzuki. New tank mounts had to be added to the frame too, along with new steering stops.
Further back, Holger hacked off the subframe and fabricated a new one. It’s flanked by a pair of handmade aluminum side panels, which hide most of the bike’s electrical components.
A new seat sits up top, upholstered in a mix of solid and perforated leather. The client likes to take his son along on rides, so Holger had to make sure there was enough room for two. He also retained the original passenger peg mounting points, but swapped the actual pegs and mounting brackets out for newer ones.
The bike’s bookended by custom-made steel fenders, with enough meat on the rear fender to keep muck off the air filter. Look closely, and you’ll also spot an attachment point at the back for the bike’s license plate bracket.
Holger retained the DR650’s original forks, wheels and brakes, but everything’s been refurbished—right down to a new set of stainless steel spokes for the wheels. The rear shock comes from YSS, and the adventure-type tires are Mitas E-09s.
A decently-sized Koso LED headlight sits up front, mounted on new headlight brackets. A slew of Magura parts sit just behind it, including the risers, handlebars, levers and grips. A single KTM 350 EXC switch cluster is attached to the left side of the bars, covering the basic functions.
Motogadget supplied the tiny digital speedo, along with its housing, which also holds the LED warning lights. Holger also rewired the Suzuki using components from the German company Axel Joost Elektronik, and installed Kellermann turn signals and taillights to complete the spec.
We said that Holger has a talent for picking good color schemes, and we weren’t kidding. He finished the DR650’s tank off with a design that plays on Suzuki’s traditional logos and racing colors, with a little black to modernize it. The frame, and a bunch of other hard parts, were powder-coated black to match.
HB-Custom’s Suzuki DR650 is as crisp as any of Holger’s previous builds, and proof that he can adapt his style to just about any platform. Then again, we expected nothing less.
HB-Custom | Instagram | Images by Emayat Wahab
