The light adventure bike segment was growing in legitimacy in the late ’80s, and Honda decided to cash in by offering a more refined version of the XR600R with more power and a small nose faring for wind protection. Dubbed the NX650 Dominator, the new dual sport provided riders with the bare essentials for adventure, and while it wasn’t handsomely equipped, these air-cooled four-strokes are as bulletproof as it gets.
Despite poor sales in the U.S., the Honda NX lineup was a hit in Europe, eventually expanding to include displacements from 125 to 500 cc, in addition to the 650 Dominator. Often overshadowed by the XR650, scores of 650 Dominators are still out in the wild and make for rad custom thumpers.
From supermotos to trackers, you’ll find the world’s best Honda Dominator customs here on Bike EXIF.
We regularly wax lyrical about the virtues of the venerable Honda Dominator, and how its rugged simplicity makes it a prime candidate for customization. Many find it charming in stock form too, thanks to its quirky early-2000s adventure bike aesthetic. But not Žiga Petek. The man behind Slovenia’s Gas&Retro workshop ranks metal fabrication as his…
Read more »
The faithful Honda NX650 Dominator has proved to be a popular custom-build donor over the years. It could be due to the legendary reliability of Honda thumpers, the NX650’s relatively simple layout, or the fact that it can be picked up cheaply. Whatever the reason, there’s massive potential there—and STG Tracker has just exploited that…
Read more »
If you’re still sad about Harley never bringing the Bronx streetfighter to market, California’s Whiplash Speed Company has a custom Harley-Davidson Pan America that might just scratch your itch. Next, we feature a battle-ready Honda Dominator, a Yamaha Scorpio SX225 from Bali, and a 1972 Kawasaki H2-R with a racing pedigree.
Read more »
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Or, in the case of this Honda Dominator supermoto, one man’s blown engine is the perfect starting point for another man’s rowdy custom bike project. The bike belongs to Dario Di Mauro—one half of the Sicilian custom workshop Hardcore Division. He bought the 1993-model Honda NX650 Dominator from…
Read more »
Adventure riders know that the more your motorcycle falls over, the less you worry about your motorcycle falling over. It’s an essential…
Read more »
There’s a plethora of reasons to pick the Honda Dominator as a donor for a custom build. But for the crew at…
Read more »
It’s hard to deny the allure of a rally motorcycle. Every inch of it is built to perform, and every part on…
Read more »
Many Honda Dominator customs use the same template. Swap the fuel tank for something slimmer, trim the subframe and you’re halfway there.…
Read more »
If you’re looking for an adventure bike to customize, the Honda NX650 Dominator makes for a compelling argument. It will go anywhere,…
Read more »
Do you remember what first piqued your interest in custom motorcycles? Santi deWolf does; it was a Honda CB café racer, built…
Read more »
We kick off this week’s compilation with a Honda Dominator from Australia, and finish it off with two electric scooters from Indonesia.…
Read more »
The Honda XR600 has a cult following across the globe, and for good reason. As the original king of the Baja 1000,…
Read more »