Working Class Hero: A {custom} Honda NX650 Dominator from Budapest

Many Honda Dominator customs use the identical template. Swap the gas tank for one thing slimmer, trim the subframe and also you’re midway there. However there’s one other solution to go about it; lean into the Dominator’s journey bike DNA to construct a utilitarian scrambler.

That’s the trail that the Hungarian workshop, Neuga, took with this 1994 Honda NX650 Dominator. Wrapped in muted finishes, and sporting an imposing stance, it has the look of a retro Baja 1000 race bike—albeit with an air of refinement.

“This construct was an ‘in-house’ challenge, for one among our crew members,” says Neuga founder, Benedek Eszteri. “It took about six months from teardown to complete. The thought was to have a motorcycle as reliable because it will get—and we couldn’t consider a greater donor than a Dominator.”

“The donor was in okay situation, but it surely was torn accomplished fully, measured and rebuilt with every little thing changed that had even slight put on. We wished to have a double headlight and a few carbon—that was the essential concept. The whole lot else took form through the challenge… it was form of freestyle.”

Neuga went deep, beginning with a full engine rebuild. And we do imply full—there isn’t a single element that hasn’t been changed or refurbished. It appears to be like model new on the skin too, with a recent coat of warmth resistant black paint punctuated by the polished fins and engine covers.

The blokes additionally constructed the {custom} two-into-one (the one cylinder Dominator has two shops) chrome steel exhaust system. It terminates in a basic Supertrapp muffler.

Equal consideration was given to the Dominator’s chassis and operating gear. Neuga saved the OEM forks, however rebuilt them with new springs, then re-installed them with new steering neck bearings. The rear shock was swapped out for a brand new YSS unit.

The wheels and brakes are inventory, though they give the impression of being model new. Each final bearing and seal was changed, all of the fasteners have been cleaned and freshly galvanized, and each black element was stripped and re-coated. Neuga rewired the bike too, and upgraded the brake hoses with Goodridge strains.

The Honda’s bodywork is a mixture of inventory, modified, scalped and {custom} elements. Neuga saved the inventory 4.2 gallon gas tank, in order that this construct wouldn’t endure any vary penalties. Then they took the OEM entrance fairing, and trimmed it down to simply two ‘wings’ to assist spherical off the entrance of the gas tank, visually.

For the seat, they began with the inventory pan—then trimmed it, added gel inserts for a plusher trip, and re-upholstered it. Both sides of the brand new seat cowl has an illustration stitched into it; the left symbolize the proprietor’s favourite surf spot, and the precise his favourite BMX path.

Sitting beneath the seat is a set of {custom} physique panels, hand-formed out of carbon fiber; “Not that it saves a lot weight,” quips Benedek. The rear’s completed off with a bolt-on license plate bracket, and a custom-built baggage rack. An LED taillight’s tucked in below the rear lip, with discreet LED flip indicators flanking it.

The entire Neuga workforce is nuts about BMX, in order that they’re presently additionally engaged on a detachable BMX rack for the again finish. For now, the Dominator’s proprietor is content material to easily lay his BMX flat on the rear rack, and tie it down.

Up entrance is the total headlight cluster from a Honda XR250 Baja—an association that locations two lights inside a ‘roll cage’ of kinds. Neuga refurbished it, earlier than adapting it to suit the Dominator. A plastic fender from a Kawasaki KLX dust bike sits just under it.

Benefiting from the additional actual property afforded by the chunky headlights, the workforce created a carbon fiber dashboard to take a seat up prime. It hosts a pair of Daytona gauges, a few {custom} switches and a charging port. The mirrors and switch indicators are Motogadget gadgets, whereas the handlebars come from Renthal.

Neuga paid consideration to the little issues too. The brake and clutch levers are ASV elements, however they’ve been modified to accommodate the inventory brake fluid reservoir and choke lever. There’s a {custom} carbon fiber entrance sprocket cowl decrease down too.

The ultimate paint scheme ramps up the Honda’s purposeful vibe. Neuga caught to a heat gray for the tank and its aspect panels, damaged solely by a pair of super-sized Honda wings. Gold wheels provide a nod to the Dominator’s unique design.

Shod with Continental’s evergreen TKC80 dual-sport tires, this Dominator appears to be like prepared for something. From navigating the streets of Budapest, to searching down new BMX spots, we’re positive it’s going to rack up loads of miles.

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