When the Honda The Dax was put back into production a few years ago, K-Speed wasted little time getting them to use it. The Thai automaker’s founder, the mysterious Mr. Eak, owned a 50cc Dax as a teenager – and the workshop is especially good at customizing small Hondas. So one K-Speed Custom Dax is inevitable.
Two years on, K-Speed is still finding interesting ways to cram outstanding features into Honda’s small mini bike. This time, they’ve turned the Dax into an incredibly sassy—albeit incredibly compact—car.racing cafe.
In spite of K speed produces countless custom bikes each year for paying customers, this one is built in a shop. Eak wanted to see how far he could push the 2024 model Honda ST125 Dax without modifying its pressed steel frame (which also houses the fuel tank). Luckily, K-Speed has a wide range of Honda mini bike parts to produce, produced under their ‘Diabolus’ brand.
Dubbed the ‘Puppy Racer’, K-Speed’s custom Honda Dax benefits the most from a radical stance adjustment. The team started with a new Diabolus front end, including inverted forks and a more modern-looking upper swingarm. It sits lower than the stock setup, as do twin Diabolus shocks now at the rear.
Dax fans will also notice that this one rolls on larger wheels than the factory items. K-Speed installed 14-inch rims front and rear, equipping them with sturdy wheel covers. Switching from 12-inch wheels to 14-inch wheels is said to not be an easy task and requires a lot of work.
K-Speed also modified the swingarm, lengthening it by four inches and welding the tie rod to strengthen it. The brake system has been upgraded with new tubes and discs.
With the Dax’s chassis design, there wasn’t much bodywork that needed modification. K-Speed simply removed the front and rear fenders, and replaced the saddle with a cafe racer-style saddle from the Diabolus catalog. Manual fork brace replaces front fender.
Despite the harsh riding position, K-Speed still wanted to add practicality to the Dax. So they built a small rack to sit in front of the saddle, with a tubular frame behind, that wraps around the bike’s roomy taillight.
The cockpit features clip-on handlebars, equipped with Diabolus grips, grip end mirrors and classic micro-switches. A pair of machined plugs fills the holes where the handlebar clamp would normally sit. And if you’re looking for an OEM speedometer, it’s moved to the left side of the bike, making the control area as sparse as possible.
Other modifications to the running gear include new rear foot controls, swingarm-mounted license plate holder and LED turn signals.
K-Speed leaves the engine internals untouched but makes it a bit more aggressive with a stunning Diabolus exhaust. Complete with dual-exit mufflers and a heat shield with mesh back cutouts, it wouldn’t look out of place on a larger bike. A number of trim elements add visual oomph to the engine’s exterior, along with a black cover for the Dax’s chrome side cases.
In true K-Speed style, the Dax’s fuselage is painted matte black, sporting Diabolus branding and dark Honda badging.
Once again, K-Speed knocked little Dax out of the park. Is it realistic? Are not. But do we care? Neither.
Just give us an empty Honda Dax and a box of K-Speed parts, and we’ll quickly be the coolest kid outside the local ice cream shop.
