If you are looking for for an adventure bike to customize, Honda NX650 Dominator make a convincing argument. It will go anywhere, do anything, and last forever without breaking the bank. Its only downside is how it looks – that’s why you won’t feel guilty tearing it down.
Brothers Diego and Riki Coppiello are ready to make the world a better place, a custom Dominator at a time. They run Northeast Customs in northern Italy, and is passionate about enduro races and classic racing. So even though they build a lot of custom styles, they especially love working on adventure bikes.
The brothers were approached by a few friends who wanted to do a custom build together. Inspired by vintage raiding machines, North East Custom hauled the Dominator into the store and hit the road.
Diego told us: “The base is a 1994 Honda NX650 Dominator – an ugly one. “So we replaced the tank with the 1989 model and built a new shield.”
The old Honda gas tank was swapped out straight, but the racing-style crank was built from scratch, using fiberglass. The two blend perfectly together, giving the building a polished, factory-like feel.
A pair of LED headlights are located behind the metal trim; the mismatched dimensions are faintly reminiscent of BMW’s iconic R1150GS. There’s more light at the bottom, in the form of LED strips tucked into the front edge of the apron. A supermotard fender from UFO finishes off the front end.
Behind the windshield is a custom dashboard that plays host to the GPS mount, digital gear from Koso, light switches, and fuse box. The custom leather bag below the dash is a particularly nice touch. It’s the perfect storage for sunglasses, earplugs, and trail snacks.
A matching North East custom bar spacer adorns a new set of Neken bars, along with Domino handles and folding mirrors.
Further back, the original saddle has been reshaped with a slimmer, modern look without sacrificing its height. Covered in black leather with contrasting yellow stitching, the chair looks more than comfortable enough.
Handcrafted aluminum side panels perfectly wrap the Virex twin silencers, protecting the driver, passenger and any luggage thrown onto the saddle from the heat. A new fiberglass fender sits at the rear, with LED taillights neatly tucked below the rear edge. The tail section comes complete with a custom luggage rack, complete with a quick release holder for a bag from Indonesian apparel company Orbit.
The rest of the car features minimal (and practical) tweaks, starting with a sturdy all-terrain footrest. North East Custom also refreshed its factory-made 21F/18R wheels, with new gold rims and Continental TKC80 tyres. The forks also look brand new thanks to the new paintwork and new muffler.
The Dominator’s retinal tear paint scheme was inspired by Husqvarna’s Norden 901, although it’s not a straight tear. Bold colors and vintage graphics look right at home on this neoclassical adventure bike, and will stand out in the woods as well as in the city. Prominent on the fuel tank is the number 782—a combination of 1978 and 1982, the new owner’s year of birth.
Most adventure bikes are prime examples of function rather than form, but we think Diego and Ricki ticked both boxes here.
Everything on this Dominator looks its own, almost as if it were some forgotten assembly prototype that was never released. We can only see one problem: with two owners, who will drive it first?
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