There’s a plethora of reasons to pick the Honda Dominator as a donor for a custom build. But for the crew at Morex Customs in France, it was one particular attribute that sealed the deal; its reliability. Honda thumpers are notoriously bulletproof, and the guys wanted to build a custom scrambler that would not only look great, but run forever.
Based in Vezin-le-Coquet, a commune in Brittany in the northwestern region of France, the Morex workshop is run by brothers Joan and Kévin Morel, with their friend, Valentin Pointeau. Since all three are motocross riders, they wanted to imbue the Dominator with a little modern off-road racing style.
“The idea was bold,” Kévin tells us. “We wanted to take the robust and reliable heart of a legendary motorbike, and rethink the running gear with high-performance parts. The result is a perfect blend of eras—a bike with character and modern lines.”
Transforming the bike from a bone stock Honda NX650 Dominator into the sharp street scrambler you see here took the trio almost a year. They employed a wide range of techniques too—from 3D design, to good old-fashioned mechanical work.
Since reliability was top of the list, and since the donor bike was in a shoddy condition, Morex decided to split the engine open and rebuild it. The cylinder went off to Revaltec to be honed, before everything was put back together with a new piston and a full complement of gaskets, seals and bearings. The transmission is factory fresh, too.
On the outside, everything was cleaned up and vapor-blasted to the point that it’s no longer recognizable. A BMC air filter was installed to replace the airbox, before Kévin fabricated an all-new two-into-one exhaust system.
Most of the Honda’s running gear is new too. Morex re-laced the Honda hubs to 18” Excel rims with new spokes, then wrapped them in Continental TKC80 rubber. The original brake calipers were refurbished, but the front now grips an oversized disc from Braking, with a custom-made carrier to make sure everything lines up.
Also fitted up front are the yokes and upside-down forks from a Yamaha WRF450, shortened to suit a supermoto stance and riding style. A YSS shock does duty at the back.
The Dominator’s new bodywork is remarkably svelte. The set includes a repurposed Yamaha 125 DTMX fuel tank, modified to fit the Honda. Behind it, Morex redesigned the subframe to create a stepped profile.
The supermoto-inspired headlight nacelle and front fender, and the tapered rear cowl, were designed using CAD software. The final parts were then 3D printed in a robust nylon material, and finished in gloss black. LED lights are embedded at both ends.
The work is incredibly tidy, and loaded with neat details. Morex’s logo is embossed into each 3D-printed part, and the back end is finished off with a honeycomb grill over the taillight, and a discreet inner fender lower down. A blank-off plate under the seat hides the wiring, which has been redone around a Motogadget controller.
Equal consideration went into the super-sparse cockpit. Neken motocross handlebars sit front and center, fitted with new grips and Beringer clutch and brake controls. There’s even a single mirror perch on the left side, for when you’re riding the bike instead of taking photos of it.
The push button switchgear, and the tiny digital speedo, come from Motogadget. The latter is mounted on a clever little bracket that clamps directly to the handlebars, along with a discreet warning light array.
Finished in gloss black with custom Morex badges on the tank, the Dominator now goes by the apt nickname, ‘Phantom.’ Kévin is also happy to report that it rides just as good as it looks.
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