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One man’s trash is one other man’s treasure. Or, within the case of this Honda Dominator supermoto, one man’s blown engine is the right place to begin for one more man’s rowdy {custom} bike undertaking.
The bike belongs to Dario Di Mauro—one half of the Sicilian {custom} workshop Hardcore Division. He purchased the 1993-model Honda NX650 Dominator from a pal who had given up on it after its piston destroyed itself. And because it was a non-runner, Dario picked it up for the cheap sum of simply €300 [about $300].
Somewhat than earmark the Dominator as a possible donor for future consumer work, Dario determined to maintain it for himself. Along with Hardcore Division’s co-founder, Francesco, he spent late nights within the workshop turning it into an aggressive supermoto with basic scrambler model. “The purpose was to create an agile and high-performance motard, ranging from a base that nobody would have ever guess on,” he says.
A Honda XR650 cylinder head and camshaft facilitated the Dominator’s much-needed engine rebuild. Subsequent, Hardcore Division fabricated a two-into-one exhaust system that snakes by means of the body, terminating in a custom-made muffler from Mistral in Italy.
Dario and Francesco set about radically transforming the Dominator’s suspension subsequent. A set of WP Suspension forks, lifted from a KTM 690 SMC R, went onto the entrance, whereas the rear finish was handled to a Husqvarna swingarm and an adjustable shock from Shock Manufacturing unit within the UK. The swingarm conversion wasn’t precisely a plug-and-play affair; it took some deft lathe work to make the whole lot match.
17” Excel rims had been laced to a KTM entrance hub and a Husqvarna rear hub, and shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires. Brembo brake calipers deal with stopping duties at each ends.
With the Honda Dominator supermoto conversion nicely underway, Hardcore Division switched their focus to its aesthetics. Dario needed some classic particulars, so he salvaged a 1976 Honda CB500 4 gas tank and tailored it to suit the Dominator.
Getting it to sit down excellent meant modifying the bike’s body too. So the duo hacked the complete rear half of the body off, fabricating a brand new subframe to concurrently accommodate the tank and tidy up the rear finish. All that’s seen within the body triangle is a pod filter, the exhaust header, and a slim electrics field.
A tracker-style seat sits up prime, capped off with stylish upholstery by the Italian motorbike seat specialist Volcano. Out again, a small LED taillight is built-in into the body rail, positioned simply above a brief fender.
On the reverse finish of the bike, a beneficiant high-mounted fender is held in place by a basic enduro-style fender bracket. A classic Hella headlight sits above it, full with its unmistakable cowl.
Dario put in a brand new set of tapered Neken handlebars, fitted with Magura grips, a Domino quick throttle, and Brembo levers. The crew rewired the entire bike, trimming down the switches to the naked necessities within the course of. A Daytona Velona speedo sits entrance and heart, whereas the ignition now lives slightly below the gas tank on the right-hand facet.
Holding with the classic theme, Dario known as in a pal, Vincenzo Giustolisi, to put down a basic Honda CB500-inspired livery. Look carefully, and also you’ll discover that the silver bits are all silver leaf work—proper right down to the ‘h’ embellishment on the entrance fender.
With Dario’s Honda Dominator supermoto buttoned up, he handed it to a pal (who’s additionally a racing teacher) to let free on their native supermoto observe. The shakedown confirmed two issues; not solely does the bike look completely bonkers, nevertheless it runs simply as nicely too.
Hardcore Division Instagram | Photographs by Andrea Paternò
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