For many of us, the love of the two wheels started long before we ever kicked our first engine to life. It started on our childhood bicycles, pretending we were on a motorcycle, our legs the pumping pistons of an internal combustion engine — perhaps even sticking playing cards in the spokes to mimic the sound of a motor! So it was for Chris and Antonis, childhood friends from Greece who started customizing their BMX bikes as boys:
“We would ride all around our town on ramps, dirt trails, etc. And today we ride motorcycles, cruising all around Europe!”
Today, they run a custom shop as a hobby: Custommade C.A. Working out of a small storage room, they cut and weld on custom bikes, drink beers with friends, and pursue their two-wheeled passions. When their friend George wanted a big single with solid torque, reliability, and a Mad Max attitude, they set out to create the bike of his dreams. The result is “Dominus,” after the name of the donor bike (Honda Dominator) and the new “lordish” look. We especially love the custom subframe and KTM USD forks.
Below, we get the full story on this lordly beast!
Honda NX650 Supermoto: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
We are Chris and Antonis, two childhood friends who started customizing their first BMX bikes as kids and have now reached the point that we cut and weld motorcycles and create custom parts for ourselves and our friends, as a hobby. Our love for two wheels was born the day we managed to ride our first bicycle. We would ride all around our town on ramps, dirt trails, etc. And today we ride motorcycles, cruising all around Europe!
Antonis, a professional engineer, and Chris, a restless spirit — we never liked our rides to be stock, always wanted it to be unique, customized as we imagined it, having its own soul, its own spirit — a fact that influenced lots of our friends and made them start looking for the unique as well.
As the number of our people who wanted something custom grew, the existence of a small garage became a necessity. The “Custommade C.A.” garage is a tiny storage room where we cut and weld motorcycles, drink beers with friends, and have fun. Like a playground for adults!
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
The bike is a Honda NX650 Dominator from 1995.
• Why was this bike built?
Our friend George, the owner, wanted a bike to ride every now and then, just to get away from his everyday routine and relax his mind. So he came to us with a cooler box full of beers and some cool ideas, which we discussed, upgraded some parts of his concept, and here we are five months later!
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
George wanted a “big single” motorcycle with high torque and reliability. He wanted to have a motorcycle out of the movie Mad Max but with some color on it. He wanted something simple, mean, unique.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
The motorcycle was bought from a retired gentleman, and though the frame had some rust on it, the engine was well maintained. Everything was taken apart and the grinder worked overtime to remove unnecessary parts.
The subframe was cut, and a removable, more sporty tube subframe was built from scratch. The front suspension and brakes were upgraded to an adjustable 48mm USD fork with a 4 piston Brembo caliber from a KTM Prestige 640 and the seat was made with alcantara leather that covered the electric box from plain sight.
The bike became lighter; a new air filter and a new exhaust system from were built from scratch. New jets in the carburetor and new motard wheels gave the motorcycle a good amount of extra power and handling that offer the rider a smile of happiness every time the throttle is twisted.
A new fuel tank was fitted on the frame and a Bluetooth control module was modified, so that a smartphone can be used as a speedometer-rpm meter, while no gauges are on display if someone doesn’t want to. Some custom brackets and details were made from Antonis with his CNC router, in order to give this motorcycle its unique character. Tiny CNC handlebar switches were used to give the “Mad Max” look and the wiring was hidden in the handlebars.
At the beginning the bike was supposed to have no lights at all, but integrated LED strip taillight and LED strip turn signals were used on the rear and some LED projectors on the front to make it street legal and safe to be driven at night.
• Does the bike have a nickname?
The bike was named “Dominus” after the name of the donor bike (Dominator) and its new look, which is kinda lordish and draws your attention like it owns it.
• How would you classify this bike?
I think this bike is something between a street tracker, a streetfighter and a supermotard. I cant really find a suitable category for it.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Well every single part that was made for this bike makes us proud, but if we had to choose only one, this would be the subframe. It took us a lot of time to make it exactly how we wanted it to be, and we had to alter it many times so it looks awesome from every angle that you stare at it.
Follow the Builder
- Website: www.custommaderacer.com
- Instagram: @custommade_gr
- Facebook: @Custommade_gr-654106678337953
Not in my stable.