Enduro Dominator: Honda NX650 “EDNA”

“Enduro-ized” Dominator from Guido Gerretti…

The NX650 Dominator may have gone out of production over two decades ago, but it remains a favorite among adventure riders and custom builders alike. This is particularly true in Europe, where the bulk of these single-cylinder “trailies” were sold. Here in the States, the bike was only available for two years, though the 644cc RFVC engine would be used in the Honda XR650L, which remains one of the most popular dual-sports ever made.

In Europe, these bikes are plentiful, relatively affordable, and have a bulletproof reputation not unlike that of the XR650L. While the 44-hp engine is plenty stout, Dominators require suspension upgrades for any real off-road riding. What’s more, the heavy OEM fairings are highly susceptible to cracking and breakage. Add everything up, and you’ve got the perfect candidate for a custom transformation.

This ’95 Dominator comes from our new friend Guido Gerretti (@guidog_adventure). The bike was Guido’s first-ever enduro machine, and he quickly fell in love. In fact, he’s even named the bike “EDNA” after his romantic partner “since for us motorcyclists, the bike is our companion.”

After a few years of riding the bike in stock trim, Guide decided he wanted to make it more capable for longer trips and off-road rides. His first focus was “adding lightness,” removing the original fairings, side panels, instrumentation, and various accessories.

But Guido wasn’t done. He wanted EDNA to be both unique and highly functional. He swapped the OEM fuel tank for a lighter one, added an LED headlight in a Deburr.it 3D-printed housing, retrofitted the suspension with Wilbers goodies, installed a KKbike.it transmission kit, added additional Sercomoto lighting, swapped in new Circuit Equipment fenders and handguards, spooned on Mitas tires, and added a detachable HugerockItalia navigation tablet along with Koso instrumentation.

The overall effect is a much more capable big-bore street-legal four-stroke enduro, which can double as an adventure bike with the Lonerider bags attached. We absolutely love it. And notably, all of the modifications were made without touching the frame or engine, so the bike could be brought back to stock if Guido so desired.

Best of all is the way it rides and performs — incredibly well for a 30-year-old machine. And, as you can see in the video below, EDNA gets plenty of off-road action.

“Riding this bike is an incredible feeling because it can easily keep up with modern off-road and adventure bikes. The best thing after making EDNA like this is that wherever I go, it is appreciated by everyone for its uniqueness and especially because it is fully functional and usable 100% off-road.”

Bravo, Guido! What an incredible transformation of a standard trailie into a double-barreled blast of function and form. Below is our full interview with the man himself about the build, and credit goes to Guido himself for the gorgeous photos.

Honda NX650 Dominator Enduro: Owner Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself and your history with this motorcycle.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Guido Gerretti, I was born in 1986, and I am a motorcycle enthusiast, especially adventure and enduro/off-road bikes. My first enduro bike was the 1995 Honda Dominator NX650. In the first few years, I rode the bike completely original, but then I decided to start customizing it because I wanted a unique bike that would work for both some trips and off-road riding.

So, I initially started by lightening the bike, removing the front headlight with the original instrumentation and the side panels. I also removed the side panels and the license plate holder.

Later, I decided to further personalize the bike, making it even more unique and off-road oriented. I changed the fuel tank to a smaller one for weight reduction, reworked the headlight with an LED one, added additional spotlights, shortened the seat, changed the exhaust, swapped the tires, changed the suspension, replaced the handguards, changed the front/rear fenders, and modified the instrumentation and license plate holder with turn signals. All of this was done without modifying the original frame or engine.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

The bike has a nickname, and it’s called EDNA.

The name EDNA is the nickname of my life partner. Since for us motorcyclists, the bike is our companion, I decided to name my first one EDNA.

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride?

Riding this bike is an incredible feeling because it can easily keep up with modern off-road and adventure bikes. The best thing after making EDNA like this is that wherever I go, it is appreciated by everyone for its uniqueness and especially because it is fully functional and usable 100% off-road.