The Honda CM250 was a 234cc air-cooled parallel twin produced from 1981-1983. The bike — a predecessor to the Rebel 250 — had decidedly “cruiser-ish” styling, though European-spec models offered a healthy 27 horsepower for the displacement.

Enter Max Inhulsen of The Netherlands, who bought his 1982 Honda CM250 for $250 from a man living in a former mental hospital in the woods. Max, who spent his teen years wrenching on mopeds, saw the potential behind the cruiser styling. He admits the bike build became an incredible help and rebound during a two-year period of personal challenge — something a lot of us can relate to, including yours truly.

Without further ado, we get the full story from the man himself.

Honda CM250 Scrambler:  In the Builder’s Words

Three years ago I was tired of daydreaming about wrenching on bikes and really missed the joy I had while wrenching on mopeds whilst in my teen years. I decided I wanted a small bike to begin with, since the only place I had to work on it, was in the garage of my granny.

After a couple of months searching on the internet I came across a Honda CM 250, which really wasn’t the most sporty or adventurous looking. But I could really see some potential underneath the chopperish look.

Before I knew it I was on my way to the seller. He lived in a former mental hospital in the midst of a forest, pretty haunting place it was, but the guy was super friendly and for 250 bucks I was the new owner. Back home I rode around on it for some time, while I did not have my licence yet, so it was a good adrenaline rush nonetheless.

I had a pretty clear idea of how I wanted the bike to look or ‘feel’ like. Something you would find underneath a cloth in a old barn. Not too clean looking, but rough around the edges. The old Steve Mcqueen videos where he shreds trough the desert, were a big inspiration!

I stripped the bike to its bones and went from there. Powdercoated the frame and wheels with a matte black finish. Refurbished the front shocks and mounted new rear shocks. The bike did not have a kickstart, but some earlier models did. The castings were the same, so the original hole got Cnc-ed and an earlier model kickstart shaft went into the bike. Starter motor was removed. Made a seatpan which Silver Machine upholstered really nice!

An old Honda CB 360 tank was mounted, which in my opinion is the most beautiful tank Honda ever made and aesthetically appeals to any bike out there. (Originally planned to customize a Honda CB 360, but could not find one in my price range.) I bent a custom handlebar to look as similar as an old Triumph bar. 70’s style handlebar controls were fitted as well.

Picked up an old French fog light to use a headlight. Brake light is a nice one from Prism Supply. To finish the look, a custom 2-into-1 exhaust was fabricated with a Cone Engineering muffler.

I really like the way this project evolved. I did not draw anything but only went with the ideas I had in my mind. To let things go naturally felt great. Former bike builder Chris Dekker from Tin Can Customs helped me along the way with fabricating stuff and I learned a lot from him as well.

This build helped me a lot during the time when I was going through some personal challenges, and didn’t feel the happiest during two years of struggling. It was the perfect rebound for any problems I had during that time, especially when my former girlfriend broke up with me. (Let’s make it into a corny story, shall we? Haha.)

The bike has a really great growl to it and fits the bike nicely.

I think that’s all!

Build Specs

• Tires:
  Rear: Bridgestone Trailwing
  Front: Heidenau K 60
• Seat:
  Seatpan: custom
  Seat: Silvermachine.nl
• Headlight: Rally fog light, brand unknown
• Rearlight: Prism Supply.
• Batterybox: Custom made box with a Lithium Antigravity battery.
• Rearfender: Universal scrambler fender cutted and mounted.
• Airfilter: DNA filters
• Ignition/wiring : New coils and digital regulator. Brand new wiring harness.
• Exhaust: 2 into 1 with Cone Engineering muffler.

Follow the Builder @max_inhulsen

Tom Gilroy, the founder of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto, has been making a name for himself in the custom moto scene. Besides turning out a herd of custom bikes, which can be seen ripping around Australia’s Gold Coast, Tom produces a veritable arsenal of custom part, including LED Lights, Headlights, CNC triple clamps, stainless steel mufflers, and more. More and more often, we’re seeing his parts turn up on custom bikes, such as the Purpose Built muffler on this Yamaha XS650 street tracker we featured recently.

Tom’s builds generally err toward the knobby-tired, dust-happy, go-anywhere machine. For this reason, the 1973 Honda CB350 brat cafe you see here was quite the departure — a “super classy aesthetic,” complete with a nickel-plated tank, hand-brushed, and an array of hot rod-inspired touches, such as whitewalls and bone-white paint.

Below, we get the full story on this classy brat.

Honda CB350F Brat Cafe:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’m a parts designer and manufacturer of LED Lights, handlebar switches and other electronics as well as mufflers.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1973 Honda CB350F

• Why was this bike built?

It was previously a café racer converted 350 Four, but the current owner wasn’t quite happy with the fit and finish and overall look of the bike. We wanted to make this bike his own.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I haven’t done a lot of truly classic style bikes so I wanted to leverage on that idea and come up with a style that held a super classic aesthetic with some hot-rod inspired touches.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

The engine and carbs were previously done so apart from some minor performance upgrades — Purpose Built Moto exhaust and new rear suspension — the rest was all about the style.

A new subframe hoop was fabricated to accommodate both the new brat style seat and keep wheel travel in check. The seat was hand made and shaped to suit then stitched in a worn tan leather. The guard were re-mounted to house the whitewall Shinko tyres and everything but the tank was finished in a bone white. The tank was completely stripped panel geat and was sent out for nickel plating.

When I received it back I brush-finished the tank painstakingly by hand for hours until I was completely happy with it. Once that was done a devised a detail design and colour pattern and sent it to my mate Justin at PopBang Classics for a lick of paint. Upon assembly the CB350 was treat to a host of Purpose Built Moto parts including our brand new lighting control relay, “the Black Box”, LED turn signals and our super slim handlebar switches.

• Please include a list of the changes made/parts used.

Purpose Built Moto Parts:

• V2 Black Box control module
• LED turn signals
• 3 Button + 2 Button Switch
• 53mm Tropedo Muffler

Other Parts:

• Gazi rear suspension
• After Hours Choppers Tail Light

• How would you classify this bike?

Brat Style with a touch of classy classic.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

The tank on this bike has to be the best feature, taking the brushed nickel plating and complementing it with the white and black hot rod inspired design turned out great. And PopBang Classics really went to town with the paint, it’s flawless!

Follow the Builder

• Purpose Built Moto:  Facebook | Instagram | Web

More Honda CB350 Customs

Honda CB350 Brat by Purpose Built Moto - Tom Gilroy, the founder of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto, has been making a name for himself in the custom moto scene. Besides turning out a herd of custom bikes, which can be seen ripping around […]

Honda CB350 Street Tracker by Vintage Iron - During our Florida swing last fall, we were fortunate enough to meet “Presidente Daniel” of the Vintage Iron Club, a community of like-minded vintage bike enthusiasts based in Palm Beach County. He let us know […]

Honda CB350F Cafe Racer by Will Hight - Arkansas. There must be something in the water.  First we starting seeing the incredible “neo-vintage” builds from One-Up Moto Garage in Fayetteville, such as this CB600 featured on Return of the Cafe Racers, which made […]

The husband and wife team of Droog Moto has been steadily turning out a stable’s worth of signature builds. While the donor platforms vary, the Droog Moto style has become unmistakable — raw, burly builds that would look right at home in the nuclear winter, eating up broken pavement and muddy trails in equal measure.

This, the tenth build in their Moto series, has earned the name Moto-X. Appropriately enough, the donor bike was one of the most legendary factory rides for the desert and woods:  the Honda XR600R. The client lives in Israel, and Droog Moto set out to create a machine that zip around Tel Aviv during the week and rip the trails on the weekend.

Below, we get the full story on this Honda XR600R scrambler, Moto-X.

“Moto-X” XR600 Scrambler:  In the Builder’s Words

We had a customer all the way from Israel reach out to us who wanted a Droog Moto! He was really into our Moto-2 XR500 scrambler we did a while back so we were super excited to get to re-create something similar. This build is our 10th Moto series build so we decided to give it the name, “Moto-X.”

Being that the bike was going to be ridden on and off-road we set out to find the perfect donor bike. We had a few limitations on what model/ year we could go up to, but in the end we found a kick ass Honda XR600R. As we all know, the XR600R is one bad bike that has taken multiple championships in the Baja 1000, so we knew this was the bike to use.

After we got the bike, we tore it down and started on our lines. We did our best to consider the look of the Moto-2 but made this bike unique to its own. We did a custom steel tracker plate and perforated guard which covers a 4 pod LED headlight. The stock front end was replaced with one from a CR250r for more adjustability and a more modern look.

The bulky stock fuel tank was removed and replaced with a smaller vintage tank with custom mounts and modifications to fit the frame. The subframe was then cut off and we fabricated a new one to follow the new tank lines and incorporate the new seat.

We then built a removable rear rack that can be used for gear and to hold the MSR fuel canister, which will be awesome for when you’re out in the desert!

The rear shock was re-used and re-built. This model year has the dual carburetors so choosing good POD filters was important to us and to allow us to fit in the frame properly. The filters come with a second layer you can cover them with for better protection against dirt, dust, sand etc.

The motor was gone through to ensure all was good and ready to ride. The rear lighting is all LED along with the brake, tail and signals. We wanted to give the customer a bike that can be ridden around Tel Aviv during the week and hit the trails on the weekend, with a raw one of a kind look. We chose to wrap the wheels with Kenda Big Block tires that have great capabilities on and off the road. We can’t wait to get pictures from the customer in Israel in the future!

As a side note, we are offering customers free shipping on all builds in the US and a credit to over seas customers. Check out our website for details!

Follow the Builder

Follow Droog Moto:  Email | Facebook | Instagram | Web

Droog Moto Custom Bikes

Honda XR600R Scrambler by Droog Moto - The husband and wife team of Droog Moto has been steadily turning out a stable’s worth of signature builds. While the donor platforms vary, the Droog Moto style has become unmistakable — raw, burly builds […]

Honda CB650 Nighthawk Scrambler - The husband/wife team of Droog Moto has become one of our favorite builders. Their bikes are burly, raw, knobby-tired machines built to blast down fire roads and tackle the daily commute. These are not the […]

Suzuki Savage Scrambler by Droog Moto - Max and Erica Droog — the husband and wife team behind Droog Moto — have quickly become one of our favorite builders.  Their signature style seems to fuse the desert sled heritage of the American […]

Honda CX500 Scrambler by Droog Moto - The husband/wife team behind Droog Moto has quickly established a signature style, building post-apocalyptic trackers, scramblers, and desert sleds that Mad Max would love. Recently, Max and Erica Droog moved from scorching Arizona to Washington […]

Yamaha FZ-09 Street Tracker by Droog Moto - Arizona’s Droog Moto has quickly established their own rough-and-ready style, building post-apocalyptic desert sleds that put the “wild” back in the Wild West.  Now the husband/wife team of Max and Erica Droog is back with […]

Kawasaki KLR650 Tracker by Droog Moto - Droog Moto is a husband/wife team out of Phoenix who build some of the baddest, post-apocalyptic desert sleds ever to chase rattlesnakes and jump curbs. It was only a matter of time before the duo took on a KLR650 build. This one they are calling their KLR650 Trackster, and she's a desert-burning doozy.

Kawasaki KZ750 Brat Tracker by Droog Moto Concepts - Only a handful of the world’s builders have an unmistakable style, allowing you to identify one of their builds at a glance.  Droog Moto Concepts, run by the husband/wife team of Max and Erica Droog, […]

KTM 690 Duke Scramblers by Droog Moto Concepts - Max Droog of Arizona’s Droog Moto Concepts has been turning out some of the meanest scramblers ever to jump a curb or burn down a backroad.  Now he’s back with a pair of KTM 690 […]

Honda XR500 Scrambler by Droog Moto Concepts - Max Droog of Droog Moto Concepts, based in Phoenix, has been turning out some incredible builds.  Recently we featured his CM400 scrambler build, and now he’s back with this burly scrambler based on an ’81 […]

Honda CM400 Scrambler by Droog Moto Concepts - The Honda CM400 was an air-cooled parallel twin available from 1979 to 1982.  It was a precursor to the Rebel, and known as a particularly bulletproof starter bike.  Max Droog of Phoenix’s Droog Moto Concepts […]

Craquelure, (/ˈkrakˌlo͝or/):  a network of fine cracks in the paint or varnish of a painting.

That’s the name of this 1970 Honda CB350 “resto brat,” built by Jason Lisica of San Francisco’s Offset Motorcycles. Jason — formerly of Black Fox Fabrication — created the new brand Offset Motorcycles to “build bikes for working people that want a legitimate vintage riding experience.”

One of his favorite methods is showcasing original patina, which we rarely see with custom bikes. Thus the one-of-a-kind tank on this CB350, which has “craquelure texture in the white stripes, gentle fading in the black stripes, and plenty of sun-faded purple ranging from grape to violet.” As Jason says, such an effect would take 45 years to replicate.

The bike has plenty of other well-thought modifications, including a 2″ extended swingarm, last generation (K4) engine to complement the first-gen frame, new electronics, and more. Below, we get the full story on the build.

Honda CB350 Retro Brat:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

The move from Blackfox Fabrication to Offset Motorcycles was mainly a way to gain more control and flexibility in the direction of the builds. I believe the custom-built-vintage market is really beginning to mature, and I look up to brands that have paved the way. Cognito Moto and Lossa Engineering are two great examples. Cognito has done a couple corporate builds, and has a nice line of carefully selected products to complement their custom built bikes. Lossa Engineering is a little different. The company differentiates itself by having a fantastic high-end branded parts business, and a busy shop here in SoCal.

Offset Moto is its own entity though. My bikes don’t intend to be show quality and never will. That’s why they’re “off set”, the Hollywood cafe-racer bikes can have the spotlight, my bikes live behind the scenes. I build bikes for working people that want a legitimate vintage riding experience. We have great terrain here, and lots of outdoor activities right nearby. I have never been a fan of the “retro” thing, so my bikes aren’t that, they’re a balance of preserved and upgraded. One of the things that Offset Moto intends to do is to showcase patina or layered/weathered paint that is original to the era. The technique has been around in the car scene for some time, but its still a new thing in bikes. If you Google Image search “patina paint”, all you see is 60’s era pickup trucks and street rods. You won’t see flames or racing stripes in that scene. Its a cool look and requires a little something more than masking tape to get right.

I think there is a sweet spot between vintage restoration and full-on custom vintage bikes, and that’s exactly where this 1970 Honda CB350 sits. The stuff that appeals to a vintage enthusiast like myself stays, and all the worn out stuff gets replaced with modern technology. The result is a bike that looks like it belongs in the window of a high end clothing store, or museum coffee shop. If you look very closely at the tank on this bike, there is a craquelure texture in the white stripes, gentle fading in the black stripes, and plenty of sun-faded purple ranging from grape to violet. Its going to be hard for me to let go of this bike because of that appreciation. It’s truly a one of a kind tank… and you can’t pay somebody to replicate it, it would take them 45 years.

The mufflers are original, they’re survivors. The drag bars, extra chrome, and twisted square-bar kickstand recall an era where the chopper scene started to bloom.

The seat is another thing that you don’t see much. The leather and diamond pattern on there was hand crafted by Mike Franzini, a guy that works full-time with his brother Don at an upholstery shop passed down from their father:  www.franzinibros.com.  That’s why this bike stands out, its real… not retro… not replica… not repop.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1970 Honda CB350 (K2) with 1973 Honda CB350 (K4) engine, 3000 original miles. It’s for sale right now on Craigslist in SF and in LA.

• Why was this bike built?

Sale bike, and promotion for the new brand.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

Idea was to have the first generation frame with the last generation engine, best of both worlds. Low mileage, perfect performance, and original patina.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

2″ extended swingarm. Lithium battery and modern electronics with completely new wiring harness from scratch. Custom upholstery. Carburetors completely rebuilt with new vacuum diaphragms, tubes, and jets. Adjustable remote reservoir rear shocks. Steering stem bearings. Wheel bearings. Fork seals, and all the other replaceable wear items.

• How would you classify this bike?

Resto-brat.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

The best thing about this build was putting the tank, engine, and extended swingarm together in one package. The patina tank and low mileage engine were really hard to find, and the swingarm is a one off. Offset Moto has an extended swingarm “kit” soon to be released with everything you need to do that job yourself. Excited to build another CB350 using that kit. There are a handful of other builders that have used a 3″ or similar extension to make the CB350 really stand nice and long. I think it’s the key to have a cool looking modded cafe or brat. The stock CB350 was always a little snubby in the back. My kit will make it look a little badder, and a little longer.

Follow the Builder

• www.offsetmotorcycles.com
• https://www.instagram.com/offsetmoto
• https://www.facebook.com/offsetmoto
• https://twitter.com/OffsetMoto

Today, we’re proud to showcase the Honda CX500 Rose Edition, the third CX500 custom in the X-AXIS fleet. After years of competitive racing, two-time British motocross (MX1) champion Billy MacKenzie created the X-AXIS workshop to pursue his love of building and riding custom bikes.

This build began in the hands of “shit-hot welder” Ben Rose, who built the custom rear subframe, brat style seat, and the incredible custom exhaust. While the X-AXIS team handled the rest of the mechanicals, the engine itself was placed in the hands of the legendary Amor brothers — Keith and Guy — of Isle of Man TT fame.

We featured the first iteration of this custom CX500 recently. Since then, Billy and team have stepped up the build, most noticeably with the traditional rose art of Spanish tattoo artist Monki Diamond, whom Billy met in Edinburgh. The CX tank proved a fitting canvas for the piece.

Below, we get the full story on this CX500 brat tracker from Billy MacKenzie himself.

Honda CX500 Rose Edition:  In the Builder’s Words

The third Honda CX500 in the X-AXIS fleet was given up for adoption by our on the pro welder Ben Rose.

Ben saw the beauty in the CX like we did, and went to town with a fully custom rear subframe and brat style seat. We can’t hold it against him for neglecting the mechanical side of things after the love he put into the HRC spec factory fitted exhaust system, but we both knew that to pull this bike into the light it would take a full overhaul as he fell out of love with it when the stator packed in.

I wasn’t a fan of the styling and knew it needed beefed up. The tyres were thin and scrawny, and the tank looked like a piece of grey plasticine on pram wheels…. The exhausts are a work of art though and I knew how to pull the natural lines out of the often overlooked standard fuel tank.

I handed the engine over to the Amor brothers who gave next level attention to engine and wiring loom detail. From Ben’s limited engine knowledge, into the hands of the the experienced Isle of Man TT race craft of Guy and Keith. Immaculately prepped and finished, the engine became a subtle backdrop for the showpiece exhausts Ben had spent so long creating.

With all of our CX 500’s, the first thing was to fill the gaps with a fresh set of Firestone Champion Deluxe tyres. A swing arm modification was needed to fit the 18 – 4.50 on the rear and with only millimetres left we managed to slot the 19 – 4.00 on the front.

An already upgraded front end from a 2009 CBR600R and a Brembo 19mm front master cylinder for maximum stopping power and handling, minimal domino MX style throttle, Rental grips, and Motogadget buttons, the cockpit of this Honda CX 500 is a statement of simplicity.

Final design details came together with the help of Monki Diamond’s traditional Rose taking prime position on top of the fuel tank. A Spanish tattoo artist I met in Edinburgh, I became fascinated with her artwork, she wanted to tattoo me but I’m too white for tattoo’s so told her I’d use the CX tank as a canvas. It was a fitting tribute to Ben’s CX creation and a vision of using Monki’s traditional tattoo art when X-AXIS began its roots in Edinburgh.

Everyone that has been on this little X-AXIS trip with me all had a part in the final steps of the Rose Edition CX500, it’s nice trusting the skills of everyone involved.

Follow X-Axis

• Web:  www.x-axis.co
• Instagram:  @xaxis.co
• Facebook:  xaxis.co

Lucca Customs is a helmet brand and custom motorcycle builder located on the Brazilian island of Florianópolis. We previously featured their Kasinski Comet cafe racer. Now the team is back with this red-hot Honda NX350 Sahara scrambler. The Honda NX350 was a 336cc, 31-horsepower dual sport built from 1988-1999, mainly for the Brazilian market.

Lucca Customs sought out the help of Brazilian garage Wolf Motorcycles, located in Blumenau. They worked together to build a dynamic dual sport scrambler/tracker with an exclusive front. The result is the “Banzai 350cc” you see here. Below we get the full story on this NX350 scrambler.

Banzai 350cc:  Builder Interview

• Can you tell us about your workshop?

Lucca Customs is located in Brazil, on an island called Florianópolis. We are a brand of helmets and our passion for motorbikes and helmets has made us embark on the world of customization. Our projects are made for us without extreme intention on sale, we say that we do not build motorcycles, we create dreams.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

Honda Sahara 350cc year 1996

• Why did you built this bike?

The bike was built to establish a new partnership between Lucca Customs and Wolf Motorcycles.

• What was the design concept behind the build?

We wanted a clean, dynamic bike with an exclusive front. Thus was born the Banzai 350cc.

• What custom work has been done to the bike?

The base bike was a Sahara 350cc, with sub-chassis change and with tank ML, inverted suspension and front brake with 350mm with Brembo calipers and to make the design even more premium, we used the master cylinder of CRF230cc.

The seat was handmade and tailor-made, the Fat Bar handlebar to leave the front more robust. Speaking in front of the plate made exclusively to the Banzai with adaptation of headlights.

Already on the back we used an Arrow, wheel of XRE300, Falcon brake system not to mention the Mitas Trail tires.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

Yes, the friendship and established partnership with a garage that will surely make everyone successful: @wolfmotorcycles

Follow the Builders

• Lucca Customs:  Facebook| Instagram| Web
• Wolf Motorcycles:  Facebook | Instagram

Small Budget, Big Heart — 1000-Euro, Elsinore-Inspired Scrambler

In stock trim, the Honda FX650 Vigor — a re-released version of the SLR650 — is no looker. MCN called the bike:  “A fairly joyless machine that barely redeems itself as a reasonably efficient commuter.” However, the big single dual sport has the bones for greater things.

Enter Alf Vopt, who started his workshop Bandisca Motorcycles in 2014 with his wife, Mihaela. Alf, a former racer in several disciplines, went from working on American V8 to following his true passion of building custom motorcycles. This bike was built for a friend with a limited budget — just 1000 euros — but big dreams of owning a custom bike inspired by Steve McQueen and the mythic Elsinore.

1974 CR125 Elsinore

Alf was able to create the Elinsore-inspired FX650 scrambler/tracker you see here for under 1000 euros, utilizing a number of parts lying around the workshop. Below, we get the full story on this build…low budget, but BIG heart!

Honda FX650 Vigor Custom:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

My name is Alf.  I’m the owner of Bandisca Motorcycles, an independent small custom workshop based in Bucharest, Romania and established in 2014.  I have been involved in the motorcycling scenario since I was 14 years old (I’m 50 at the moment).

I was a racer in my young age in several specialities, I started with trial and enduro, after that I passed to speed races and involved in competitions with my old Yamaha RD350LC until 1987, a year in which I had a hard accident that separated me from the races, but not from the motorcycling world.

After that issue I started to work in classics, I passed my life working in another not relating activities but always motorcycles was in my soul and my garage. After a long time working on American cars and engines, mainly V8, at the end of 2013 I decide to focus in building motorcycles again and with my wife Mihaela, who is the other part of Bandisca, we opened the workshop. So this is a small family business… probably more passion than business, but that’s it.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

The donor bike for this project was a 1998 Honda FX650 Vigor, probably one of the ugliest bikes ever…

• Why was this bike built?

This project was not a normal one for us. The owner of the bike is a friend of ours who has not too much financial resources but is very passionate of custom, so we decide to help him to get his dream, even not getting any money for that, actually the bike was built with a budget under 1000 euro, re-using lot of parts from other bikes we found over the workshop.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

This guy is a fan of Steve McQueen so, being the bike a Honda, we decide to inspire it on the old vintage enduro style of the mythic Elsinore.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Basically we built a new subframe and seat, changed the tank with a Honda CB360 one.

We added a front mask, side panels and front fender inspired by old enduros.

We handcrafted at the shop a new final 2 in 1 setup for the exhaust and a general cleaning and servicing of the bike. The paint pattern is obviously inspired by the Elsinore.

• How would you classify this bike?

I don’t like tags so much but if needed I would say that is a Tracker, with an scrambler touch.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

Very proud of seeing the face of our friend when we finished the bike, that was the best after lot of hours of composing and defining the bike shape with what we could find over the shop.

Follow the Builder

• www.bandisca.ro
• Instagram: @bandisca.ro
• Facebook: Bandisca

The Honda Transalp was built to capitalize on Honda’s Paris-Dakar victories in the 1980s. All the bikes in the series — including the XL400V, XL600V, XL650V, and XL700V — featured a 52° V-twin motor, as well as desert-blasting style. The bikes were lauded as go-anywhere, do-it-all touring machines.

Enter Michel Szozda of Cool Kid Customs, based outside Amsterdam. Michel imagined a bike built not for the desert rallies of Honda’s glorious past, but the urban wastelands of a post-apocalyptic future. The result is a bike Michel affectionately calls a “Honda War Machine,” complete with ammo belts, throwing knives, and an attitude that would make Mad Max proud.

Without further ado, we get the full story on this “apocalyptic toy machine.”

Honda Transalp Scrambler:  Builder Interview

– Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and you workshop.

My name is Michel Szozda from The Netherlands. I started Cool Kid Customs motorcycle shop in 2014 and we’re stationed in Haarlem, near Amsterdam.

– What’s the make, model and year of the bike?

It’s a 1998 Honda Transalp XL600v.

– Why was this bike built?

It was build for a customer who told me I could do whatever I wanted to do, as long as it was in the same style as a few as my older projects (skateboard bike). (We need more customers like this

– What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I wanted to do something straight out of the 80’s, but goes to war in the year 2128. Apocalyptic toy machine.

– What custom work was done to the bike?

Just too many things, here are some highlights:

• 17″ wheels with yellow hubs
• Cyclops handmade headlight
• New handmade subframe on the back
• Shotgun shells holder in the seat.
• Throwing knife on the right.
• 2 in 1 white and stainless shorty muffler
• Distressed paintjob on the outside
• 1980’s on the inside
• Etc etc

– How do you classify this bike?

As a Honda War Machine

– Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

How the whole bike turned out. It came out better then it was in my head. It’s the best one yet.

Follow the Builder

www.coolkidcustoms.com
www.instagram.com/coolkidcustoms
www.facebook.com/coolkidcustoms

Jan M. Sallings — the man behind JMS Customs of Arkansas — has had a love of motorcycles since an early age. He still remembers the thrill and music of twisting the throttle on a friend’s 1964 Honda 150 Dream. A love of mechanical things has stayed with him throughout his life, from working in automotive repair to designing and fabricating large composting machines.

His shop, JMS Customs, is quite the family affair. Jan has six sons and two daughters-in-law who ride. In fact, we featured his daughter-in-law Kat’s Honda CB175 cafe racer, as well as his son Sean’s Honda CL350 brat. Jan’s own CL350 cafe racer graced Bike EXIF.

The Honda CL350 bobber you see here makes good on Jan’s build philosophy:

My personal opinion is that if I said “I built this bike,” then that is exactly what it should mean.

The bikes is composed of stories and parts from throughout Jan’s life, including a reworked fender from an H-D Superglide he bought new in 1976! Without further ado, we get the full story from the man himself.

JMS Customs:  Background

I guess my background has been an involvement in and love for mechanical things since I was very young. Someone gave me an old lawnmower engine when I was about 10 years old; I spent 2 whole days just completely engulfed in trying to figure out how it worked.

When I was 13, I got to ride a friend’s 64 Honda 150 Dream. It’s difficult to describe the thrill of twisting the throttle and hearing the music of the engine. Those two sensations have never left, although they’re somewhat subdued by age and mileage. Since then, most of my career and leisure time has been focused on something mechanical, from automotive repair training to designing and fabricating large composting machines to restoring and customizing bikes.

As far as JMS Customs is concerned, that somewhat got started as a family thing when I was building my red Honda 350 cafe racer. My youngest son, Sean, who does computer graphics, designed and made me some tank badges with a really cool skull logo on them. (I seem to have a thing for skulls).

Daughter-in-law Kat on her CB175 “Moxxi”

Since then, it has stayed pretty much a family thing; I have 6 sons and 2 daughters in law who ride. We built bikes for the two girls, (they were heavily involved in the builds, check the upcoming issue of Cafe Racer magazine), and we are currently working on a cool Honda 350 for one son, a Yamaha XS 650 bobber for another son, and a radical Honda 400 Hawk for another son. I have some interesting ideas for 3 or 4 more bikes, I just need more time and more money.

CL360 Bobber, “Purple Haze”:  In the Builder’s Words

I fabricated the frame, front end, fuel tank, battery box, engine mounts, brass pegs, pedals, and fuel cap, Craftsman wrench kickstand, seat mount, license plate mount, and a few other pieces.

The headlight is an antique military spotlight modified for a 12 volt H4 bulb.

The taillight is an antique Schwinn bicycle front fender light re-shaped and modified for a 12 volt dual element bulb. The rear fender is a re-worked 1976 Harley-Davidson Superglide front fender from a bike I bought new in 76.

There are many stories about the parts and inspiration involved in building this bike. My personal opinion is that if I said “I built this bike”, then that is exactly what it should mean. I have had a love for motorcycles since I was about 6 years old, and it has never left.

Follow JMS Customs on Instagram:  @JMSCustoms

YZ250-powered Honda Grom…50 horsepower!

The Honda Grom has been more successful than anyone ever imagined. The overgrown monkey bike won Motorcycle USA’s Motorcycle of the Year award in 2014, and the 125cc four-speed machine has attained a cult following of epic proportions. However, the stock bike leaves much to be desired in the performance department, with only 8.6 horsepower on tap.

Enter Jesse Davis, a lifelong road racer from Austin, Texas, who works for none other than Roland Sands Design. Jesse had what we can only classify as a stroke of genius when he decided to shoehorn a 2002 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke motor into his 2014 Honda Grom, more than quintupling power output from 8.6 to 50+ horsepower!

Below, we get the full story on this two-stroke giant-killer.

YZ250-Powered Honda Grom:  Builder Interview

Tell us about yourself, your shop, and your history with motorcycles?

I’m Jesse Davis, I’m from Austin Texas, currently living in Long Beach, CA. I’ve been road racing motorcycles for 30 years. I’ve been building cars and motorcycles for most of my life. I currently work for Roland Sands Design, building custom motorcycles.

Above is a racer that Jesse built a few years ago, winning a national championship on it. It’s a 1098 Ducati chassis with an air-cooled 1000ds motor. 118hp/300 lbs wet.

What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

The bike is a 2014 Honda Grom, with a 2002 Yamaha YZ250 2 stroke motor.

Why was this bike built?

I built this bike to have a personal super fun streetbike.

What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I didn’t really have a design concept in mind other than I love two strokes, and the idea was original, as there haven’t been any other 2 stroke Grom’s built. Especially not any with 50+ hp. The paint job was inspired by Christian Sarron’s Gauloises Yamaha 250 GP bikes from the 1980’s. Including the green number plate, signifying the 250cc class.

What custom work was done to the bike?

The modifications are extensive. Frame was cut down the backbone and modified and braced. The complete engine cradle from the YZ frame was cut and sectioned and installed onto the Grom frame. It is completely removable for easy servicing of the engine.

The forks are from a Honda NSF250R Moto3 bike, with custom triples clamps, wheel and brake spacers and adapters.

• Takagawa Swingarm
• JRi rear shock
• Woodcraft rearsets
• Endurance ready dry-break fuel tank
• Brembo 15RCS master cylinder
• Ohlins steering damper
• Tyga stainless pipe and silencer
• Custom wiring harness and lighting system.

How do you classify this bike?

Hard to put this bike into a class. I think it’s in a class of its own.

Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I think I’m most proud that the bike is so fun and easy to ride and the balance has been maintained. It cruises along like any other bike, and will rip your arms off when you open the throttle.

Builder Thanks

• Photo credit to Joe Hitzelberger (@thehtizelberger).
• Special thanks to Roland Sands Design, Davis Rod and Cycle, and Steady Garage.

Follow Jesse Davis on Instagram:  @xthirtysevenx

“The Vincent Black Shadow of 1979” — Cycle Guide

The Honda CBX (or CBX1000) had one of the most incredible engines ever produced, a 1047cc air-cooled inline six that offered 105 horsepower at 9000 rpm. Upon its introduction, Cycle Guide lauded the bike as “the Vincent Black Shadow of 1979,” while Cycle said:

“The objective — to build the fastest production motorcycle for sale anywhere in the world-has been met…The CBX engine is as responsive as a racer, the nicest cycle motor to ever reach the street.”

Testers were able to run the bike through the quarter mile in 11.36 seconds at 118 mph. However, the CBX was hampered by the suspension and brakes of the era — insufficient for the six cylinder slug of power.

Enter Tony Calasso of Milan’s Tony’s Toy Custom Motorcycles. Tony is an former professional racer and tester — a European World Cup 600ss champion, as well as a test rider for Motociclismo magazine and instructor for BMW Motorrad’s Italian riding academy. He wanted to preserve the charm of the six cylinder while updating the suspension and brakes.

Honda CBX Streetfighter:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Tony’s Toy Custom Motorcycles Milano is a brand created by Tony Calasso, former national and international renowned rider, driven by the constant desire to surprise and passion for the motorcycle one day he decided to embark on the special/cafe racer.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

-Honda CBX 1000 Pro-Link 1982

• Why was this bike built?

-For a custom project, and for sale.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

-Honda Cbx 1000 has, perhaps, one of the most incredible engines ever produced for a motorcycle, but all the rest was deeply lacking. Our purpose was to create a vehicle that kept intact the charm of the Japanese six cylinder engine, but also to make it great even in driving sensations.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Basically we decided to keep the original frame, engine and tank. All the rest, springs, swing arms, wheels and brakes, comes from bikes of recent years.

• How would you classify this bike?

-Streetfighter

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

What really make me proud of the project was to be able to put together the style of the eighties of the CBX with the performance of the recent parts.

Photography:  Andrea Padovani  (@andreapadovani1972)

Follow the Builder

• Website:  www.tonystoy.net
• Instagram:  @tonystoy87
• Facebook:  Tony’s Toy

The Honda XR650R is the gold standard of Baja bikes, a liquid-cooled desert legend designed to end the reign of the two-stroke Kawasaki KX500 in the deserts of Mexico. Produced from 2000 to 2007, the “Big Red Pig” (BRP) is not to be confused with the air-cooled, street-legal XR650L — a stalwart performer, but staid compared to the 650R. Dirt Bike magazine would call the XR650R a “two-wheeled trophy truck,” and the bike remains one of the most competitive open-class enduro racers in the world.

Who better to customize one of these legendary machines than Manu Mertens of Belgium’s 2Motors — a man who has been passionate about Honda motorcycles for his entire life, especially the XR line. Hell, even the man’s lawnmower is a Honda!

Manu, who has been customizing Honda XR’s for more than twenty years, was inspired by a photograph of a fully-restored Honda CR250 Elsinore. He set out to create a Honda “retromotard” — an XR650R supermoto with a retro look, styled after the CR250R.

Build Inspiration: Honda CR250R Elsinore

We especially love Manu’s build philosophy:

“Better to do what’s in your mind than to buy something from the shelf.”

Below, we get the full story on this ode to one of the greatest dirt bikes of all time.

Honda XR650R Supermoto:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’m Manu from Erembodegem, near Aalst, Belgium. I am passionate about Honda since…my bikes, cars (two Acty and an Accord Tourer), even my lawn mower is Honda…

After having my first BMX bicycle, I started having interest in dirt bikes (and Honda!) when my brother bought a new Honda MT50 in the very early ’80s, a few years later followed by an XR350R ’85. That’s when I earned the MT and started to modify it to go ride off-road together with the brother and his XR… In the early ’90s I bought my first own Honda XR. XR’s and other Honda mono’s are my passion. Just type “XRMANU” into Google and look…

In 2011 this passion led to the creation of my own small workshop 2Motors, pronounced 2M Motors. Manu is my first name, Mertens is the family name so that was easy…the 2Motors thing.

The shop is passion-driven and specialized in building one-off’s, from simple service to rebuilding and tuning engines…after almost 20 years of doing this as a hobby I finally took the step. It’s a part time job for now but I hope to make a full living out of it one day.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

Honda XR650R , 2001

• Why was this bike built?

Because I had to…this creature sat in mind and got to come out!

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I saw a pic of a very nice restored CR250 Elsinore in the same color scheme.

This brought me to the idea of doing something completely different than l used to, nothing like all the other 650R Supermotard builds that I did in the last 15 years. It’s also an ode to one of the most iconic Honda dirt bikes.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Most of it.

I made the headlight stay myself without many tools…a sheet of alloy and a hammer. It took me a couple times to get it how I wanted it. But better to do what’s in your mind than to buy something from the shelf.

The engine had a complete overhaul…everything inside is new: bearings, seals, piston, rod, valves, cam chain, gears etc. For the freshly powder-coated cases I replaced every bolt with ProBolt race specs ones.

I designed some tank graphics with the iconic yellow Honda retro wing just like on the original Elsinore so it would stand out.

For the exhaust I puzzled with tubes and bends to get everything into a nice shape and look. That was not simple going left and right from the cylinder and coming together just under the big FCR carb. After I had cut every bend and tube to the perfect length and duct-taped everything together I invited a pro welder to my shop to weld everything as nice as possible .

The rear end plastics were reshaped and modded and together with the oval number plates this gives the bike the retro look it needed. A CR500 fender went on together with a scrambler style tail light.

• How would you classify this bike?

Retromotard

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

It was a big gamble to try something completely different with the big Baja bike, completely different than I used to … but it turn out very nice I think, a real one-of-a-kind bike.

Follow the Builder

• Website: https://www.2motors.be
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2Motors
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2motors/

670cc, lightweight Honda NX650 street tracker…

To call Manu Mertens of Belgium’s 2Motors a Honda fan would be an understatement. Since his first hand-me-down Honda MT50, Manu has been riding and modifying Honda machines. He mainly specializes in Honda XR600 and XR650 supermotard builds, like the Honda XR650R “Retromotard” we recently featured.

However, he had another concept “spooking through his mind” for a couple of years — a retro-style Honda NX650. For someone like Manu, with a lot of experience on Baja-bred machines like the XR600R and XR650R, the NX650 seems slow-revving and overweight. Manu wanted to build a bike that he would like to ride, both in terms of aesthetics and power-to-weight ratio.  He says:

“My plan was to give this NX some balls and a serious diet.”

The result is the “Sideburner 670,” a 670cc high-compression Dominator that’s over 100 pounds lighter than stock.

NX650 Street Tracker: Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’m Manu from Erembodegem, near Aalst, Belgium. I am passionate about Honda since…my bikes, cars (two Acty and an Accord Tourer), even my lawn mower is Honda…

After having my first BMX bicycle, I started having interest in dirt bikes (and Honda!) when my brother bought a new Honda MT50 in the very early ’80s, a few years later followed by an XR350R ’85. That’s when I earned the MT and started to modify it to go ride off-road together with the brother and his XR… In the early ’90s I bought my first own Honda XR. XR’s and other Honda mono’s are my passion. Just type “XRMANU” into Google and look…

In 2011 this passion led to the creation of my own small workshop 2Motors, pronounced 2M Motors. Manu is my first name, Mertens is the family name so that was easy…the 2Motors thing.

The shop is passion-driven and specialized in building one-off’s, from simple service to rebuilding and tuning engines…after almost 20 years of doing this as a hobby I finally took the step. It’s a part time job for now but I hope to make a full living out of it one day.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

This project is based on a Honda NX650 from 1988, E-start/kick start.

• Why was this bike built?

This bike was spooking through my mind since 2009/2010. Finally I started the built in 2011.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

After doing so many projects with XR600 and 650R , I wanted something different, totally different…more retro style, based on an NX650. I wanted to build something that I would ride myself: the look and the power to weight ratio.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Engine, frame, suspension…name it!

Having a lot of firsthand experience with the XR600 and the RFVC engines (I had 3 of them in a period of 10 years in all states of tune), I put that knowledge into the slow revving/underpowered/overweight NX650…if you come from an XR600 that is…

I choose the ’88 model because of the kick starter beside the E starter. My plan was to give this NX some balls and a serious diet.

Big bore, high compression, headwork, hot cam, custom free flowing 2-into-2 exhaust and a big Keihin FCR for starters…

With the kick starter as a back-up I could dish all the NX electra, loom, CDI, battery etc and put the much simpler and more powerful XR600 stuff on the bike together with the lighter XR flywheel.

These mods gave me a lot of ponies extra and a very big smile every time I twist the throttle.

The frame was cut and every piece of metal that was unuseful had to go, a removable sub frame was made matching with the tracker seat. I had the frame wrinkle coated in matte black and made the graphics and number plates myself…3 times…in different colors before I was pleased.

Front and rear the suspension were rebuilt and I made my own adjustable link system so I could level the bike like I l wanted to…to get the best look and handling. The bike lost about 50kg in weight.

• How would you classify this bike?

Flat tracker, street tracker

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

This was my first attempt with a more retro project bike coming from building Supermotards…it’s not perfect but I have seen worst. It took me between 250 and 300 hours in a period of 4 years and lots of Euros.

Follow the Builder

• Website: https://www.2motors.be
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2Motors
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2motors/

The Sallings clan of Arkansas are quite the motorcycle family. Patriarch Jan Sallings of JMS Customs has six sons and two daughters-in-law who ride. We have featured Kat Sallings’s Honda CB175 cafe racer, as well as son Sean Sallings’s Honda CL350 brat.  Now the family has made the cover of Cafe Racer magazine!

In the center is none other than Jeanie Sallings and her 1964 Honda CB160 cafe racer, “Luna.” Says Jeanie:

When I got her, she was in rough shape and not running for who knows how long. I asked my father-in-law, Jan Sallings to help me fix her up. After 1 year and MANY greasy hours later, we finished her up on her 50th birthday and it was one of the best experiences of my life!

As you’ll read below, this was quite the special build, with Jeanie working closely with Jan, learning every square inch of the bike. Without further ado, we get the full story from Jeanie herself!

Honda CB160 Cafe Racer:  In the Builder’s Words

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I am a dental hygienist and absolutely love it. Playing the drums is one of my passions and is what I spend a majority of my time doing. I have a really cool 1 year old son with Down Syndrome. I love to work with my hands and learn new things, so restoring my bike was one of the best experiences of my life. The tools we use to work on teeth are just miniature versions of the ones we use to work on my bike and I love that a few of my passions share that link.

I have been the passenger on bikes for years, but I was tired of being in the back and wanted to take control of my own personal bike. It’s too much fun not to! When my father-in-law, Jan Sallings, bought several old bikes that had been sitting for awhile, I had to jump on the Honda CB160. I have a petite build, and I thought the CB160 would be a perfect starter bike for me.

I bought a few manuals, started studying them front to back, and we began the build! We would meet 2-3 times a week, and build it little by little. I became an expert at finding various parts needed for the bike. After 1 year, we finished her up and she’s been running great for almost 4 years now.

We worked out of Jan’s shop, JMS customs. He had all the equipment that we needed to do the custom work and fabrication including a mill, lathe, and welder. I do maintenance work from my home.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

1964 Honda CB160

• Why was this bike built?

Personal. I saw an old neglected bike that would fit me perfectly and it had my name written all over it. It had so much potential and I needed to get my hands on it!

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

I love the sexy and classic look of cafe racers. I love the clean and retro look of them and the simplistic and streamlined appearance they have. To give it a more sleek look, I got rid of a lot of the bulky stock parts. I wanted it to look clean and somewhat minimalistic.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

• Battery box removed from frame and relocated under seat cowl
• Stock seat- replaced with Brass cafe seat pan and cut out section for tail/break light LED stip.
• Holes cut into front hub- added Brass wire mesh accents
• Custom exhaust pipes and exhaust brass tips
• Rear sets with custom brackets fabricated with custom brass foot pegs
• Clubman handlebars
• Powder coat frame, hubs, wheels
• All new paint and freshly polished/chrome metal parts.
• Spacers fabricated to fit new size fork seals due to unavailability of original seals
• Updated rear shock absorber air suspension from RFY
• Cone air filters
• New spokes and brass nipples
• Bass accents to frame, exhaust pipes, and seat cowl, foot pegs, etc.
• In the process of retrofitting a 5-speed transmission from sloper 175 cc. engine

• How would you classify this bike?

Cafe racer

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I loved getting into the heart of an internal combustion engine. Riding a bike that I know every square inch of and have physically touched is something I’m quite proud of. I loved getting my hands dirty and learning about the tools needed to get this incredible machine to exactly what I had envisioned. I had the best teacher to help me as well. I love how my visions of how i wanted the bike to look became a reality, particularly the custom work. I have had a few minor kinks to work out over the years, but it has been a pretty solid bike since it was completed so of course, I’m proud of that.

More specific to the bike — I love the custom rear sets and pegs as well as the other custom work done to the hubs and tail light.

Photo credits: Jason Hunter, Jenny Lawson, Branch Photography

Follow Jeanie on Instagram:  @Kimchi_dreams21

A $1000 Dirtbag Chopper gets turned into a Big Sur banger…

Jason Lisica of San Francisco’s Offset Motorcycles has been involved with the city’s Dirtbag Challenge. The challenge, which has been the subject of two documentaries, has only four rules. Here they are, directly from the Dirtbag Challenge website:

1. One month build time:  You can start your bike on the day that we announce the Dirtbag Challenge, one month before the day of the actual show.
2. One thousand dollar budget:  This includes the price of the donor bike, all parts, and all work. Yes you could cheat but then you’d be a loser.
3. One hundred miles:  On the morning of the show, meet up with the other Dirtbags and ride with us. We will ride at least one hundred miles over every type of road. There probably won’t be a chase vehicle.
4. No Harleys:  This is to keep it fair, to give everyone the chance to shine. We like Harleys, we ride Harleys but this is about being different and thinking outside the box.

Jason built the first iteration of the CL (Craiglist) 360° you see here as an entry for the Dirtbag — a chopper with a 5-inch extended swingarm that had to make it through the city, down the freeway, along the coast, through the mountains, on the dirt roads, then compete in the end show and party.

After the show, Jason found himself with a fairly useless $1000 chopper, so he decided to “get it up high.” He sourced a 21-inch wheel from an SL350 and a pair of dune buggy shocks to lift the bike. The bike survived some heavy off-roading in Big Sur and continues to run to this day, taking all sorts of abuse. She ain’t no show queen — she’s a go queen.

Below, we get the full story on the build.

Honda CL360 “Adventure Bike”: In the Builder’s Words

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Offset Motorcycles has been a long time coming. In addition to building resto-mods and brat-scramblers for customers, I intend to make home-building some of these bikes a reality. When I talk to customers, they always show me the same 10-15 bikes on Pinterest or PipeBurn. Most have common traits that distinguish them as professionally built, and set them apart from the home builds. It’s always proper frame work that requires welding. In the chopper world you’ll see raking the forks by cutting and welding the backbone. Then in the cafe world you will see an extended swingarm and/or an upside down fork conversion. It’s just a matter of time before those things become bolt on, and that’s what I’m working on. I have a 3″ extended swing arm kit for Honda CB350 to be in stores by spring, and development of a USD fork conversion for the same bike, to come later in 2018. The swingarm kit will come everything you need except a longer chain.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike

This one is a 1975 Honda CL360 that I got in a trade from my retired racer friend Mike (the bike) Gould. He’s an old school Honda mechanic that does fantastic engine work. So I knew the engine was in good shape. I traded him a clapped-out CB175 for it. It was a good fit for both of us. We both got free project bikes that we were familiar with.

• Why was this bike built?

I got the bike as a donor for the Dirtbag Challenge here in San Francisco. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a one of a kind chopper build-off that was set into motion 15 years ago as a reaction to the big money “American Chopper” fad that had been sweeping the nation until recently. Now those $40,000 choppers are on sale on Craigslist for $8,000 and its pretty funny. The Dirtbag Challenge is a different kind of build-off for sure, and really gets its roots from hearty inner city San Francisco bike scene. There are a few cities that have the kind of specific need and certain dangers that come with motorcycling here. London is one of them, and that’s where the cafe racer scene sprung up. Here we have Dirtbag, where you can still be appreciated if you know how to score a $400 bike and make it run, then you score a bunch of other crap from your friends’ junk piles and build a chopper for yourself. It’s really a lot of fun, and that’s why we do it. The founder, Poll Brown, participates every year, and has a new film coming out soon called Rigid, on which he takes a rigid frame 70’s Yamaha XT500 across the country, spanning the entire TransAmerica Trail.

Jason’s CL360 chopper burning out at the Dirtbag Challenge

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

The Dirtbag Challenge is a contest with only three rules. $1000, one month build time, and it’s got to be able to go at least 100 miles. You can cheat, but guess what, we all find out during the ride. For instance, this year somebody borrowed his friend’s rack of flat-slide Mikuni’s and yeah, but sorry if those parts come on the ride, then they count. No Harleys for that same reason. The bike as a whole has to be worth no more than $1000 any way you slice it. If you make it through the city, down the freeway, along the coast, through the mountains, and on dirt roads, then you compete in the end show and party. There are two full length feature films about the event and culture, Dirtbag and Dirtbag II, both available on Amazon Prime. I built the first iteration of this bike as an entry to the event. Then after the event I had a pretty useless chopper with a full 5″ of extended swingarm… so I thought, hey maybe now instead of making it as low as I can, I’ll try to get it up high.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

The first thing I did was find a 21″ front wheel from a Honda SL350, which was only produced with that wheel for two years, then figured out what would jack it up in the back, and ended up with dune buggy shocks. After that it was just fit a cool looking old school seat, dirt tires, headlight, fenders, muffer, then throw on some dirt bike bars and ride. It was all just to turn my chopper back into a scrambler that had more to offer than the original.

Right after I did all that it took it off-roading with my buddies up in the mountains in Big Sur. It performed beautifully. To this day it still runs and still takes a ton of abuse. People underestimate the durability of the 360. Everyone thinks it’s just a cheaper heavier 350, but it really isn’t. The build quality is pretty good.

• How would you classify this bike?

It’s definitely a vintage adventure bike. LOL.

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

I guess the coolest thing was the swingarm. 5″ is a lot and I used it to lower the bike on the chopper rendition, and then used it to raise it in the adventure edition. Pretty cool mod.

Follow the Builder

• Web:  http://www.offsetmotorcycles.com
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/offsetmoto
• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/offsetmoto

Manu Mertens of Belgium’s 2Motors has been a bonafide Honda devotee from an early age — a passion evident in arsenal of Honda big single builds that roll out of his shop, including two bikes we have recently featured:  his Honda XR650R supermotard and his NX650-based Sideburner 670 street tracker.

Now Manu is back with another punched-out Honda NX650 custom. This time, it’s this beautiful Honda NX670 Scrambler, which was recently featured at the Fly Low  IV — a Belgian custom show put on by Hermanus Bruges and MaxxMoto. This has to be one of the hottest Honda Dominators we’ve ever featured, with a big bore kit, high-compression piston, and lots of custom engine work.

Without further ado, we get the full story on this big bore Honda NX scrambler.

Honda Dominator Scrambler:  Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

I’m Manu, from Erembodegem, near Aalst, Belgium. Passionate about Honda…my bikes, cars (2x Acty and a Accord Tourer), even my lawn mower is a Honda!

After having my first BMX bicycle, I started having interest in dirt bikes (and Honda!) when my brother bought a new Honda MT50 in the very early ’80s, a few years later followed by an XR350R ’85. That’s when I earned the MT and started to modify it to go ride off-road together with my brother and his XR… In the early ’90s I bought my first own Honda XR.

XR’s and other Honda singles are my passion. Just type “XRMANU” in Google and look…

In 2011 this passion led to the creation of my own small workshop 2Motors, pronounced 2M Motors. Manu is my first name, Mertens is the family name, so that was easy…the 2Motors thing.

The shop is passion-driven and specialized in building one-off’s, from simple service to rebuilding and tuning engines. After almost 20 years of doing this as a hobby I finally took the step. It’s a part time job for now but I hope to make a full living out of it one day.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?

This project is based on a Honda NX650 from 1992.

• Why was this bike built?

This bike was built for a client.

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

This client saw my earlier Dominator Tracker project the “Side Burner 670.”

He liked the finish and build quality of that bike, but he wanted something else than the pure tracker look. He had a few things in mind how his dream NX would look like and with that in mind I could start this project.

He liked what I did to the engine of the Sideburner, so I had to make him a replica of the Sideburner engine: big bore 670cc with high compression piston, a Hotcam, flywheel work, headwork and a big Keihin FCR carb + a complete overhaul of all the bearings, clutch, gears etc.

That’s something that I miss in a lot of builds, most of the time is the engine left alone. He wanted the engine in semi gloss black so the whole thing was blasted and powder coated by a local specialist before the rebuild.

• What custom work was done to the bike?

Almost everything!

The weak OEM suspension was beefed up with Hyperpro components and I lowered the front and rear. For the rear end, I made a custom adjustable link system so we could level the bike like we liked and get the best look and handling.

The client wanted a led taillight in the sub frame/loop and no wires/electrical components/battery in sight whatsoever. So a custom loop was made and everything was tucked in, away in there or under the seat.

The battery was beefed up to compensate the fact that the auto decompression was gone (Hotcams…).

With the small Motogadget blinkers and switches in the front, every thin wire had to pass through the handlebar, headstay etc. A custom loom was made.

The client wanted an exhaust with double cans left and right, high and close to the seat. I puzzled with tubes and bends to get everything out of the way and into a nice shape and look.

After I had cut every bend and tube to the perfect length and shape a pro welder came to my shop together with the client to meet and match up to a result that he wanted.

All the engine work was done by me (rebuilding, headwork…).

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

The end result of the tail end with the custom exhaust and the way that everything come by at the end with the wiring, blinkers etc around the handlebar. That was a nightmare first.

Link to the making of the bike: Build Album.

Follow the Builder

• Website: https://www.2motors.be
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2Motors
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2motors/

We have been watching the builds of Andrew Greenland ever since his red Honda Dominator custom was featured on Bike EXIF years ago. Since then, Andrew has turned out a stable’s worth of froth-worthy Honda customs — many of which we plan to share in the coming weeks.

First up is his newest build, this hybrid Honda XR/XL/NX Dakar Project. Although the bike began life as an XL600R, the bike now carries XR600 suspension, XR500 plastics, LMF tank/seat, and an NX motor with electric start. Best of all, the bike is for sale!

Honda XL600R Dakar Scrambler:  In the Builder’s Words

My 1980’s inspired Honda XR/XL/NX now finished. Took it out today for a shakedown and did not disappoint, rides as good as it looks. Started life as an XL600, modified to accept XR600 suspension, 1984 XR500R plastics, tank and seat came from a 1986 XL600 LMF.

one-piece supertrapp silencer (sounds so good). All electrics now reside in the airbox, Honda Dominator engine with electric start.

Bike rides real nice and looks pretty trick too!

Follow Andrew Greenland at NX650elsinore.blogspot.com

There are bikes built to be polished garage queens that look good parked in front of coffee shops…and then there are bikes built to be ridden  — machines that seem to sniff out adventure like bloodhounds, ripping down dusty roads and slogging through downpours and roaring dead-on into sunsets. This Honda NX650 scrambler — “Rum Runner” — is one such build.

Builder/owner Justin Smith (@with_eagles) came to Western Australia as a backpacker on a holiday work visa from Canada and got a job at well-known custom workshop 66 Motorcycles. The shop had been using a tired old 1996 NX as a parts runner. However, the bike soon became an avenue for Justin to practice his fabrication skills and creative engineering…and blow his paychecks.

The result was a go-anywhere machine with a big gas tank and long legs, built to get in and out of trouble in a hurry. As it turns out, Justin wasn’t the only one pleased with the “Rum Runner.” Just after he finished the build, a joyrider stole the bike and a 1.5-hour police chase ensued, involving a helicopter, news coverage, and some off-roading on the part of the rider! After the bike was recovered, Justin had to tear down and rebuild, resulting in the “Rum Runner 2.0.” Together they rode off into Western Australia sunset after his six month gig at 66 Motorcycles — the longest stint his visa would allow.

Below, we get the full story from the man himself.

Honda NX650 Scrambler:  In the Builder’s Words

This bike came to me when I showed up late for an interview for a fabrication position at 66 Motorcycles near Fremantle, Western Australia. After meeting the guys and talking business for a bit, Duane Smith (co-owner of 66 at the time) tossed me the keys to the Domi and told me not to be late on Monday, I got the job. The bike was kicking around the shop as a parts runner with the intention of becoming a shop project in the future.

The bike was mainly stock with exception of a few fairing pieces missing after a previous owner laid it down and discarded the scars. I rode the bike in that condition with only minor modifications like turn signals and a tail tidy for a period of about 6 weeks. One of the guys noticed that the fuel tank sprung a leak after sitting in the hot Aussie sun for the morning. I removed the tank and within minutes, I was already picking through the tanks on the shelf to find a suitable look to start my build. Being a backpacker on a holiday work visa from Canada, I felt I’d gained enough experience in custom motorcycle restoration, repair and modifications to have the confidence to take on my own project within that first month and half of working at the shop.

Over the next 4.5 months, I threw countless hours of creative engineering, ideas and paycheques towards the build in the back shed and fab bay of the bike shop. With the help of Paul Smith and Scott Heckingbottom, I was able to refresh the engine and install 101mm piston, machine the heads and valve seats and be able to ask any questions related to the many other small mechanical tasks that were above my expertise.

Peter Ellery would lend his creative and artistic ideas on most of the builds we did, including this one of mine which in the end, I had complete creative control over. With the intention of taking this bike on long trips, I chose to use a 1977 Suzuki Gt 550 fuel tank in which I frenched in the speedometer into the tank bezel.

I’d repurposed an old ammo crate for the air box that also held the battery, some electrics, tools and a wheel lock. A custom aluminum chain guard and stainless steel licence plate and light mount were fabricated by your truly as well.

I used a Screaming’ Demon muffler and high polish tubing for the exhaust. For the most part this bike was a budget build with parts like fenders and headlight left over from customer builds, and of course catalog parts at the discounted rate.

I’d used the Shinko Big Block 805 rear tire which managed to harness the engine power and take me wherever I imagined. It didn’t always get me out of every situation though. After working my full six months at the shop (the longest length of stay at any one occupation my visa would allow) I left the payroll and rode off on my freshly built steed to blast around the Western state.

Two versions of this bike were built while I was living in W.A. Just after hashing out the bugs and setting the bike up for my riding style, someone figured they’d rather have it more than I. I reported the bike stolen and shortly after, a police cruiser had spotted the joyrider and called in re-enforcements. After an hour and a half police chase using a helicopter, and a very restless night, I’d received a call around 4:30am stating that the bike had been recovered and that I shouldn’t be excited about it’s condition.

The bike went into the shop again for another couple weeks where I tore it right down, fixed the broken bits, refreshed the paint and decided to power coat the frame black. The Rum Runner 2.0 was finished and armed once again with a brand new horse, I rode off into the sunset hypothetically speaking – there’s a lot of ocean instead of land looking West.

“Rum Runner 2.0”

Follow Justin on Instagram: @with_eagles

Revolt Cycles of the Philippines has become one of our favorite custom workshops, specializing in brat trackers and scramblers perfect for the winding roads, jungle paths, and beaches of their homeland. Now Louie and the gang are back with this cherry-red commuter build, based on a Honda TMX125 Alpha.

The TMX125 is more commonly known as the CB125 or CG125 in other countries and markets. The Alpha model has a few new knickknacks than the previous generation — most notably an electric start.

Below, we get the full story on this cool commuter.

TMX125 Scrambler / Tracker:  In the Builder’s Words

Bike is a project build for Mr. Carso Carandang. The bike came in brand new and went straight to stripping it down.

Redid the rear end section by adding a loop and mini fender with a minimalist brake light.

Painted the hubs black and added stainless steel spokes laced to aluminum black rims (front 18s rear 17s) wrapped with Duro dual sport tires.

A custom black suede leather brat seat done by Le Rida Kustom & Leather.

Repainted tank and side covers with a Christmas bright red with a Revolt wing on the tank and two white stripes running on the border of the tank. A full black respray on the engine with sanded fins.

Aftermarket mx Renthal handlebars with simple singlepost minimal headlights and grilled turn signals for that umph effect. Lol and there we came up a cool daily commuter for Mr. Carso.

Follow the Builder

• Follow Revolt Cycles:  Facebook | Instagram | Email
• Photography by The Jeb Photo Mercenary:  Instagram (@the.jeb) | Facebook | Youtube

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