Scrambler builders often choose a Honda as the donor bike. The best starting points are the single cylinder thumpers, such as the tough XR series and the popular NX650 Dominator. Both have bulletproof and easy to work on engines.
Other builders will choose older but even simpler Hondas from the 1960s and 1970s, such as the vintage CB and CL bikes, which also have a good parts supply.
Here’s a selection of the best custom Honda scramblers from recent years.
Many Honda Dominator customs use the same template. Swap the fuel tank for something slimmer, trim the subframe and you’re halfway there. But there’s another way to go about it; lean into the Dominator’s adventure bike DNA to build a utilitarian scrambler. That’s the path that the Hungarian workshop, Neuga, took with this 1994 Honda…
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The custom scene is scattered with craftspeople that do more than just build awesome motorcycles. James Fawcett is a prime example. As Slipstream Creations he makes furniture, paints bicycle frames, does ad-hoc welding and fabrication jobs, and even upcycles spark plugs to create coat racks. He also finds time to build custom motorcycles like this…
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The Honda XR600 has a cult following across the globe, and for good reason. As the original king of the Baja 1000, it’s one of the best big singles to ever tear across the desert. And while it might look outdated against modern machines, it’s still a great bike to own—and customize. The Australian custom…
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The legendary Honda Super Cub is known for being the world’s most produced vehicle, and the poster child for Honda’s most memorable ad campaign. But it was also responsible for spawning multiple trail-focused variants. They’re known the world over; as the Hunter Cub in Japan, the humble postie bike in Australia and the Honda Trail…
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Every time Honda releases a modern iteration of one of their iconic pint-sized motorcycles, K-Speed pounces. The Thai workshop and parts manufacturer…
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Repeat custom is the lifeblood of most businesses, including bike builders. Ten years ago, Matt Helders bought a very sharp Triumph T100…
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Creating a knockout recipe takes a lot of trial and error. But once you nail it, everyone wants a taste—which is why…
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There’s a tipping point where a hobby turns into a career, and Sérgio Almeida is sitting on it. Based in Portugal, he…
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The saying goes that there’s no replacement for displacement, but that’s not always true. Small bikes can be as much fun as…
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Honda motorcycles have a reputation for being unkillable, but whoever used to own this Honda CL350 sure gave it their best shot.…
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There’s a 295-pound Honda XR600R hanging on the wall at Dirtshop Thailand, in Bangkok. Made in 1990, it’s the actual motorcycle that…
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It’s a singles party this week: we’ve got a spunky Honda XL350R scrambler, a Kawasaki AR80 cafe racer, a Kawasaki KX100 land…
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