Honda NX650 Bakula Is a Lean Custom Beauty With Vintage Dirt Bike Vibes

Together they run Earth Motorcycles over in Slovakia, appearing determined to put their home country on the motorcycle customization map. In the past, we had the pleasure of introducing you to Cikula – a rad Honda Dominator fit for a prestigious art gallery.

That said, it is now time for us to see the other NX650-based project pieced together by Earth Motorcycles’ specialists, and this one goes by the name of Bakula. It all started with a 1991 model from Honda’s lineup, but the bike bears little resemblance to its former self nowadays. Each and every piece of stock bodywork was eliminated during the initial teardown, along with several other bits and pieces.

A replacement subframe was then built from scratch, with the rearmost section of the tubes housing a pair of integrated LED taillights. These were sourced from Highsider’s catalog, and they do double duty as turn signals when needed. Atop the new subframe lies a handmade saddle upholstered in brown leather, fronted by a slender custom fuel tank built from scratch.

Further ahead in the cockpit area, we notice a Daytona speedometer acting as the bike’s only instrumentation, as well as Motone switches, Domino grips, and revamped control levers. All this hardware is fronted by a small LED headlight, while the front blinkers are Highsider items attached to the top triple clamp. Oh, and of course, the handlebar itself is an aftermarket part, too.

Earth swapped the original 21-inch front wheel with a 19-incher, but they also fitted chromed stainless-steel spokes and Mitas E-07 rubber on both ends. The brakes got refurbished using fresh rotors and pads, along with premium Venhill hoses all-round. Vlado and Ales kept the factory suspension equipment, simply having it reconditioned and lowering the forks by 50 millimeters (two inches) in the process.

The Dominator’s single-cylinder mill hasn’t been overlooked, either, benefiting from a comprehensive rebuild with new rings, seals, and gaskets. It now inhales via a refurbished carb topped with a DNA pod filter, and some bespoke exhaust plumbing was also thrown into the mix. The high-mounted pipework consists of ceramic-coated headers and a stainless-steel muffler placed on the right-hand side of the subframe.

Bakula makes use of modernized electronics, as well, with a youthful wiring harness linked to an Aliant LiFePo4 battery and Motogadget’s Bluetooth-enabled controller. Finally, the chosen color scheme is delightfully simple, so as to let Earth Motorcycles’ handiwork do all the talking. The gas tank was painted white and embellished with the shop’s logos, while items such as the frame, wheels, and swingarm have been powder-coated black.