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Honda Rumored to Bring Back the NX650 Dominator

Honda may be back in the business of building real adventure bikes, the latest rumors have it. Apparently, a new patent drawing has been spotted, and it shows a motorcycle boasting a strong resemblance to the old NX650 Dominator that was sacked in the early 2000s.
Honda NX650 Dominator 3 photos
Photo: Honda
Old DominatorReportedly a sketch of Honda's new middleweight adv machine
With the advent of the new Africa Twin, albeit no longer a v-twin as old XR750 and Transalp fans dreamed, Honda appears to have re-discovered the taste of bikes that can do both traveling and serious off-road.

The House of Tokyo is dead-silent as to what the new drawing might be, but it doesn't take a specialist to figure out that the machine in the sketch is not unlike the old Honda thumper. From the patent drawing, it is unclear whether the next bike will have one or two cylinders, but our guess is that Honda will stick to the one-cylinder design.

Of course, the twin of the NC700 platform may sound like a possible lump used to animate the new off-roader, but the odds are that Honda will be aiming for the best power-to-weight ratio. That is, engineering a new middleweight air-cooled single might serve the purpose better than anything currently in production.

The old Dominator tipped the scales at less than 180 kg (397 lb) in running order, and felt really comfy off the road, while being easy to rein in on asphalt as well. If Honda wants to draw back a solid number of followers, sticking to the recipe that made so many love the Dominator sounds like a must.

Electronic developments might make the new bike a real jewel

Now, the 45 horsepower of the old Dominator may not seem an extraordinary feat, but if you've ridden that bike or the 600cc Transalp, then you should know that there's more to those Honda machines than meets the eye.

In fact, these bikes got a cult following in their days specifically for being usable yet forgiving, suitable for seasoned riders and newer ones alike. Riding fully loaded and with a passenger, these machines could do north of 60 mph (100 km/h) on the highway all day long without breaking a sweat, so long hauls were also one of their strong points.

Now, it's been some 15 years since the Domi went out of production, and a lot has happened since then. Top-notch fuel injection and modern engine management modules CAN turn a 650cc-ish air-cooled single into a true weapon for both highway and trail.

A bike that's light, sturdy and agile and packing some 60 horsepower would be an incredible addition to Honda's line-up and a huge boon for the middleweight adventure bike segment. Could it be the Africa Single?
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