The Honda NX650 Dominator is a dual-sport

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

. It was manufactured by

Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...

from 1988 to 2003. Between this period, several variants of the model were released with different fairing designs or changes to the mechanical systems. Reference can be seen to RD02 for early models or RD08 for later models.

Design

Its engine is slightly larger than that of the XR600L, which debuted in 1985. The 97mm bore

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

was enlarged to 100 mm and stroked from 80 to 82mm for 644cc. With 44

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

at 6,000 rpm, the engine had 53 N⋅m of

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

at 5,000 rpm. A gear-driven counterbalancing system helps to smooth out vibrations created by the large

single-cylinder A single-cylinder engine, sometimes called a thumper, is a piston engine with one cylinder. This engine is often used for motorcycles, motor scooters, motorized bicycles, go-karts, all-terrain vehicles, radio-controlled vehicles, power tools an ...

engine. The compression ratio of 8.3:1 for the four valves is aided by a single

chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A ...

-driven overhead camshaft. The intake is via a 40 mm Keihin constant-velocity

carburettor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter) is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Vent ...

, reaching as low as 5.2 L/100km (45 mpg) from 12.8 liters (3.4 gallons) in the tank. The bike features a dry-sump (frame carries oil supply) engine. The Dominator has a dual

exhaust Exhaust, exhaustive, or exhaustion may refer to: Law * Exhaustion of intellectual property rights, limits to intellectual property rights in patent and copyright law ** Exhaustion doctrine, in patent law ** Exhaustion doctrine under U.S. law, i ...

located alongside the rear fender and its powertrain is a wet clutch powering a five-

speed In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...

gearbox. The non-adjustable fork has 41mm tubes and supplies 8.5 inches of travel; the rake is 28.5 degrees, and the trail is 4.5 inches. A fork brace is built into the underside of the fender. The front carries a 21-inch spoked wheel with a 90/90 tire. The motorcycle has a single front

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the #Calipers, calipers to squeeze pairs of #Brake pads, pads against a disc (sometimes called a

rake Rake may refer to: Common meanings * Rake (tool), a horticultural implement, a long-handled tool with tines * Rake (stock character), a man habituated to immoral conduct * Rake (poker), the commission taken by the house when hosting a poker game ...

rotor) to create friction. There are two basic types of brake pad friction mechanisms: abrasive f ...

with a twin-piston caliper. In the back, the single-shock setup allows for preload alterations, with rear-wheel travel at 7.5 inches. The rear carries a 17-inch spoked wheel with a 120/90 tire. The rear wheel features a drum brake on the US model, disk on later European models. The footpegs have rubber inserts, intended to appeal to urban riders. If a rider was interested in more off-road use, the inserts could be punched out, leaving saw-toothed metal pegs, which are useful in precarious situations.

Sales

United States' sales of the NX650 were disappointing and it was withdrawn from the US market after only two years in 1990. The European version sold well and was marketed through 2003.

Variants

Other variations of the NX650 included the NX125, NX150, NX200, NX250, NX350, NX400, and NX500.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Honda NX650 Dominator Review
''Motorcycle Network.'' Retrieved 2021-06-19 NX650 Dominator Dual-sport motorcycles Motorcycles introduced in 1988