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 And while it might look outdated against modern machines, it’s still a great bike to own?and customize.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 shop Ellaspede has a particular soft spot for the venerable XR. One of the first custom motorcycles they ever built was based on a 1998-model XR600 [below], way back in 2011. And now they?ve dragged that very same scrambler back into the workshop for a makeover.

?It?s always hard to let go of first loves,? says Ellaspede’s Hughan Seary, ?so this XR600 was ridden around and used for promotional duties and shows throughout the years, until the motor was due for a refresh and pulled from the frame. But as customer builds come first, it then sat stagnant for the following years, waiting in the wings for its second lease on life.? When their tenth birthday rolled around last year, the Ellaspede team decided it would be the perfect time to revive the Honda. Around that time a customer, Tom, serendipitously decided that he wanted a custom XR600 of his own. He already had a suitable donor and a specific direction in mind?but then he visited the workshop, and his plans quickly changed.

?We took a walk with him down memory lane about our original XR600 that we still owned,? explains Hughan. ?It seemed like a perfect match to get him behind the bars on this ren...