The NX650 Dominator is a staple of the European dual sport scene, even though production stopped 18 years ago. Like the Suzuki DR650, it?s one of those lightweight, bulletproof air-cooled singles that seem to go on forever.
There?s no shortage of Dominator customs out there, but this is one of the best we?ve seen lately. Even the name is great: it?s called TSM, short for ?Thierry Sabine Motorcycle,? in honor of the founder of the Paris Dakar rally.

When Sabine got lost on the Tchigai Plateau in Niger in 1977, he realized it would be an excellent location for a desert race, and devoted the rest of his life to organizing the rally. He died in 1986 in a helicopter crash, but 35 years later, his legacy has been acknowledged by Prague-based Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles. ?This bike was created for a client who had a 1998 NX650,? says workshop founder Mat?j Sysel. ?The motorcycle itself has a story to tell, since it was stolen from our client. It disappeared for about six months, and was found by the police after it had been crashed.?

?It was in poor condition, and that could have been the end of the story?but our client decided to bring the bike to us, to resurrect it.?
Mat?j decided to customize the Dommie with a nod towards race bikes, without being a hardcore copy. ?The end result is subtle and lightweight, with the cool look of a racing machine,? he says. ?We were inspired by motorcycles from the first Dakar seasons, and by the Honda NXR750 in Rothmans colors.?

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