HONDA FMX 650 by Toma Customs

About the project: HONDA FMX 650 by Toma customs

When we start a project HONDA FMX 650, we first want to hear about the clients’ wishes and transformation ideas. It is a great opportunity for us to get to know our client and enables us to visualize what his dream bike would look like.

For this project, the approach was different.

We already knew very well our customer Bruno and his wishes for customization has it is actually the second bike we build for him. He already ordered a project in the past, also based on a Honda but with a smaller engine.

Quite aware of Bruno’s desires and taste from our past project with him, we knew he would want to go for a quite minimalist, sober and neat project with a rather road/city use. When he came to the workshop to discuss his new project, he added that for this specific project he wanted something radical and unique …

So we went together to get a good coffee in the pub next to the workshop to discuss the project and quickly we agreed on a concept of an urban version of the Superhooligan motorcycles. We then just had to find the right base to start the project. After some research, we found that the Honda FMX 650 was the ideal base for his project, easy to find second hand and with its stock inverted fork and 17 ” wheels. We were on the same wavelength for the project and Bruno trusted us, so he got a Honda FMX which would serve as the project base without even having defined all the details of the project, only the budget range was set.

It is a way of working that we like too, to set the bases of the project and then let it evolve while working on the bike. When Bruno brought us the FMX two weeks later, we thus completely dismantled the bike to keep only the wheels, the frame, and the engine, and from then we imagined everything together. As Bruno has is office not far away from the workshop, he came regularly to see the progress of the project and it allowed us to show him what we imagined for the next steps at each key stage of the project: the type of tank, handlebar, headlight, side covers, exhaust, he even came 3 times to try the saddle and the adjustments of the foam so it fits perfectly before we sewed the Alcantara leather on it.

We love this kind of project and relationship with the customers, to take their ideas into account and try to achieve their dream motorcycle, all this happening in the workshop around the bike without going through Photoshop. It’s really about this kind of experience that we want to evolve and bring our customers to, discussing details, sharing what we do, make them come to the workshop to live the project together, not just buying a product, but live an experience together and build the motorcycle of their dream.

Regarding the modifications, we wanted to play with the general line of the bike, so we decided to replace the original tank by a smaller one and align/shorten the rear part of the frame. We cut and welded a shorter frame loop and replaced the original huge saddle by a custom seat base that we then sewed by our workshop. The finish and covering of the saddle are in Alcantara leather. Replacing the handlebar also helped work on the line of the bike.

All electronic components have been replaced by new and more minimalist elements (led indicator lights, speedometer) to make the motorcycle look more modern. List of modification also includes the build of an electricity box, bespoke side covers, bespoke exhaust header with Supertrapp silencer.

In the front, we removed the fairing and replaced it by a tiny led headlight and an Aluminum Endurance plate to give the bike a radical look. The color of the tank is the original one but we applied a matt varnish coat to make the bike look more aggressive.