When it comes to the motorcycle world, the Honda name carries a weight that few others can match. It’s a reputation built on the “Power of Dreams,” but reinforced by the reality of bulletproof engineering. Whether it’s the air-cooled thumpers of the ’70s or the high-revving inline-fours of the modern era, Honda provides a foundation that builders adore for one simple reason: it will always start in the morning.
While the café racer dominated the early 2010s, the Tracker has become the go-to style for riders who value an upright posture and the ability to slide through a gravel corner. A Honda Tracker is a unique beast; it takes the legendary reliability of models like the Dominator or the XR series and strips them to their essence.
At its core, a tracker typically has a level “bone line” from the tank to the tail, wide handlebars for leverage, and wheels shod in chunky rubber. Here are 6 Favorite Honda Trackers.
Fuchs Workshop’s Dominator
Massimo Rinchiuso of Italy’s Fuchs Workshop built this Honda NX650 Dominator for his friend, three-time French flat track champion Niko Sorbo. Nicknamed Rusinella, this machine is a competition-ready weapon designed for the rigors of the oval. Massimo swapped the stock rear end for a Honda CRF450 swingarm, chosen for its lightweight stiffness and extra length, paired with an adjustable YSS shock.
The engine received a performance overhaul from Claudio Lanconelli, featuring a high-compression oversized piston, port-matched cylinder head, and a lightened crankshaft and flywheel. A re-profiled camshaft and an updated carburetor with a massive pod filter ensure the 644 cc single punches well above its stock 44 hp.
The front end is just as serious: 41 mm CBR forks with YSS internals sit in CNC-machined yokes, with the headstock modified to a sharper 25-degree angle. Rolling on 19-inch Kineo tubeless wheels with Anlas flat track tires, it’s a factory-level race bike with a beguiling HRC livery. [MORE]
‘JuanVerde’ XR650L
The Honda XR650L has been a staple of the line since 1992, and builder ‘JuanVerde’ refines this bulletproof thumper into a sharp street weapon. The 644 cc air-cooled single features “Dave’s Mods” (re-jetting and slide drilling), a smog pump delete, and a stainless FMF PowerBomb header mated to a Cone Engineering ‘BigMouth’ muffler.
To drop the stance, JuanVerde used 47 mm Showa forks from a CRF, lowered by six inches with custom-machined internal grooves for height adjustment. The rear subframe was entirely rebuilt using larger diameter tubing to house integrated LED lighting.
A modified fuel tank from a Honda FT500 Ascot flows into a hand-hammered steel tail section, creating a single-piece monocoque look. Rolling on 18-inch rims with Dunlop K180 rubber, this XR650L is an exercise in garage-built refinement. [MORE]
Low Budget Customs’ Twister
Juan Taurel of Low Budget Customs took the humble CBX250 Twister—a 24 hp commuter popular in South America—and transformed it into a 50-pound lighter street tracker.
Juan radically tweaked the stance by lowering the forks and fabricating a new anchor point for the rear shock. The rear frame was lopped off for a shorter, custom subframe. The bodywork is a highlights reel of clever sourcing: the fuel tank comes from an 80s 125 cc Honda, flowing into a fiberglass flat track tail manufactured in-house.
A stainless steel Powercore 4 exhaust and pod filter were tuned to optimize the 250 cc single’s output. Rinaldi dual-purpose tires on stock 17-inch wheels keep it practical for Buenos Aires streets. Finished in a vintage red, blue, and silver HRC scheme, it’s a cheeky and agile urban carver. [MORE]
Mule Motorcycles’ XL 250
Richard Pollock of Mule Motorcycles is a master of tracker geometry, and this 1972 Honda XL 250 proves why. Despite its 50-year age, the engine only required minor timing adjustments and a carb rebuild to run perfectly—a testament to Honda’s 70s engineering. Richard stretched the swingarm by 1.5 inches and fitted Yamaha FZR600 forks into custom Mule yokes to modernize the handling.
The wheels are a clever mix: the 18-inch rear retains its classic drum brake, but the front features a 21-inch Yamaha YZ450F rim paired with a Triumph Bonneville axle and caliper. Richard fabricated a custom carrier for a 300 mm Yamaha rotor with Brembo floating bobbins.
The bodywork is a blend of stock metal and reproduction CR250 fenders, capped off with a custom Corbin saddle and CZ 360 replica handlebars. It’s a “mild restomod” that hides a staggering amount of cross-brand engineering. [MORE]
Kingston Custom’s CB650R Flat Tracker
Commissioned by Honda Germany, Dirk Oehlerking of Kingston Custom tackled the modern CB650R, an inline-four producing 94 hp. Dirk’s approach was centered on a 6 kg fiberglass monocoque bodywork shaped from rigid foam, which replaces the stock plastics and attaches via just four screws.
Underneath this shell sits a custom-made aluminum fuel tank that uses the stock fuel pump. Dirk repositioned the digital LCD dash above the air filter to clean up the cockpit, and the rear subframe received a “nip and tuck” to flatten the line. While the stock 4-into-1 exhaust and 41 mm Showa SFF-BP forks were left alone, the addition of Pirelli MT60RS tires and a C-Racer headlight mask completely redefines the bike’s character as a modern HRC-liveried street tracker. [MORE]
Comercial Impala’s CB1000R
Based in Barcelona, Comercial Impala built this flat track beast for a Honda Iberia dealer competition with a strict €3,000 budget. Based on the CB1000R, they swapped the stock subframe for a laser-cut aluminum unit. The wiring loom was aggressively thinned, removing the traction control, ABS, and digital display to create a raw, mechanical experience.
The Fireblade-derived engine, producing 143 hp, breathes through pod filters and an IXRACE exhaust system with a catalytic converter delete. The cockpit features oversized Neken handlebars (Jared Mees replica) and Brembo master cylinders. Rolling on dirt-oriented Pirelli MT60 tires and finished in a “Candy Gold” paint—a direct nod to the 1969 CB750—this build is a terrifyingly fast tribute to Honda’s golden era of performance. [MORE]
