‘91 Honda Dominator - Anvil Motociclette

Of all the strange and wonderful donor bikes you could pick for a custom project, it's hard to think of one that trumps the indefeasibly popular Honda Dominator. In orginal form, its look is a rather alarming mix of awkward plastic mouldings and 80s graphic styling - as if a Duran Duran album cover and a wind-up praying mantis had somehow managed to produce a freakish love child. Which makes the production of any cool-looking bike out of its freakish lines a particularly skilled accomplishment in our books. Cue the latest build from our favourite Northern Italians, the alarmingly Rock'n'Roll Marco and Phonz with their Honda Dominator named “Madunassa”.

“We started with a Honda Dominator from ‘91 that was supplied by the customer, a former pilot. As soon as we saw the bike we got our hands in her hair (don't you just love Italian?), and we realised it was a really nice challenge to try and come up with something beautiful from this particular model. We were inspired by the classic motocross bikes of the 70s, and from there we started our Dominator adventure.”

“The bike has been completely gutted, starting from the rims that have been replaced with motard wheels, instead of the stock tires, we used Continental TKC 80s. The rear frame has been redone from scratch in order to get the line that we wanted, so we added a rear fender made of aluminum and a small light housing. The saddle is handmade in cowhide with our ‘classic’ stitching pattern.”

“The exhaust has been revised with a new 2 into 1. The sideboards add a vintage touch and the number is not random, but is actually the owner's age. The tank was found in a flea market; we're not sure where it's from. The bars have been replaced with renthal unit. And obviously the forks and rear shock were hardened and calibrated too.”

“The muddy shot were taken last weekend when the bike was used for a 70km trail ride between Bobbio and the Passo del Penice. The owner has quite a heavy wrist!” Passo del Penice? Heavy wrist? Erm... 

“Madunassa is just an expression that the customer said as he saw the bike for the first time, so we decided to use it.” The boys didn't offer up any more details on the phrase than that, but knowing that there was probably a little more to it, we hit up our resident Italiano esperto, Francesco. “It's a dialect from the north,” he chuckled. “It means ‘little mother Mary’ and it's used as an exclamation, like ‘oh my God!’ You know, looking at the bike in the photos, I kind of see what the customer was getting at.

from PIPEBURN

First overland: The Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition

In 1955 - after months of extensive preparation, organisation and footwork - six plucky Oxbridge students, aboard two identical Land Rovers, set off on the first truly mammoth ‘overland’ journey…

A successful PR stunt can boost a vehicle’s commercial appeal ten-fold. And what better way to promote the yet-to-be-released 1956 Land Rover Series 1 than to send two of them on a six-month, 18,000-mile overland expedition from London to Singapore; an expedition that was previously deemed impossible. 

An impossible task

The Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition could only have been dreamt up over a late night beverage or two, in a typically ambitious university ploy. Using initiative, persuasion and very little money, the six Oxford and Cambridge students meticulously planned the journey of a lifetime – one that would stand unrivalled to this day.  

The route was formidable, carving through lands where several others had tried and failed. Setting off from Hyde Park in London, the brace of Land Rovers headed through Europe, the Middle East and Asia, before arriving in Singapore from Thailand and Malaysia.

Tough terrain

Needless to say, the terrain they faced was hostile and, in some cases, near impassable. One particular challenge was the expanse of virgin desert between Damascus and Baghdad, a stretch the team slogged at for over 14 hours in the searing heat and stifling dust. They also tackled the famous Ledo road, a ruinous stretch between Burma and India interrupted by thousands of streams and several major rivers, all the while under constant threat of attack from bandits and headhunters. Significantly, it was the last recorded journey along the road before its permanent closure.

For such a demanding journey, you’d assume that the cars were extensively modified to cope with the treacherous conditions that awaited them; but no. The Series 1s were essentially straight off the production line, with small modifications including a ‘safari roof’ (to keep cool in the days and reduce condensation at night), spotlights, front mounted winches and extra fuel tanks. Appropriately, each car was painted in the universities’ respective shades of blue. 

Straight off the line

Although Land Rover was the preliminary sponsor, providing the (lightly modified) vehicles, the trip would not have been possible without equipment, supplies and cash donated or loaned by over 80 third parties both at home and along the way. From water-purification tablets and collapsible mess-tins, to whisky and food rations – anything that would make the task that little bit easier was welcomed with open arms.

After six months and six days, and 18,000 gruelling miles, the team finally arrived in Singapore. Not only did these six young men inspire a generation, they cemented Land Rover’s reputation for durability and off-road prowess – characteristics that the brand has been moulded around and that have been found in every Land Rover since. 

Photos: Land Rover

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