Buckinghamshire bruiser: ‘The Ultimate Adventure Bike’ set for short production run

Marlon Motorcycles have announced a ten-bike production run for ‘The Ultimate Adventure Bike’ (TUAB), a 1995 Honda NX650 Dominator-based custom they exhibited at the Bike Shed Show in 2022.

The brief for the build was to create a bike that was ‘light enough to throw around without having to worry about picking it up when you drop it, but also totally utilitarian – so that it had everything you need to take you across the world’.

Starting with the customer’s NX650, Marlon stripped the original bodywork before modifying the frame, including a redesigned subframe with a Bumot pannier mounting system, tank bash bars and engine boulder bars.

Two auxiliary tanks were added, one for fuel and one for drinking water, and an aluminium toolbox was fitted behind the panniers. The wheels were rebuilt with lightweight alloy rims and the suspension was upgraded with a new YSS shock at the rear and HyperPro fork internals at the front.

An original Dakar fuel tank was sourced and adapted to fit the bike and the classic globe-conquering look was finished off with a hand-built stainless exhaust and Yoshimura end-can under the seat.

“The reaction to TUAB has been incredible,” said Marlon Jeavons from Marlon Motorcycles.

“The bike seems to have struck a chord with adventure riders that don’t want all the bulk and weight that usually comes with the genre. It’s opened a lot of bikers eyes to an alternative way of doing things – a bit of a game-changer in many ways I think.”

TUAB garnered so much positive feedback that Marlon has decided to create the firm’s first ever production run, building ten individual bikes on the same design principles as the original.

Marlon added: “As with the original, they will be tailored to the client’s individual needs and each will be unique.” The order book will open soon so if you’d like to register your interest please drop Marlon a line by emailing marlonmotorcycles@gmail.com.