Deus Ex Machina CRF450X Cafe Racer
We’ve featured custom motorcycles from Deus Ex Machina before and for good reason. Michael “Woolie” Wollaway, the in-house bike builder for the Venice, California location, makes some fantastic creations. This one, however, is especially interesting. Named “Dakdaak,” it’s part of a Sibling Rivalry series created by Woolie. What makes the bike unique is the lump of metal in the middle that makes the whole thing move is sourced from a Honda CRF450X. Yeah, an off-road bike.
At first glance you might look at the Dakdaak and think “oh great, another cafe racer,” but to dismiss the work Woolie has put in to this bike would be a mistake. For starters, the chromoly frame and swingarm are completely custom made by Wollaway. Then you get to the heart of the beast: the 449cc, liquid-cooled thumper originally meant to destroy trails and kick up roost. Jim Wood at Southland racing massaged the engine to help it better cope with its new life on the road.
The forks, too, are sourced from the CRF, with Ed Sorbo at Lindemann Engineering shortening and re-valving them for street duty. Get a closer look at the machine and you’ll see the careful touches and premium parts that went into it. From the Beringer brakes, carefully stitched seat, premium welds and Rizoma rearsets, the Dakdaak looks cool at speed or just parked in the garage. And indeed, it’s one of Woolie’s favorites too. “Dakdaak is the pinnacle of all street bikes I’ve built. The way that it handles and rides is just amazing,”
Find out more about the Dakdaak, and the rest of Woolie’s builds at www.deuscustoms.com.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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