There’s no template for operating a {custom} bike workshop. Some are full-on emporiums; mechanics and fabricators tinker away on the again, whereas the entrance of home serves up merchandise and single-origin espresso. However others are secluded havens the place lone artisans quietly hone their craft.
That’s the trail taken by grasp builder Shiro Nakajima. The previous founding father of the legendary Japanese outfit Ritmo Sereno, he now operates as 46Works from his house workshop—a country wood constructing tucked into the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains. Nakajima-san entertains guests by appointment solely, devoting his time to crafting lovely furnishings, bikes, and automobiles.
Come the weekend, Shiro may be discovered tearing up the Tsukuba racing circuit or sashaying his means alongside the numerous twisty mountain roads that encompass his house. The machines he builds are extremely purposeful, drawing on his in depth expertise racing basic bikes, but in addition effortlessly cool.
His newest creation, a 1987 BMW R80 café racer, was constructed for a shopper with tastes as discerning as Shiro’s. “He’s a distinguished architect in Japan,” he tells us. “His order was for a black, easy, and exquisite café racer. He does loads of using within the metropolis of Tokyo, so I designed this bike to be each enjoyable on winding roads and straightforward to make use of in on a regular basis life.”
The shopper’s wants referred to as for greater than the BMW R80’s 797 cc motor may ship, so Shiro pushed the capability to 1,000 cc with Siebenrock cylinders and pistons. The carbs have been swapped for a pair of Keihin FCR objects with Okay&N filters, and the area left behind by the airbox was full of a custom-made battery tray. The motor appears to be like model new, because of recent black finishes with delicate polished highlights.
The exhaust system boasts a 46Works signature: sand-bent titanium headers. The pipes swoop down from the boxer’s opposed heads, join beneath the engine, and exit by way of a burly oval titanium muffler.
Subsequent, Shiro dragged the BMW R80 into the fashionable age with upgraded suspension parts. The upside-down forks are Öhlins models from a Ducati Multistrada 1000DS, and have been shortened, re-sprung, and anodized black. They’re held in place by the Multistrada’s yokes, which have been matched to a {custom} steering stem.
An off-the-shelf Öhlins shock was bolted on out again, with its distant reservoir held in a custom-made aluminum bracket. The R80’s inventory 18” wheels have been retained and handled to new Dunlop Roadmaster TT100 GP tires. Shiro additionally fitted a pair of Brembo brake calipers and Sunstar discs to the entrance, with the OEM drum brake doing responsibility out again.
Up prime, Shiro modified the tank’s mounting brackets to regulate its angle, after which constructed a brand new tail part out of fiber-reinforced plastic. A tubular aluminum subframe helps the tail, whereas additionally accommodating a bespoke inside fender. The seat, which was upholstered by Razzle Dazzle, pops off to disclose a storage compartment contained in the rear hump.
A home made aluminum fender sits above the entrance wheel, with a up to date design that provides a contemporary edge to the general vibe. Drops Design Works handled the bodywork to a basic gloss black paint job, punctuated solely by the standard BMW roundels.
Shiro’s obsessive consideration to element is mirrored within the BMW’s redesigned cockpit. First, he crammed within the holes on the highest yoke that have been left behind by the unique bar clamps. Then he added a slim curved recess to its prime edge, to create a good match with the bike’s new Motogadget speedo.
Clip-on handlebars are fitted with Brembo controls, OEM-style switches, new grips, and a pair of 46Works mirrors. The lighting is all-LED, and the wiring is all-new, full with an up to date charging system and coils from Euro MotoElectrics. Elegant handmade foot controls present extra of Shiro’s handiwork, with the left-hand facet association doubling up as an exhaust hanger.
This BMW R80 café racer not solely cuts a flawless silhouette, however the juxtaposition of polished and uncooked steel finishes in opposition to the minimalist black paint job is spot on. “I created this bike with a concentrate on general stability and element,” says Shiro, including that he’s additionally managed to shave 40 kg [88 lbs] off of the BMW.
“It additionally has a big turning circle and a low seat top, making it very straightforward to make use of on the town—however very enjoyable to trip on winding roads.”
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