True To The Craft A Bmw R80 Caf Racer By 46works

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There’s no template for running a custom motorcycle workshop. Some are full-on emporiums; mechanics and fabricators tinker away at the back, while the front of house serves up merchandise and single-origin coffee. But others are secluded havens where lone artisans quietly hone their craft.
That’s the path taken by master builder Shiro Nakajima. The former founder of the legendary Japanese outfit Ritmo Sereno, he now operates as 46Works from his home workshop—a rustic wooden building tucked into the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains. Nakajima-san entertains visitors by appointment only, devoting his time to crafting beautiful furniture, bikes, and cars.

Come the weekend, Shiro can be found tearing up the Tsukuba racing circuit or sashaying his way along the countless twisty mountain roads that surround his home. The machines he builds are highly functional, drawing on his extensive experience racing classic motorcycles, but also effortlessly cool.
His latest creation, a 1987 BMW R80 café racer, was built for a client with tastes as discerning as Shiro’s. “He is a prominent architect in Japan,” he tells us. “His order was for a black, simple, and beautiful café racer. He does a lot of riding in the city of Tokyo, so I designed this bike to be both fun on winding roads and easy to use in everyday life.”

The client’s needs called for more than the BMW R80’s 797 cc motor could deliver, so Shiro pushed the capacity to 1,000 cc with Siebenrock cylinders and pistons. The carbs were swapped for a pair of Keihin FCR items with K&N filters, and the space left behind by the airbox was filled with a custom-made battery tray. The motor looks brand new, thanks to fresh black finishes with subtle polished highlights.
The exhaust system boasts a 46Works signature: sand-bent titanium headers. The pipes swoop down from the boxer’s opposed heads, connect below the engine, and exit via a burly oval titanium muffler.

Next, Shiro dragged the BMW R80 into the modern age with upgraded suspension components. The upside-down forks are Öhlins units from a Ducati Multistrada 1000DS, and were shortened, re-sprung, and anodized black. They’re held in place by the Multistrada’s yokes, which were matched to a custom steering stem.
An off-the-shelf Öhlins shock was bolted on out back, with its remote reservoir held in a custom-made aluminum bracket. The R80’s stock 18” wheels were retained and treated to new Dunlop Roadmaster TT100 GP tires. Shiro also fitted a pair of Brembo brake calipers and Sunstar discs to the front, with the OEM drum brake doing duty out back.

Up top, Shiro modified the tank’s mounting brackets to adjust its angle, and then built a new tail section out of fiber-reinforced plastic. A tubular aluminum subframe supports the tail, while also accommodating a bespoke inner fender. The seat, which was upholstered by Razzle Dazzle, pops off to reveal a storage compartment inside the rear hump.
A handmade aluminum fender sits above the front wheel, with a contemporary design that adds a modern edge to the overall vibe. Drops Design Works treated the bodywork to a classic gloss black paint job, punctuated only by the traditional BMW roundels.

Shiro’s obsessive attention to detail is reflected in the BMW’s redesigned cockpit. First, he filled in the holes on the top yoke that were left behind by the original bar clamps. Then he added a slim curved recess to its top edge, to create a tight fit 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, complete with an updated charging system and coils from Euro MotoElectrics. Elegant handmade foot controls show more of Shiro’s handiwork, with the left-hand side arrangement doubling up as an exhaust hanger.

This BMW R80 café racer not only cuts a flawless silhouette, but the juxtaposition of polished and raw metal finishes against the minimalist black paint job is spot on. “I created this bike with a focus on overall balance and detail,” says Shiro, adding that he’s also managed to shave 40 kg [88 lbs] off of the BMW.
“It also has a large turning circle and a low seat height, making it very easy to use in town—but very fun to ride on winding roads.”
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