In the rarified world of artisan bike builders, Shiro Nakajima stands apart. His bikes are usually functional, and sometimes even practical: the kind of models a factory might conceivably build. Some are designed to win races, and others to tackle the occasional dirt road. And then there are the machines that distill the pleasure of…
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The phrase ‘renaissance man’ is thrown around too loosely these days, along with ‘legendary’ and ‘iconic.’ But there’s no other way to describe Shiro Nakajima. The man behind the 46works label is a not just a motorcycle builder. He’s also a trained engineer, a talented woodworker, a furniture maker, and a vintage car restorer. He’s…
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The incomparable Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show went down this past weekend, and as usual the brightest stars of the Japanese custom scene pulled out all the stops. We weren’t there in person this time, but thanks to social media we’ve already earmarked our favorite builds from the show. Here’s the first: a genre-defying Ducati…
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It’s around this time of year that all the top Japanese builders release their latest customs. Many workshops have spent weeks burning the midnight oil to get a bike ready for display at the Yokohama show, but Shiro Nakajima of 46Works has been even busier than most—he’s just revealed two amazing new builds. We’ve been…
Read more »The BMW R1150GS is almost twenty years old, and a future candidate for classic status. And although BMW owners are famously fastidious…
Read more »On the surface, building a custom and building a race bike are pretty similar endeavors. And there are quite a few builders…
Read more »We’ve been fans of Shiro Nakajima’s work since Bike EXIF kicked off eight years ago. From classic restorations to full-on race bikes,…
Read more »On the bucket list of events we want to attend, the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show is at the top. The one-day…
Read more »It’s not often that we get an insight into the minds and work processes of Japan’s custom motorcycle builders. The language barrier…
Read more »For six months, four of Japan’s top custom workshops have been tearing down and rebuilding BMW’s R nineT roadster. The names will…
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