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.…