46Works frontman Shiro Nakajima’s newest undertaking is a Fantic Caballero Scrambler 700, reimagined as a glossy café racer with sporty intentions.
Though the roster on the annual Yokohama Scorching Rod Customized Present is huge, there are a handful of Japanese customized builders you could rely on to ship the products, 12 months after 12 months. Shiro Nakajima is considered one of them.
Higher referred to as 46Works, Nakajima-san’s fabrication abilities are as sharp as his eye. He is identified for constructing bikes that not solely look stellar, however are made to be ridden. It has rather a lot to do with the truth that he spends a lot of his time racing on the Tsukuba Circuit, a number of hours from his residence base within the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains.
It was at Tsukuba that the inspiration for this undertaking struck. Shiro was test-riding a Fantic Caballero Scrambler 700 on the observe and was struck by the Italian fashionable traditional’s functionality. “I used to be captivated by its light-weight chassis, paired with a robust, characterful 689 cc twin engine,” he tells us.
“I used to be additionally impressed by its potential to ship sporty using on the racetrack—regardless of being a scrambler. And the straightforward body design made for an appropriate base for a customized construct.”
With buy-in from Fantic’s Japanese distributor, Motorist, Shiro dragged a 2024-spec Fantic Caballero Scrambler 700 into his workshop and set to work turning right into a glossy café racer. “I envisioned rebuilding this scrambler mannequin as a highway bike,” he provides. “Though it gives glorious dealing with even in inventory kind, its dealing with leans extra in the direction of that of an off-road bike—so I redesigned it for sporty highway dealing with.”
Step one was to reconfigure the Caballero’s stance. Shiro ditched the inventory 19F/17R wheels, changing them with 18” rollers that use Yamaha hubs, Excel rims, and Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart IV tires.
Subsequent, he upgraded the entrance finish with model new upside-down forks from Öhlins. The bike’s backside yoke was handled to customized spacers to match the diameter of the Öhlins tubes, whereas a brand new high yoke was milled for a clear cockpit setup. The OEM speedo is now bolted to it, sitting a lot nearer to the bike than earlier than.
The inventory LED headlight was remounted on customized brackets, once more to drag it in tighter. Shiro swapped the Caballero’s scrambler bars for a set of Battle Manufacturing unit clip-ons, however retained the unique switches in order that not one of the bike’s performance can be compromised. The brake grasp cylinder is a Brembo unit, the reservoir comes from Craftsman, and the mirrors are 46Works elements, manufactured by TANAX.
Decrease down, Shiro changed the Caballero’s single 330 mm disc brake with a pair of 280 mm Sunstar floating discs and a second Brembo caliper. New caliper mounts needed to be machined, with particular modifications to make sure that the bike’s ABS would nonetheless perform. Shiro additionally fabricated a sporty aluminum entrance fender, held in place by hidden brackets.
The Caballero’s gleaming new bodywork is all Shiro’s handiwork—from the blocky, vintage-looking gasoline tank to the waspish tail part, which tapers in the direction of an built-in LED taillight. The seat pops off to supply entry to the battery and ECU, whereas the tail bump hides a storage compartment. Tiny LED flip alerts and a hand-crafted license plate bracket maintain issues street-legal.
46Works liveries are all the time easy and tasteful, and this one isn’t any exception. Shiro opted for a elegant end, with easy striping and lettering by Drops Design Works. Razzle Dazzle dealt with the crimson seat upholstery—a nod to Fantic’s company coloration.
Ending touches included customized rear-set pegs and a considered improve of the Caballero’s exhaust system. Shiro added a pair of sand-bent titanium headers up entrance and a titanium reverse-cone muffler on the again, with the inventory catalytic converter nonetheless in play. “This configuration makes it simple to acquire Japanese car inspection certification,” he explains.
46Works’ Fantic Caballero café racer debuted on the Yokohama Scorching Rod Customized Present to rave evaluations. And though it belongs to Motorist for the subsequent 12 months, Shiro already has a purchaser lined up when the bike is again in his fingers.
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