Is 46Works’ Latest Masterpiece The Most Beautiful BMW R 12 NineT Custom Ever?

BMW Motorrad Sagamihara has just unveiled the R12 nineT 46Works Complete Custom #02. If you know the R12 nineT, you already know it practically begs to be customized straight out of the crate. It's one of those rare modern bikes that already looks like a blank canvas. The stance is right, the proportions are near-perfect, and the air-cooled boxer layout just pulls you in.

That’s why 46Works fits so naturally here. They’re a small workshop tucked away in the Yatsugatake Mountains in Japan, and their builds always have that calm, confident feel. Nothing loud or forced. Just clean, intentional design shaped by Shiro Nakajima’s eye for detail and balance.

This time, the star of the show is the paint. The color is called 46 Blue, and it changes the entire bike’s attitude. It is subtle, almost low-key, but it shifts depending on the light. Sometimes it pops with fine metallic highlights. Sometimes it settles into a softer tone. It gives the bike a personality that's warm and handmade, not factory-sterile.

Once you settle into the color, the rest of the parts start making sense. The bikini cowl, the tank, and the single-seat cowl give the R 12 nineT a tighter look. The white line work running along each of the body parts helps define the shapes and adds just enough contrast without being busy. It still looks like an R 12 nineT. It just feels more finished.

46Works left the chassis and engine alone. BMW already made the latest R 12 nineT more stable and more planted, and the boxer still makes more than enough grunt. This custom is all about refining the way the bike feels visually. The TANAX 46 mirrors sit low and almost disappear. A machined 46Works badge sits on the engine case. Nothing feels bolted on for the sake of it.

The gold fork legs play nicely with the deep blue paint. The wire spoke wheels keep the classic look that suits the boxer shape. From some angles, it looks modern. From others, it looks like something from a different decade. It has that timeless middle ground that custom fans love.

Since the bike starts life as a brand-new R12 nineT, it still comes with BMW’s warranty. The price is 2,998,000 yen, which is roughly $19,170 USD before tax. There's also an optional Micro TFT meter panel if you want a bit of digital convenience. That said, only nine units will be built and there's already a display model at BMW Motorrad Sagamihara for anyone who wants a closer look.

The first version from 2024 sold out immediately, and this second run feels even more dialed in. It's not a wild showpiece or a race replica. It's a stock R12 nineT filtered through one person’s vision of what the bike already wants to be.

If anything defines this build, it's how a single color can shift an entire motorcycle’s vibe. For nine riders, this will be the version of the R 12 nineT that sets the benchmark. For everyone else, it's one of those bikes you wish you could see in real sunlight just to watch the paint change as you walk around it.