Nippon Performance

About Us

Motorcycles aren’t just what we work on,  they’re what we live for.

Brisbane workshop & performance centre

Care & Passion

Founded in 2012 by lifelong motorcycle professional Phil, Nippon began as a small Brisbane workshop with a big vision: to bring honesty, skill, and craftsmanship back to the motorcycle service industry. What started as a one-man operation in a small West End space quickly grew into a trusted name for riders who value quality, performance, and transparency.

From day one, Nippon has been built on a simple belief, riders deserve the same level of care, opportunity, and respect that every great mechanic wants in their own career. That philosophy has shaped how we train our apprentices, support our staff, and serve our customers: with integrity, precision, and a genuine love for two wheels.

Today, Nippon Performance is a full-scale motorcycle workshop and performance centre based in Woolloongabba, Brisbane, known for its skilled mechanics, in-house engineering, and custom performance tuning. With a team of 11, including four mechanics, four apprentices, and two engineers, we’re proud to help riders across Australia keep their bikes running at their best, whether that means fine-tuning for the track or keeping a daily commuter road-ready.

from a one-lift shed to a five-shed operation

Our Story

2012

The beginning

Phil opens Nippon Performance in West End, Brisbane, sub-contracting to another company and working out of a modest space. Ben joins soon after as Nippon’s first apprentice, quickly becoming the best Phil has ever trained.

2017

New home, New Chapter

The team moves to Woolloongabba. With just Phil and Ben for the first four years, Nippon grows steadily and hires its first full-time staff member.

End of 2017

Performance Evolution

Nippon invests in a Dyno, marking a major turning point. This allowed the team to measure and showcase performance improvements, diving deep into competitive tuning and power optimisation for track riders and enthusiasts.

2019

Expansion

Nippon moves next door into a double warehouse, doubling their workspace and opening the door for more mechanics and apprentices to join the team.

2020

Adapt & Overcome

When COVID-19 hit, the first few months were uncertain but Nippon adapted fast. They implemented no-contact pickup and drop-off services and continued to support riders safely. Ironically, this era saw more people than ever getting into motorcycles, and the business grew stronger through trust and innovation.

2021

Back to our Roots

Nippon reclaimed its original shed, expanding operations again to meet growing demand

2022

Innovation in Motion

Investing in a CNC machine, Nippon began manufacturing its own custom parts, solving supply shortages and pushing the boundaries of what a motorcycle workshop can do. Their two in-house engineers now design and machine parts on-site, making Nippon one of the only workshops in Australia with this capability.

2025

A New Era

Now operating across five adjoining sheds, the Nippon Performance team continues to lead the way in precision mechanics and custom engineering, still driven by the same values that started it all: trust, quality, and transparency.

built on trust...

Driven by performance.

After decades in the industry, with 24 years of experience from Phil and 12 from Ben, the Nippon team has earned its reputation through hard work, word-of-mouth, and a commitment to excellence. Every bike that rolls through our doors gets the same attention to detail we’d give our own, because when it comes to performance, precision, and passion, nothing else will do.

our team

Meet the Founders

Phil

For Phil, motorcycles have never been just a job, they’ve been his life’s work. With over 24 years in the motorcycle industry, Phil built Nippon Performance from the ground up in 2012 after decades of working inside larger workshops. What started in a small West End shed quickly became a place where riders could count on straight talk, skilled hands, and performance they could feel.

Phil’s vision was simple: create the kind of workshop he wished existed when he was coming up, one where young mechanics are mentored properly, customers are treated with honesty, and every bike leaves better than it arrived. His approach is methodical, technical, and deeply personal, every tune, test, and torque mark reflects a lifetime of experience and pride.

Phil’s vision was simple: create the kind of workshop he wished existed when he was coming up, one where young mechanics are mentored properly, customers are treated with honesty, and every bike leaves better than it arrived. His approach is methodical, technical, and deeply personal, every tune, test, and torque mark reflects a lifetime of experience and pride.

Ben

Ben first joined Nippon as an apprentice, back when the workshop was little more than two lifts and a dream. He’d been studying at university, unsure of his path, until he found his way into the garage and never looked back. 

Under Phil’s mentorship, Ben discovered his passion for performance mechanics and the satisfaction of building something with his own hands. Now, more than 12 years later, Ben has grown into one of Brisbane’s most respected motorcycle technicians and the heartbeat of Nippon’s next generation. His approach blends deep mechanical understanding with a natural curiosity for innovation, from precision tuning on the dyno to leading the team’s engineering and CNC manufacturing projects.

Ben represents what Nippon is all about, skill built through dedication, respect for the craft, and a shared drive to keep pushing what’s possible on two wheels.

A Bright Future

Stronger Together

Phil and Ben have built more than just a business, they’ve built a legacy of trust and performance. From training the next wave of apprentices to expanding into five interconnected sheds with in-house engineering, their story is proof that hard work, integrity, and a genuine love for the ride can take you anywhere.