The 124 cubic-inch mill is rubber mounted to the frame at the forward end, and the connector from the mount to the engine case is the only H-D part on the entire motorcycle. Then I stopped riding it like a Ducati and instead surfed the bountiful torque pulses found much lower in the powerband and wasn’t bothered by vibes for the rest of the day’s ride. And there is some serious thudding going on when the Twin is revved out. With a pair of 1016cc cylinders pounding at a 45-degree angle between the knees, it doesn’t take a Fabio Taglioni to realize vibration will make its way to a KRGT-1 rider. The handlebars are placed fairly forward, providing a fists-punching-the-wind stance that can be altered depending on bar-riser blocks or alternative bars. Making it more manageable than it might seem is its scooped saddle, low to the ground at 27.8 inches, and its surprising narrowness – no air filter poking outward at your right knee.
The KRGT-1 is an impressive and imposing motorcycle, stretching some 68 inches between its axles and weighing some 600 lbs fully fueled and ready to ride. Gauges include low-fuel and neutral lights. And so the triple clamps – billet, of course – are fitted with a steering lock. “We wanted it to be a rider, not just a bar-hopper/profiler,” says Reeves. It has also set the tone for more models to join the Arch Motorcycle range in due course, and so while the pair can’t make it to FOS in 2017, don’t rule them out for future years.The goal of practicality seems an odd focus for a radical custom bike such as this, but Arch has several surprises. The result, as those who attended FOS in 2016 will have seen, is a seriously impressive machine, not to mention one that is custom fitted to its rider as part of the build process. Parts that are unique to the motorcycle to make it the best that it can be,” says Reeves. “All these companies do proprietorial things with us, which has been really awesome. In addition, it brought in partners such as S&S for the V-twin engine, Ohlins for the suspension and Michelin for the tyres, each of which produces bespoke parts for Arch Motorcycles. So I asked Gard if he wanted to start a motorcycle company,” says Reeves.Īlthough initially reluctant, Hollinger eventually agreed and so the pair set about changing the original bike, which was based on a Harley, into something completely bespoke, with 200 of their own parts (including a billet aluminium fuel tank) that could be industrialised and duplicated. “It was a cruiser with forward controls, but it handled like I’ve never experienced in a machine like that. What they ended up with was what the pair call a performance cruiser. That’s where we got to know each other, as this bike was being built.” “Gard was kind enough to ask what I wanted, and ultimately over the course of time I realised I wanted a cruiser that you could ride. Upon enquiring what Hollinger did do, Reeves was shown into the workshop, at which point his rejected sissy bar turned into a request to build a custom bike. “I really just wanted to get a sissy bar and asked if Gard would do it. So, other than the star names behind it (Hollinger is renowned in the world of custom motorcycles, having run LA County Choprods), what makes an Arch special?įor that, we need to rewind eight years to when a friend suggested Reeves contact Hollinger to see if he would make a modification to his Harley-Davidson. The pair didn’t disclose if any of those people went on to buy an Arch, but with 20 or so of the $78,000 bikes already produced, the company is clearly on to something. “It was an amazing experience and introduced us to a lot of people,” adds Hollinger. I didn’t know it was this remarkable event – the only one like it,” he says. “I was aware of it, but when I got there it wasn’t what I thought it was. While Hollinger was aware of the event beforehand, Reeves didn’t know what to expect. I wrote a letter to Lord March and he was kind enough to reply and give us an invitation.” “He really liked the motorcycle and said ‘You should go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed’. “We are friends with Alain de Cadenet, and we were speaking about Arch,” says Reeves. GRR caught up with the pair in America at the recent launch of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyre, where a couple of Arch bikes were on display.
Their aim was to demonstrate the first product of their collaboration, the Arch Motorcycle Company's KRGT-1. Few would doubt the Festival of Speed’s ability to put a brand on the map, but even so, it is neat to think that those words come from Hollywood A-list actor, Keanu Reeves, who attended the event last year with his business partner Gard Hollinger.
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