Not quite a full-on chopper but not a sport bike either, the KRGT-1 is a mishmash of different designs. Last fall, Arch Motorcycle Company came out with its first production motorcycle, the KRGT-1, which is based on the bike that Hollinger built for Reeves shortly after they met. The two got talking and eventually they decided to start Arch Motorcycle Company. That’s when he met Gard Hollinger, a motorcycle builder with years of experience under his belt. looking for a sissy bar for one of his bikes. And lately, he has turned his attention to choppers.Įight years ago, Reeves walked into a custom shop in L.A. Over the years, Reeves has had everything from Suzuki sportbikes to Harley-Davidson cruisers in his stable. He then bought a 1973 Norton Commando-on which he can still be spotted bombing around the streets of L.A. His next bike was a canary yellow 1971-ish Norton Commando. Over the years, Keanu Reeves has owned all sorts of motorcycles, from sport bikes to choppers to cruisers. So I started to ride that bike around the stage when she wasn’t using it, and when I got back to Los Angeles, I got the first bike I saw that was similar. One day I asked her to teach me how to ride it. “I was filming in Munich, Germany, at this film studio, and this young girl had a gorgeous (Kawasaki) Enduro motorcycle which she would drive around. As a teenager growing up in Toronto, Ontario, he was more into playing ice hockey than anything (he is, after all, a Canadian-eh). Unlike the many other riders out there, Reeves didn’t get into motorcycles until he was a young adult. “Riding your bike is one of the greatest things you can do to clear your head and just feel the speed and the motion,” said Reeves. The now 50-year-old is an avid rider who’s logged thousands of kilometres behind the bars of his favourite bike, the Norton Commando. photo courtesy Interview HubĪ lot, actually. It’s a great pleasure to bring that dream to other people.Keanu Reeves has been a motorcycle enthusiast since he was 22 years old. The actor is very hands-on with the company, which he insists is not just a plaything: “For me it’s a passion, to partner with Gard and create a motorcycle. Reeves says: “We try to do a couple of events each year and try to involve riding, eating and drinking – though not all at the same time! We want to create unique experiences with an interesting group of people”. Arch hosts owner rides and road trips around LA and California: up the Pacific Coast Highway to the vineyards around San Francisco, or South to San Diego and the desert. Even with the customisation, the lead-time for delivery to the UK is an impressive 90-days.īuying an Arch is as much about the lifestyle as owning a motorcycle, with the chance to hang out with a Hollywood star. A recent request was for a Smokey and the Bandit-inspired black and gold livery which Reeves considers “really cool”. The duo will allow theming as long as it still represents the brand and is ‘tasteful’. The USP of this steed is its personalisation which, as Reeves explains, is a two-fold process of “what you want livery-wise and ergonomics – the seating position, foot position are all tied in to the motorcycle so it fits like a bespoke suit.” The bike also boasts an adjustable Öhlins suspension, ISR brakes and BST carbon wheels. Over 200 components are designed and made in-house, with other parts sourced from the best of the best: S&S supplies the 2032cc V-twin engine, which allows a cruising speed of 100mph, coupled with an S & S six-speed gearbox. In all over, over 500 kg of raw aluminium is used per bike, translating into 50kg of parts. The bike is largely made up of aluminium, with the fuel tank sculpted from a single aluminium block, along with the swing arm, engine cases, foot rests, which helps to give the bike its narrow profile. The latest version of the KRGT-1, which has pride of place in the bijou showroom of Kensington Motorcycles, is a thing of beauty with its striking profile. Reeves was so delighted with it that he badgered Hollinger into forming their own motorcycle company, Arch. From this request came the idea of creating an all-new bespoke bike, with the resultant KRGT-1 prototype emerging five years later. Reeves first met Hollinger over 10 years ago when the actor wanted to modify his Harley Davidson with a ‘sissy bar’ (a backrest for the rear seat). The KRGT-1 is a custom-tailored performance cruiser built by Arch Motorcycle, a Southern Californian brand co-founded by respected custom bike designer Gard Hollinger and Mr ‘Speed’ himself, A-list actor Keanu Reeves. However, when the bike in question is a beautifully-crafted machine produced by a Hollywood star, with a price tag just shy of £90,000, the venue begins to make sense.
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