Arch KRGT-1

Keanu Reeves doesn’t live in the same world as the rest of us. And no, I’m not talking about The Matrix—though the 50-year-old actor’s reality is arguably no less surreal. Guys like him, when they want a custom bike built, end up owning the company. Or starting one anyway.

“I had this Harley-Davidson Dyna that I was looking to customize, and what I was doing was horrible,” Reeves recalls at a press intro held at the new Arch Motorcycle Company headquarters southwest of Los Angeles. “I met Keith Oliver at Bill Walls, who was doing some custom seats, and I wanted a sissy bar. And he was like, ‘Yeah, this dude needs some help.’ He called Gard Hollinger, and we rode over later that day. Hollinger just looked at me and said, ‘You know, I don’t make sissy bars, but why don’t you come inside and see what we do here?’”

STREAMLINED

Traditional V-twin side-mounted intakes lay in the way of the rider’s leg, disrupting ergonomics and balance. Working in conjunction with S&S Cycle we developed the Arch Down Draft Induction System, positioning it between the billet aluminum fuel cells. Making the KRGT-1 sleek, comfortable and agile.

COLLECTED
Shaped and efficient intake dams collect and deliver air to the torquey 124” S&S V-twin keeping it fully aspirated. Multi-function design allows the dams to support and frame the KRGT-1’s billet aluminum headlight housing.

CENTERED
Each KRGT-1 gas tank is machined from 534 pounds of billet aluminum. This 66 hour process yields two 9 pound fuel cells which are then custom finished and joined. The right cell interior was designed and reinforced to act as a structural chassis member. The entire Arch Down Draft system is contained between the two fuel cell chambers and frame.

COMMITTED
Every detail is considered. The true test of this commitment occurs when you look in places normally reserved for mechanics. Components such as the multi-functional oil pan/transmission mount and crossmember/battery tray are meticulously designed and crafted. Carefully chosen outsource partners share this demanding standard.

REFLECTED
The ARCH Cove Reflective tail light embodies design elements that challenge expectation. The multi-function LED unit sits inverted and hidden within the reflective aluminum rear cowling, eliminating the need for traditional plastic lensing.

RESOLVED
The ARCH billet aluminum swingarm requires over 17 hours of machining. Hidden behind its strong sculpted exterior, pocketing and wire channels reduce weight by 55 percent. Titanium adjusters and a hollow chromoly axle complete the assembly.

THE ART
The motorcycle has a storied history as a canvas for artistic expression. ARCH Motorcycle Company advances classic design using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques — uniting refreshed style with modern performance technology — bringing the contours of the past into the present.

The KRGT-1 represents the culmination of years of design and R&D focused on producing a category-defying American motorcycle with real world rideability to match the meticulous craftsmanship. Its streamlined retro-modern styling brings the contours of the past into the present. The bike showcases over 200 parts created at the Arch production facility, each bike requiring 300-plus machine-hours using state-of-the-art CNC and water-jet machinery. Dozens of other proprietary parts are supplied by premium vendor/partners who share the same demanding standards.

What started in 2007 as a simple request for a sissy bar has evolved into the launch of the KRGT-1, a true production model uniting refreshed style with modern performance technology. The KRGT-1 is Presence in Motion.

Founders of ARCH Motorcycle Company

Gard Hollinger

Co-founder Gard Hollinger grew up in Los Angeles during the tail end of the mid-century modern movement, bombing around the Hollywood Hills on dirt bikes past buildings seemingly dropped from outer space. In fact he spent his formative years living in such a structure; a Lautner-designed piece up on Mullholland known as the Garcia House.

His intro to the motorcycle world came in the form of the famous Purple Taco mini bike, the dream machine for an 8 year old growing up in LA. This was followed naturally by more proper dirt bikes and a successful stint racing them. Of course along with the racing in those days came the fixing, and so Gard became well-versed in the inner workings of motorcycles and deeply interested in how they were built.
 

A self-taught designer, engineer and fabricator, he draws inspiration from things more than people, and art and architecture as well as classic rides from the past. To this day the elements of those early years still show up in Hollinger’s work, from the raw and seductively simple components of those 70’s 2-strokes, to the future-facing cues and polish of modernist design. At the core his signature style exposes the machinery of the motorcycle, each bike curated with a blend of Smithsonian precision and street-rod ingenuity.
 

And while Gard rides fast he’s never been known for the speed of his builds. In fact his style of work could be called “re-work”, in that he is forever stepping back and looking, polishing, and perfecting until every piece fits the puzzle.

The Arch KRGT-1 is the culmination of all that’s come before for Hollinger. A studied blend of retro-modern design and performance. The ultimate test of craft and imagination. Truly, the work of a lifetime and a testament to life on two wheels.
 

Keanu Reeves

Co-founder Keanu Reeves has logged tens of thousands of miles on all manner of motorcycles, all over the world. He came to bikes a bit later in life than Gard, but has been making up the miles by getting around almost exclusively on two wheels. In fact, he’s only ever owned a couple of autos – a vintage Volvo and a contemporary Porsche.

His first motorcycle was a Kawasaki 600 Enduro, followed by the beginning of his Norton affair and the first of many he’d own over the years. Often away from home and his Norton’s, he got in the habit of buying a bike when filming on location and selling when the shoot was done. He’s owned a Suzuki GS1100E, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1974 BMW 750, a Kawasaki KZ 900, an ‘84 Harley Shovelhead, and a Moto Guzzi among others.

All those miles on all those bikes build an enhanced appreciation for what makes a motorcycle great. Real-world performance, the sound, the feel, and the look… all together it delivers the elusive and complete riding experience. For Reeves the search for that experience led naturally to a desire to modify bikes, and with a particular project led him to Gard.

As the two talked about the project and motorcycles in general it became clear that they shared a vision; equal parts form and function. Conversations turned into sketches and 3D models; the vision became bigger and bolder. An entirely new bike came into view, molding the retro and modern design elements they both love and passion for riding they both share into a new shape.

Moving forward Keanu continues to be the voice of the long-time everyday rider bringing that feel, sound and vision to the Arch experience. Look quick, and you’ll see him out there riding.

Source ARCH