Keanu Reeves’ Arch Motorcycles launches sportier 1s
California-based Arch Motorcycles, founded by Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger, has launched its second model, the 1s. The hand-built bikes are tailored to the preferences of each rider and have been likened by Jay Leno to a Pagani in two-wheeled form.
Arch describes the 1s as a performance cruiser, but it leans a bit more heavily on the performance side. As Hollinger says, you sit on it, not in it. There are elements that are unabashedly American, like a monster V-twin. The S&S downdraft fuel-injected motor built to Arch specs is a whopping 2.0 liters and churns out 122 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel (The company did not disclose brake horsepower figures).
It’s a version of same motor that underpins Arch’s first bike, the KRGT-1. That one was more of a cruiser, inspired by Reeves’ custom Harley-Davidson built by Hollinger, the bike that put the duo on the path to establishing Arch. But in both cases, surrounding the rumbling V-twin heart is loads of carbon fiber, billet aluminum and a thoroughly modern design. It’s what a Harley would be if it wasn’t stuck catering to a baby boomer past and allowed to evolve.
Though the KRGT-1 and 1s share a common visual language, the two are decidedly different bikes. The chassis geometry is completely different, utilizing a shorter wheelbase and single-sided swingarm. A lower front and quicker steering should make the bike more agile than the KRGT-1, and the rider sits at a more leaned-forward position to make the most of it.
The 1s features a unique billet aluminum backbone and side plates, with thin carbon fiber supports comprising the rest of the frame. The effect is one where the engine almost seems like it’s on a pedestal for display, with the rest of the bike draped around it. Thanks to the composite, dry weight comes in at only 563 pounds.
The suspension is designed with Öhlins fork and shocks, while a Bosch ABS system with a six-pot caliper on the front wheel brings 17-inch carbon fiber wheels to a standstill. Rather than traditional gauges a digital display informs the rider. An adaptive LED headlamp with dazzling starting animation illuminates the road ahead, while a slim, integrated LED taillight accentuates the tail as it comes to a point at the rear.
A trick piece comes in the form of the fuel door, which opens upon twisting the “A” in the Arch logo. It opens upward and back revealing the filler to the carbon fiber tank that also integrates the air intake. The effect is like something out of The Matrix or Cyberpunk 2077, just to name a couple of properties one of the co-founders has appeared in.
The price for all this bespoke construction doesn’t come cheap. It stickers at $128,000 per build. You could start a pretty killer collection of classic and performance bikes with that kind of dough. For a select few, though, a bespoke V-twin that looks like something out of a William Gibson novel will offer an experience unique enough to warrant the price.
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