Keanu Reeves is mostly known for his acting chops and his laid back, weed infused persona. But what most people don’t know is that “the-chosen-one-known-as-Neo” has been a motorcycle fanatic for years, originally snagging his first bike– a Kawasaki KLR600– at age 22 while working on a movie in Germany.
Gizmag recently profiled his passion by saying, “Ageless movie star Keanu Reeves, as it turns out, is one of us: a motorcycle tragic who’s only ever owned two cars in his life. A daily rider who rocks an open-face lid even though his face is worth millions, and whose garage has known a cavalcade of Kawasakis, Suzukis, Beemers, Harleys, Guzzis – and his true love, Nortons.”
This unadulterated love eventually helped to propel Reeves into starting his own company, Arch Motorcycle Corporation, alongside esteemed designer Gard Hollinger. From the get-go, the company’s purpose has been to build some of the world’s finest crafted motorcycle, blending together elements of power, speed, agility and style.
Now, after a couple years of collaboration and design, the budding company has finally debuted their first bike– the KRGT-1– to critical and industry acclaim.
With blacked-out rims, raw cylinder heads and fork tubes (which are contrasted against a bright chrome and polished aluminum gas tank), and an unswept muffler, this featured debut is a beast, a road warrior. It looks like it could have been featured in a Mad Max flick, capable of terrorizing a small village and their women and children.
Powering the monster KRGT-1 is a 120-cubic-inch V-twin that roars out 121 horsepower and 121 pound-feet of torque, capable of hitting a top speed of 138 miles per hour.
But just because it has power doesn’t mean that it’s one-dimensional. The bike’s unique design helps to facilitate other strong facets; the company website says, “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.”
To produce this intricate design, each 538-pound bike requires hundreds of hours of labor, with 60 hours needed to produce the gas tank alone. In the end, the final product comes out to $78,000, which may seem pretty expensive. But co-owner Gard Hollinger says, “There’s a general attitude that no motorcycle should ever cost $78,000. But that’s the kind of person who’s never going to buy a Rolls Royce. We never set out to make something affordable.”
4Wheel Online Blog - Automotive News 