Arch Motorcycles KRGT 1 by Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger

Posted on 22nd September 2014 By chop

Open your arms (and wallet) and welcome the production version of the Arch Motorcycles’ KRGT-1, the brain child of Hollywood star Keanu Reeves and his friend Gard Hollinger. Prepare to be amazed…

Back in late 2012 we showed you the prototype of a really sweet cruiser created by famous actor Keanu Reeves and his new bike-building partner Gard Hollinger. The old KR GT-1 was derived from Keanu’s 2005 Harley Wide Glide and was more of an essay on what they could do.

Two years later, the KRGT-1 is a real bike you can order and ride, of forking out $78,000 (€60,790) is not too much for you. However, before you start ranting about the price, read the facts below, and you’ll most likely change your perspective.

While the initial GT-1 was a Harley derivation, the actual bike is a completely different breed of machine. Most of the bits and pieces, from the smallest to the biggest ones, are made in-house, CNC machined and handcrafted. More than a dozen parts which looked great on the CAD simulation turned out to be less spectacular when mounted on the bike, so they’ve been redesigned until everything looked sharp and retained the key characteristics: looks, performance, and serviceability.

In fact, the KRGT-1 is a painstaking endeavor, as both Keanu and Gard say, because it blends the top-notch styling with a very keen approach to serviceability and ease of use for both rider and mechanic. To understand better where the money goes, we must tell you that while other builders would simply use a pre-manufactured swingarm or go the easy way and weld a simple tube structure, Gard, Keanu and their team decided to design and craft their own CNC billet aluminium swingarm. Starts sounding more like a MotoGP story, doesn’t it?

Billet CNC to the max

Frame and bodywork components have also been created from scratch and CNC machined to perfection. The tank is especially interesting, for more than its styling. As Keanu says, its shaping was not aimed at replicating the shapes of an old-school tank or using a shape which was believed to be modern back in the day. The design tries to bring the retro design to the actual future and endow it with all the latest vibe in the business. By all means, fir this alone the KRGT-1 is a massive win.

The 5-gallon (19 liters) tank is a marvelous creation: it is also CNC machined, and manufacturing it alone takes around 66 hours. It relies on a billet center piece with adds structural strength and allows a downdraft air intake system to be installed. The actual pieces which hold the fuel are machined and welded to the center piece for a massive feel and equally amazing looks. The iconic teardrop shape is blended with the knee cutaways of retro road racers (say Norton Manx) for an impeccable old-school look which hides top-notch technology.

Top-drawer tech included

The Harley engine was replaced by an Arch proprietary S&S Cycle 124ci (2,032cc) injected v-twin which is good for north of 121 horsepower and just under 122 lb-ft (165 Nm) of torque at the rear wheel for a truly blasting ride. A proprietary Baker 6-speed right-side mount transmission with a high torque main shaft delivers the power to the ground by means of a chain!

The 43mm fully-adjustable forks are delivered by Ohlins, while RaceTech takes care of the rear monoshock, with a remote reservoir, hydraulic preload adjustment and a bevy of other setup points. BST carbon fiber wheels complement the carbon fenders, and the rear one uses a no-compromise 240mm-wide tire. Radial-mount ISR monoblock calipers (6-pot front, 4-pot rear) are also on the list.

In the front, a LED headlight is accompanied by MotoGadget bar-end turn signals and a machined mini cowl behind which a Motogadget Motoscope Pro digital cluster with programmable functions is hiding. In the awesome, fluid and organic tail section, Arch has used an integrated LED cluster which combines tail, brake and turn signal functions.

The dry KRGT-1 tips the scales at 538 lb (243 kg), which is surprisingly light and delivers a very thrilling anticipation. The bikes can be customized in terms of ergonomics, with forward or mid-mounted foot controls, narrow or wide pegs and 2”otr 3” (5-7.5 cm) bar pull-back risers.

Source: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/keanu-reeves-and-gard-hollinger-craft-a-jaw-dropping-cruiser-photo-gallery-86817.html
More Info: http://archmotorcycle.com/

Music: “Hitman”
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Arch Motorcycles KRGT 1 by Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger .

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