Keanu Reeves producing motorcycles
Posted by Ben Baker on Aug 18th 2016
| Keanu Reeves, the actor well known for his starring role in the Matrix movies, is now making custom motorcycles through the Arch Motorcycle Company. |
| The price? A $15,000 deposit and $63,000 more when it's done. For this price, Reeves and his company promise "Each KR GT-1 is personalized to enhance the ownership experience. The forward control or mid control option and a limitless array of unique finishes are just the beginning." Each ride is custom fit to the owner. |
| The flagship ride (and only bike so far), the KR GT-1 takes a minimalist approach in the display models. Depending on what the buyer wants, this likely can change a lot. |
| The beginning of this company and the bikes it produces started in 2007. Reeves wanted a sissy bar on the back of his Harley. He approached Gard Hollinger about modifying an 84 Shovelhead. Hollinger refused. |
| They started talking and the duo decided to try a custom build. The end product was the prototype KR GT-1. That made Reeves start thinking about a company to make the bikes. |
| “It was this idea of a big V-twin, a long wheel base with modern grade suspension and the telemetry that Gard had designed and the ergonomics,” Reeves told Bloomberg Magazine. “It was this package that I wanted from the first time riding that bike. I’d never ridden anything like that.” |
| It took Reeves a while to convince Gard to start a new company. Gard already had a chopper shop that was quite successful. Three years after the company started, commercial production began. |
| Why Arch? It "sounded good in the mouth," Reeves said: "Arches, doorways, bridges, beautiful, functional—it made me think of tunnels and bridges and connections and journey. It was the rider to the bike, the experience of riding a motorcycle, our relationship, the idea with connecting with the company and our client." |
| How involved is Reeves in the company? Yahoo Finance says pretty much everything. "Action star Keanu Reeves is known for immersing himself in every detail of his roles, and now he's doing the same with his new business venture — making motorcycles." He personally invested in the company as well. Reeves and Gard will not say how much they put into Arch, but do say there are no outside investors. |
| What do you get in a KR GT-1? It's custom. Some of the parts won't change much, like the aluminum frame and tank to save weight. Engine size, saddle and controls depend on what the buyer orders. The chain-drive is powered by a V-twin. They are made in a shop about an hour south of LA in California. More than 200 of the parts are made in-house. |
| The Gallery Page shows some of the customized options available. Specs and an exploded view showing exactly how spare this bike is can be seen at the specs page. |
| Reeves is one of Hollywood's bikers and owns a fleet of bikes. By his own estimate, he's put tens of thousands of miles down on a variety of bikes. |