Some people may have not heard that motorcycles and Keanu Reeves are connected. Well, more than connected. He’s a huge fan of them.
The famous and popular actor of movies like The Matrix and John Wick is also an avid motorcycle enthusiast and is even involved in the ownership of the motorcycle company Arch Motorcycle.
In my eyes, this only helps his popularity and likability. So, let’s take a closer look at Keanu Reeves and his enthusiasm for motorcycles.
Keanu Reeves Interest in Motorcycles
How could an action hero not like motorcycles? Keanu is certainly an action hero and motorcycles and Keanu Reeves just seem to go together well. But how did he get started riding and how far has his obsession gone? I’m going to take a closer look.
According to an article in the Red Bull Bulletin, Reeves first started riding motorcycles when he was a young actor.
“When I was 22, I was filming in Munich at this place called Bavariafilmplatz,” he said. “This young girl had an [Kawasaki] Enduro, and I asked her if she would show me how to ride a bike. I rode it around the lot, and when I got back to Los Angeles I got an Enduro.”
From there, things kind of snowballed and he because pretty interested in motorcycles.
“When I did a picture called My Own Private Idaho, I asked director Gus Van Sant, ‘So, what bike am I riding?’ ” Reeves recalled. “And he pulled up a ’71 Norton Commando that was canary yellow. The props guy said, ‘Do you know how to … ?’ and I was like, ‘I’m good, man. I got this. This actually is home.’”
Now he’s a bit of a collector and so, so much more.
Motorcycles and Keanu Reeves – His Collection Is Impressive
Reeves would contest the whole “being a motorcycle collector” idea, but he certainly owns more than one bike. Personally, I’d rank him more as an enthusiast than a collector, but it’s clear that motorcycles and Keanu Reeves go together like toast and jam.
In the video above created by GQ, Reeves says he got interested in bikes at the young age of 10 or so watching other guys ride bikes where he grew up.
He spends time whenever he can riding motorcycles now, but mentioned that some films require him not to ride because he’s such a valuable asset for the production.
Arch Motorcycle
Arch Motorcycle is a manufacturer of high-end motorcycles that was founded in 2011 by both Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger. This is where Reeves’ passion for motorcycles became a business interest as well.
According to various reports, Reeves asked Hollinger—who was a custom bike builder—to customize a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for him. That started the five-year process of designing and building a motorcycle.
Once completed, Reeves encouraged Hollinger to start his own company. Hollinger wasn’t interested at first, but after a while the two created Arch Motorcycle Company.
Today the business is well-known and sells three different models.
Arch Motorcycle’s Models
The bike that Hollinger originally built for Keanu Reeves became the inspiration for the first Arch Motorcycle model. Since that time the company has continued to expand the lineup. Here’s a look at the three models currently in the lineup.
Arch KRGT-1
The Arch KRGT-1 is a performance cruiser. It features an Arch/S&S 45-degree v-twin engine that measures 124ci (2,032cc), Ohlins/Arch suspension at the front and rear, BTS carbon wheels, Arch/Bosch ABS, and ISR radial calipers.
Much of the bike and its parts are actually manufactured in-house. For the parts that aren’t made in-house, the company chooses its partnerships carefully. They include the suspension, engine, ABS system, wheels exhaust system, and more.
The bike has a tubular steel frame, six-speed transmission, Michelin Commander II tires, and a feet-forwards riding position. Overall, it’s a real beauty to look at, and show just how motorcycles and Keanu Reeves can go together and make the whole dang industry better.
The KRGT-1 is hand-assembled, and through that, you get a bike that’s tailored to you. The team at Arch will tweak the bike so that the ergonomics package is designed to fit your body specifically, which means no other bike will ride like it.
Arch 1S
If you’re looking for something a little more cafe-race-esque, then you’ll love the Arch 1S. The bike blends cruiser and street sport riding into a beautiful and unique machine.
The bike gets a single-sided billet aluminum swingarm and mid controls so your riding position is a little more feet back and aggressive. The engine is once again a 124ci (2,032cc) v-twin engine. It has a carbon fiver fuel cell integrating the air intake and filtration system, into one.
Again, most parts are made in-house with the exception of the things that Arch chooses to do a partnership for, notably the engine, ABS system wheels, and tires. That said, hundreds of the 1S’s parts are made by Arch.
Arch Method 143
Arch Motorcycle calls the Method 143 “the ultimate production concept motorcycle.” I have to agree. It came out of the company wanting to create a motorcycle that embodies what many concept bikes elicit.
The Method 143 features layers of carbon fiber and aluminum and fine leather. All if it is seamlessly blended together into one unique design. It is the first-ever American production carbon fiber mono-cell motorcycle chassis that incorporates fuel cell, air induction, and Arch/K&N engineering filtration. This mono-cell construction helps reduce weight and improve handling.
The Method 143 brings a larger Arch/S&S 143ci (2,343cc) v-twin engine to the mix. It’s the most powerful engine in the Arch lineup and is said to test the very limits of the engine design.
Other features include Arch/BTS Ultra-thin Blade ‘Turbine’ Seven Spoke carbon fiber wheels, Arch/SC-Project MotoGP-inspired titanium/carbon/billet aluminum exhaust system.
This bike is hand-assembled and the company will only make 23 units available for sale worldwide.
Keanu Reeves Involvement with Arch Motorcycle
I’ve heard it said that Keanu Reeves’ involvement with Arch Motorcycle is little more than a publicity stunt, and while having him as a co-founder is likely an important part of the company’s PR strategy, you can tell he has genuine interest and passion for the company.
In the GQ interview (included in the section above) he mentions that he’s involved in the overall vision for the company. But he says he’s not going to be able to build you a bike.
“I can test ride it. I can tell you what’s wrong,” he joked. Then continues, “I’m not doing any of the drawings. Guard is doing that, but he’ll show me and we’ll talk about it. And the infrastructure and the voice of the company and who are we and what are we presenting. I kinda work with that.”
I encourage you to check out Arch Motorcycle. The bikes aren’t cheap, but they’re genuinely cool and worth checking out.
