Taking the red pill.
As the story goes back in 2007 Keanu had a custom Harley Davidson built by Gard Hollinger. After the success of the project, Keanu approached Hollinger with the idea of developing their own motorcycle and brand from scratch, a notoriously challenging prospect. Despite the obstacles, he knew they’d face Hollinger agreed and Arch motorcycles was born. For this story in more detail check out the video below.
The method in their motorcycle madness
The pair released their first limited run motorcycle in 2015, the Arch KRGT-1. An “American performance cruiser” powered by a 124 cubic inch S&S Cycles v-twin. Fast forward to the 2017 EICMA show and both Reeves and Hollinger were on deck to unveil their latest motorcycle, the ‘Method 143’.
The Method 143 is Arch Motorcycles first production motorcycle. Despite its limited production number of 23 units the bike represents a big step for the brand’s goal of establishing itself as an established motorcycle manufacturer. The Method 143 utilizes the same American made engine configuration, but where it differs from the KRGT-1 is in its sportier styling and ergonomics.
The most striking feature of the Method 143 (other than its overall appearance) is the use of lightweight materials and how they have been combined. The bikes tank cover and tail sections are both CNC milled from solid aluminum and finished using a unique ribbed texture that implies speed. Rather than simply placing a leather seat on top of the bodywork the Method 143 has leather-clad knee indents on the tank and a leather section along the hump of the tail for a more integrated finish. Most striking, however, are the carbon fiber sections that can be seen throughout the bike.
What you are seeing are glimpses of the Method’s carbon fiber Mono cell frame. The frame which is both super light and strong also incorporates the bikes fuel cell and is complemented by a pair of aerodynamic shrouds that cover the proprietary designed Ohlins fully adjustable forks. Rounding off the bike’s suspension is another custom Ohlins component, a single rear monoshock that mates to a single-sided billet alloy swingarm and is of course, fully adjustable.
Looking good and going fast
Unlike the cruiser styled riding position of the KRGT-1, the Method 143 has a much more aggressive riding position that’s worthy of its appearance. The bike’s handlebars sit almost level with the fuel tank and the foot controls are placed directly beneath the rider. ISR radial-mount brake calipers and floating discs provide ample stopping power for the BST carbon fiber ‘turbine’ wheels and Michelin Power RS rubber holds the bike firmly to the road.
With such an extensive list of high-performance components you’d expect there to be plenty of power, and rightfully so there is. Cradled within the bike’s carbon fiber frame is a massive 143 inch (2340cc) S&S v-twin with enough torque to pull a fully loaded campervan. Power figures aren’t mentioned on the Arch website but we’d estimate nothing less than 160bhp. This figure is likely to be higher, however, thanks to a specially designed downdraft injection system and the MotoGP inspired titanium/carbon/billet alloy exhaust system. Pair that with a chassis and bodywork constructed entirely from lightweight materials and you can start to imagine what this bike is capable of.
To create the Method 143 Reeves and Hollinger have designed around 200 custom parts which are all manufactured out of the Arch Motorcycle production facility in California using CNC and water jet tooling. Taking into account the materials, components, production methods and the fact that there will only be 23 Method 143s being built, there’s going to be a significant price tag associated with owning one. The KRGT-1 was rumored to cost around $78,000 USD so unless you just received your cheque for starring in the latest Matrix film you may find affording one a bit of a challenge. Despite that fact with a name like Keanu Reeves behind the project you can be assured all 23 bikes are sure to be shipping out to their new owners soon.
If you stayed glued to the television during the 2018 Superbowl ads you would have seen a rather amusing Squarespace advert featuring Keanu Reeves. In the ad, Keanu talks about his own motorcycle company and while you shouldn’t believe everything you hear on TV this is actually the truth. Keanu is an avid fan of motorcycles and over the past few years has been developing his own bike brand that goes by the name Arch Motorcycles.
