Carmel Magazine

Carmel Magazine HO15

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F or decades, actor Keanu Reeves has been spotted darting about Los Angeles and movie sets around the world on various motor- cycles.Years back, the actor, famous for his roles in films ranging from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," to "Speed" to "My Own Private Idaho" and "The Matrix" series, met with motorcycle designer Gard Hollinger to customize a bike. In 2011, the two riders formed Arch Motorcycle Company, based in Los Angeles, to fulfill a dream to craft cus- tom American V-twin performance motorcycles. The limited production motorcycles have been enthusiastically received for their appearance, cus- tomizable parts, and performance. This summer, Reeves and Hollinger brought the KRGT-1 bikes to Carmel for The Quail Motorcycle Gathering and to the Monterey Jet Center for McCall's Motorworks Revival. Carmel Magazine caught up with the two road warriors just before press time. Keanu Reeves Carmel Magazine: What is the absolute most important element for you to experience as a motorcycle rider? Why do you have to ride? Keanu Reeves: There isn't just one element that a rider walks away with, or experiences, on our bikes. Or on any motorcycle for that matter. It's the culmination of the feel, an appreciation for the design, the performance on the road, the sound and the smell. A complete sensory pleasure when you are going somewhere on a bike. I learned how to ride when I was 22 and shooting a film in Munich and I was hooked. I bought my first bike short- ly thereafter, a Kawasaki KLR600, and rode that for a while before buying my first Norton. Every city or country I worked in from then on, I would go around and buy used bikes, everything from a 1978 Moto Guzzi T3 to a 1984 Harley Shovelhead. All these bikes came with such different ele- ments to appreciate as a rider. CM: In what way did your preferences for motorcycle performance and design shape your desire to launch Arch Motorcycle Company? How do those translate to the design of the KRGT-1? What are some the custom elements on the bike that make it unique? KR: The constant search for the complete riding experience and the MADE TO RIDE Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger Launch Arch Motorcycle Company B Y B R E T T W I L B U R 118 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 5 The KRGT-1 bike (shown in silver pipe) produced by Arch Motorcycle Company is customized for the individual rider from seat to foot placement to handlebars. Actor Keanu Reeves and motorcycle designer/engineer Gard Hollinger co-founded the company in 2011. Photo: Simon Hammerson

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