Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/595716
the usual stuff necessary when starting any busi- ness. I had a very specific idea about the kind of space we should occupy. I knew I'd basically be living there for a few years during development and wanted the space to inspire artistic expres- sion every day we walked into it. I found a great "right hand man" in a young guy living in Colorado named Ryan Boyd. I'd been intro- duced to him by a mutual friend and he'd actu- ally made a few parts on the original bike when I was in a pinch near the end of the project. I convinced him to move to LA and help us get Arch up and running. As we built the infrastruc- ture of the operation, we simultaneously began redesigning the original bike to be even better, more proprietary and friendly to manufacture. Nearly three years later, every single part of the motorcycle had been redesigned even though at a distance, the production KRGT-1 bears a strong resemblance to the original prototype. The goal was and remains, to build low vol- ume, unique motorcycles that blend art and function, without compromise. Keanu and I have always been focused on building a motorcycle brand that will hopefully live on long after we're gone. We could easily be distracted; we've passed on many offers to make all kinds of things bearing the brand name as well as ongo- ing offers for TV shows, but we are keeping all our focus and energy into building the brand's reputation on our motorcycles. CM: What has it been like working together? What does each of you bring to the table? GH: The partnership is very easy and natural, because our goal is the same, the focus always remains and there are no egos involved. I think we balance each other nicely. Since Keanu has a demanding "day job," I obviously tend to the day-to-day operations in addition to lead design responsibilities. Keanu has very strong opinions on everything from the overall design direction and all things in between that and the final product. He is involved in every major and many minor deci- sions and he is the ultimate test rider. CM: What has the response been to the KRGT- 1? What are your future plans for the company? GH: We are very pleased with the response to the KRGT-1. We've had many respected moto-journalists give the bike great reviews. We always believed we'd designed and built a motorcycle that offered a very unique riding experience, but it's nice to get those positive nods. It's great to see the big grin on riders' faces the first time they experience it; we know where it comes from. The KRGT-1 is our first model and we think it's helping define a new category of motorcycle, the Performance Cruiser, and that you will see more big manufacturers investing in that mar- ket, which is somewhat validating. Our plan has always been to eventually have several different models while still keeping the total number of motorcycles produced at or under 100 units annually. We'll maintain a "no compromise" approach as we further develop iterations of the KRGT-1 as well as other unique models. For us, it's about the experience: from the personal- ized production, making each bike uniquely tai- lored both ergonomically and visually to the customer, to the visceral riding experience the KRGT-1 offers. CM: Anything else you would like to add? GH: We feel like each Arch Motorcycle cus- tomer becomes part of our story, sharing the experience and vision. For more information on the Arch KRGT-1, go to www.archmotorcycle.com. Reeves showed the KRGT-1 and met with attendees in August at the 2015 McCall's Motorworks Revival event during Car Week at the Monterey Jet Center. Photo: Kelli Uldall 124 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