I’m proud and honored that we have this opportunity to share the new 1s model with the world.”ĪRCH co-founder Keanu Reeves added, “We just celebrated our 10th anniversary as a company this past year, yet it feels like only yesterday that I put forth the idea of starting a motorcycle company with Gard. “The 1s beautifully merges American cruiser-inspired elegance and race-inspired performance - a concept we’ve worked to design, build, test, refine and deliver since its initial reveal. With the help of our entire team and many amazing partners, we believe we’ve crafted something truly special for riders to experience and are proud to finally see it out there on the road,” said Gard Hollinger, co-founder and design director of ARCH Motorcycle. “We’re very excited to officially introduce the new ARCH 1s. View the new ARCH 1s motorcycle in action here. It also debuts new mid-controls for a more aggressive riding position and handling while featuring the 124ci, high-torque ARCH/S&S V-twin downdraft fuel injected engine, complemented by an ARCH designed exhaust system and a carbon fiber fuel cell integrating the air intake and filtration system. I preferred the 3-inch bar “risers” that placed the bars closer to a rider than the 2-inchers.The ARCH 1s is the official second offering from ARCH (following the acclaimed KRGT-1 model) and the company’s first production single-sided, swing-arm motorcycle. In addition to the fully adjustable suspension, the Arch also adapts to its rider via eccentrically adjustable toe nubbins on the foot controls and the handlebar mounts. Arch also brought along a KRGT-1 equipped with an Öhlins shock, but I actually preferred the bump-absorption qualities of the Race Tech damper. Hollinger spec’d a 210mm tire for the KRGT-1, as fitted to Keanu’s prototype, but that size was no longer offered in the 18-inch diameter he prefered, so a 240 bun is what made it through to production.Ī 43mm Öhlins fork efficiently soaks up bumps delivered to the 120/70-19 front tire, while the rear end is damped by a specially built Race Tech shock and rising-rate suspension geometry. Fat tires always run counter to performance aspects, but the feathery BST carbon-fiber wheels offset the extra weight of the heavy tire. The Arch also surprised by its exemplary ride quality, especially at the rear, where a wide 240/40-18 Michelin Commander tire resides. The mid controls were preferable for when railing canyon roads, but the forward pegs seemed a better match for the KRGT. I tested both the mid-mount and forward-mounted footpegs, and not once did the road scrub a peg. The stable chassis invited aggressive cornering. So, while the KRGT-1 can’t be considered a sporty bike, its cornering performance goes beyond what its specs might lead you to believe. A hard shove on the bars of such a long motorcycle almost always reveals flex of some sort, but the Arch divulged none. A key aspect to its surprising performance is the stiffness of its chassis. The KRGT-1’s handling manners are much better than I was expecting from such a stretched out bike with a 30-degree rake and 5.0 inches of trail. Meanwhile, the Baker Drivetrain six-speed transmission proved to be smooth and precise and the clutch pull fairly light. The rear cylinder head uses a bushing as an attachment to the backbone frame. The 124 cubic-inch mill is rubber mounted to the frame at the forward end, and the connector from the mount to the engine case is the only H-D part on the entire motorcycle. Then I stopped riding it like a Ducati and instead surfed the bountiful torque pulses found much lower in the powerband and wasn’t bothered by vibes for the rest of the day’s ride. And there is some serious thudding going on when the Twin is revved out. With a pair of 1016cc cylinders pounding at a 45-degree angle between the knees, it doesn’t take a Fabio Taglioni to realize vibration will make its way to a KRGT-1 rider. The handlebars are placed fairly forward, providing a fists-punching-the-wind stance that can be altered depending on bar-riser blocks or alternative bars. Making it more manageable than it might seem is its scooped saddle, low to the ground at 27.8 inches, and its surprising narrowness – no air filter poking outward at your right knee. The KRGT-1 is an impressive and imposing motorcycle, stretching some 68 inches between its axles and weighing some 600 lbs fully fueled and ready to ride. Gauges include low-fuel and neutral lights. And so the triple clamps – billet, of course – are fitted with a steering lock. “We wanted it to be a rider, not just a bar-hopper/profiler,” says Reeves. The goal of practicality seems an odd focus for a radical custom bike such as this, but Arch has several surprises.
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