Keanu Reeves may have left Canada to make his fortune in Hollywood, but we’re still proud of him, and even more-so when we see the fun he gets up to in his spare time, running ARCH Motorcycles. Now, we see the company’s latest project, the ARCH 1s sport cruiser.
This bike is supposed to be more go and less show than ARCH’s previous KRGT-1 … well, it’s still pretty showy, but there’s more emphasis on performance. This bike still runs a fuel-injected 45-degree S&S V-twin engine, configured to ARCH’s specs. The 124ci engine makes 115 lb-ft of torque, an increase over the KRGT-1. Six-speed gearbox and dry clutch are standard.
To improve handling, the new 1s has mid-controls and top-shelf running gear from the best-known names in the industry: fully-adjustable Ohlins suspension, ISR brakes, carbon-fibre BST wheels, Michelin Power RS tires and so on. ABS is standard.
Also note that this is the first ARCH motorcycle with a single-sided swingarm, made of billet aluminum. Does that make it more sporty? Often, a single-sided swingarm actually adds weight, but it sure looks cool, doesn’t it? Speaking of weight, ARCH claims the 1s tips the scales at 255 kg, dry.
The new 4.5-gallon carbon-fibre fuel cell integrates the air intake and filter system, and that exhaust is also designed by ARCH, not ordered from a catalog.
Keanu Reeves said that even though ARCH has just celebrated its first decade in business, it feels like they only started yesterday: “It is incredible to see how far we’ve come in such a short period – from the KRGT-1’s amazing reception to the new 1s as our second model. And that’s a real testament to our talented design and build teams and their ability to produce something that fulfills ARCH’s ambitions for what a motorcycle company can bring in architecture, style, elegance, and overall experience.”
It’s all very flashy and exciting, but asking price is $128,000 US, which will probably rule most readers out. Find more details at the ARCH website.
Too bad that periscope acting as a muffler is on the bike, the only thing that spoils it.