Motorcycle specifications Arch MotorcycleKRGT-1 2015 Pure excess

When Greg, head of Motoplanète, entrusted me with the task of writing this report, I confess I didn't know where to start. Its price? Over 100,000 euros. Displacement? 2032 cm3. Its pedigree as a motorcycle produced by a movie star? Keanu Reeves. The ARCH KRGT-1 is so irrational that it's essential for wealthy collectors. Let's find out why..

A Power Cruiser

For ARCH, custom motorcycles have to be sporty... a fine oxymoron. It's all about cruising and turning at the same time. To meet this requirement, the KRGT-1 relies on a custom-built chassis (although it uses an engine from a motor manufacturer, in this case S&S). The frame is a mix of tubular steel and huge, solid aluminum plates. The latter are as eye-catching for their look and high level of finish as they are for the rigidity they provide at the swingarm anchorage point. The swingarm is not to be outdone, and would not look out of place on a Superbike championship machine. It appears to be carved from a one-ton block of aluminum, from which large shavings have been removed to brutally sculpt this piece of rare beauty.

All around this frame, ARCH has grafted parts each as crazy as the next. The 48 mm Öhlins NIX fork (replacement for the early FRGT) is usually reserved for the finest ultra-sport blades. The rear shock absorber comes from the same manufacturer (it was a Race Tech on the first vintages). So you can be sure of secure ground contact. If this equipment makes you feel confident enough to go overboard (after all, when you're riding such a machine, how can you do otherwise?), you can rely on ISR's magnificent radial-mount monoblock calipers.

Featuring 6 pistons (and 4 pistons at the rear), the calipers bite into the discs like Dracula sinking his fangs into the neck of a reckless young ingenue. While there's plenty of room for wrinkles on the asphalt, fortunately this equipment is kept in check by Bosch ABS.

the BST rims are made of carbon to reduce unsprung weight and add liveliness to the bike. With a diameter of 19" at the front and 18" at the rear, they are fitted with Michelin Commander tires. The bladder at the rear (the tire, eh ;D) has to withstand colossal torque, and ARCH has chosen a generous 240 mm to burp like a dragster at every traffic light.

So much for the underside. The cladding is undoubtedly a little more clumsy, even if it has been slightly revised for 2020 (touching up the mudguards). It struggles to hide the bike's length. The rear shell cradles the rider's lumbar vertebrae, while the feet are thrown far out in front on the forward-mounted controls. There's plenty of room for the latter, thanks to the 30° steering angle. ARCH has opted for a peanut-shaped fuel tank, but this is XL in size and, in the end, large enough with two filler caps to ensure an autonomy of 19 liters.

The front end (all new, all beautiful?) attempts a touch of modernity with an LED light and a small wind skip. Behind the latter, the instrumentation is downright minimalist, with a tiny red backlit LCD screen. But given what you've got between your legs, there's no need for high-tech fuss: this is a bike you can ride with your gut.

A heart this big

The heart of the KRGT is the S&S engine. This 45° V-twin cubes 2032 cm2, which means that each piston cubes more than 1,000 cm3: insane! While the power figures are rather vague (or as well hidden as the secrets of Area 51 in Roswell), we do know that the mill delivers no less than 165 Nm of torque. We feel sorry for the clutch of the 6-speed gearbox and the chain that must transmit power to the wheel. In the event of very energetic driving, the lifespan of these components should be counted in hours rather than kilometers. A mill that pushes hard, and that's all it takes to move the bike's 270 kg dry weight.

Injected, the engine passes Euro 4 standards, allowing it to make an intrusion on the Old Continent.

Tailor-made excess

The ARCH KRGT-1 could have been content to stand out for all the values we've detailed. Yet you'll never see two like it, and not just because of its extreme rarity. Its launch price was $78,000 (approx. 61,000 euros). Since then, the machine has managed to get its wheels on the road in Europe, has been equipped with ABS for that purpose, and has moved upmarket in both price and range. For a price of around 100,000 euros, owners can of course fully customize their bike.

Vincent Beaucousin - Manufacturer's photos