Keanu Reeves Ventures Into The Custom Motorcycle Industry

After I watched the Matrix Revolutions, I asked myself 'Why did I watch it?, I should have just stopped after the first film in the trilogy', after which I gave up watching any of the movies which starred Keanu Reeves. I cursed him and wished the bomb had gone off in Speed so that we would have been relieved of this. But when I read that he started a motorcycle company, curiosity got the better of me and Keanu's image started shifting to the 'good' light.

Turns out, Neo is a passionate motorcyclist. Funny that we saw Trinity and not him, on the Ducati in Matrix Reloaded. But I digress. So Reeves image in my eyes has just gone a notch up and puts him in my books. Well, Reeves has got together with chopper wizard Gard Hollinger to build the bikes of his dreams and now yours too.

The company is called Arch Motorcycle Company and launched its first bike, the KRGT-1, in October last year. While it costs $78,000 (Rs. 48 lakh approx.), the KRGT-1 is a chopper-inspired sports naked with a giant 2-litre S&S V-twin engine. The body is basically all hewn from billet aluminum which is light and as flexible as Neo who bent to dodge a few bullets.

We did some research on Keanu and well, he's owned just two cars in his life, but his garage has seen a cavalcade of Kawasakis, Suzukis, Beemers, Harleys and Guzzis. Nortons however, have a special place in his heart and yes, he's had them too.

The KRGT-1 has clearly got the heart of a cruiser when it comes to the design with its 2,032cc engine. It's got the forward foot controls of a cruiser or chopper and a riding position that makes you feel like the king of the road.

Just about everything is carved out of billet aluminum. Then there are the header pipes which combine into a wickedly sporty exhaust, with a triangular profile which looks simply amazing. The forks are fully adjustable Ohlins units, the shock is fully adjustable by Race Tech, the wheels are ultra-light carbon fiber jobs and the brakes are twin ISR 6-piston monobloc radials.

The bike looks lean because it's narrow and the engine air intakes are positioned above and behind the bike's billet headlight housing, which looks fantastic. The bike does burn a hole in your pocket but atleast you know it's made by an actor with some extremely good taste in bikes. It's expensive, sure, but then the tank alone takes some 66 hours to carve out of a giant block of billet, and the detail and finish on these things just makes you fall silent.

So, for those who like me, had given up on Keanu, think again and change your perspective. He's converted his passion into something bigger, for the greater good of others, just like Neo eh!