![]() Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikersīut other than looking really cool, do carbon wheels actually offer any benefits? Yes indeed. ![]() Their process is a delicate ballet of laser-cutting components, using silicone inserts to keep the spokes ‘hollow’ and baking everything in pressurised ovens. Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA BikersĪs for their wheels, BST use prepreg carbon sheets that need constant temperature management to maintain their integrity. We’ve toured BST’s factory, and it’s true kid-in-a-candy-store stuff not just because of the company’s high end manufacturing process, but also because of Turner’s enviable collection of motorcycles. Turner’s experience with carbon fibre dates back to before starting BST, with business partner Terry Annecke, in 2002. Its simple design belies just how hi-tech it is. They wear a 120-wide 19” tyre up front and a 240-wide 18” at the back. It has a slick five-spoke design that’s almost reminiscent of classic Morris race wheels. The Twin Tek is as elegant as it is desirable. A nice simple clean straight spoke design that we developed for the American V-twin market, so they have the correct load rating for that market segment and are standards compliant.” “They use our standard Twin Tek wheels,” Turner explains, “with Arch-specific hubs. They use the same list of performance parts each time though, with components from Öhlins, ISR, Magura, Motogadget and Rizoma. Photo credit: Alessio Barbanti / Arnaud Puig Each KRGT-1 is tailored specifically to its new owner-from ergonomics to the final finishes. They make a small amount of each part to keep stock on hand, and then assemble each bike to order, with a 90 day turnaround time. Photo credit: Arch MotorcycleĪrch’s process is akin to building a Meccano set. Then there’s the swing arm, which has tooling marks and welds so stunning, it’ll make any engineer or bike nut weak at the knees. Just the fuel tank alone, which consists of two halves and has multiple cutouts for various other components to fit into, takes 40 hours to make. (Don’t fret-Arch are big on recycling.) Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers It takes about 540 kg of aluminium billet to produce one bike, but 90 % of that ends up as scrap shavings. The sheer scale of Arch’s CNC operation, and their engineering prowess, is staggering. Much of the KRGT-1’s construction consists of aluminium parts that are designed, machined, welded and finished in Arch’s facility. And the exhaust is a combo of custom-made headers, and a muffler built in-house using Yoshimura components. The motor has a special downdraught intake and a custom K&N filter setup, so that there’s no clunky air filter hanging off the side of the bike. Nothing on the KRGT-1 is a simple off-the-shelf affair. The setup includes a custom six speed gearbox, a special high torque main shaft, a hydraulic clutch and a final chain drive. The bike is built around a proprietary frame, and powered by a beastly 124 ci 45 degree V-twin from performance powerhouse, S&S Cycle in Wisconsin. Each KRGT-1 is made-to-order, with a parts spec that’ll make your eyes water. Looking at the Arch KRGT-1, it’s clear where your $ 85,000 (that’s about 1.2 million ront) goes. ![]() Ever since then Gard has used BST for all his and Arch’s composite work-with of course the wheels being the main product.” “I still see the bike in the Arch facility. “I literally had to fly the wheels to him in LA for everything to be on time,” says BST’s managing director, Gary Turner. He was building a drag bike for a Discovery Channel show and needed carbon fibre wheels. He first contacted the company twelve years ago, while he was running his custom shop at the time, Chop Rods. Photo credit: Arch Motorcycleīut BST’s relationship with Hollinger pre-dates the KRGT-1. Reeves pushed Hollinger to put that bike into production, and so the Arch Motorcycle KRGT-1 (Keanu Reeves Grand Tourer 1) was born. A simple custom job turned into a ground up rebuild, and eventually, all that was left of the Dyna was the motor. The company was conceived when Reeves contacted Hollinger to customize his Harley-Davidson Dyna. Arch Motorcycle is owned by experienced bike builder, Gard Hollinger, and the guy that plays John Wick, Neo and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan, Keanu Reeves.
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