Arch Motorcycles is one of the few boutique motorcycle manufacturers that has stood the test of time. Others came and went, usually in the same breath as they were introducing themselves to the world, but were just as quickly forgotten. But Ark, led by designer and engineer Gard Hollinger and perhaps the most motorcycle-riding man in Hollywood, Keanu Reeves, continues.
And not only that: it has flourished.
Hollinger and Reeves’ friendship goes back nearly twenty years, as Reeves set up with Hollinger to talk about customizing one of the actor’s motorcycles. The two began talking, the pair feeling each other out but realizing they were two like-minded people, and Hollinger telling Reeves “Yeah, that idea would be cool, but what if we build something from scratch? Something rad?” And that’s what they did.
That friendship turned into Arc Motorcycles, a company that now has a handful of motorcycles, a waiting list as long as my arm, and a dedicated group of customers — the group, along with Reeves, often go on rides together around Los Angeles. And there’s a reason they’re not just garage queens, because the motorcycles they’ve created together aren’t really like anything else on the market.
Not long ago, I went to Arc’s headquarters in Los Angeles, spoke at length to Hollinger, and then had the pleasure of riding one of the company’s bikes with him. It may look cruiser-like, but it’s more akin to how you feel when you’re riding a horse. There are vibrations, noise, heat and sensations that have arisen from the current motorcycle range. There is a cleverness in the motorcycle. You don’t just ride an arch, you experience it. A piece that was an integral part of that original conversation between Hollinger and Reeves.
But they also just wanted a fun motorcycle, an ethos that their new venture aims to take even further.
To show just how far Hollinger and Reeves can take their engineering and dogged fatalism, the two bootstrapped a race team with a prototype race-spec motorcycle to compete in the Super Hooligan class at MotoAmerica, and it’s the subject of a new docu-series, streaming on Samsung TV Plus. Created by the pair, the show takes viewers behind the scenes as they pull together the motorcycles, the teams, the riders and themselves as they take to the track.
Why? In Reeves’ own exclamations, “It’s fun, man!”
I was lucky enough to sit down with both of them before the launch and ask them about their history, racing motorcycles, and how they don’t kill each other – after which both of them raised concerns about my own workplace safety.
ride separately: What’s going on, gentlemen? It’s been 15 years since the arc and a lot has happened during that time. However, none of you have died. Guard, I think Keanu might be trying to kill you, though.
Guard Hollinger: (laughing) Slowly.
RA: I’m curious why you think Arch has succeeded where many other small manufacturers have failed.
gh: Oh man. I think the core purpose and authenticity and then also an element of being stupid enough to not know when to quit.
RA: So you guys kept joking about that during the first episode. Is there any special quality in your friendship that has allowed you guys to just be friends and not kill each other for those 15 years?
Keanu Reeves:Why would we kill each other? I don’t know. What type of workplace environments have you been in?
RA: I work in media. You should know this!
K.R: Yes. knives out. Yes, we don’t have knives. We have a common goal to create beautiful things and share them with other people who can appreciate it too. And I guess we don’t fight in the kitchen. We disagree sometimes.
gh: We do it gentlemanly.
K.R: Yes. Yes, no pistol that day. And you are usually right. So this helps. This is not true. This is true. This is true.
RA:This series is about you guys motorcycle racing, which is having a revival at the moment, with both Liberty Media buying MotoGP.
(Keanu snaps his fingers)
RA:Those fingers are crossed from me too. And MotoAmerica is doing a really great job under Wayne Rainey. And there’s even better access to things like the Isle of Man TT. What do you think the attraction is to that right in this moment? Why do you guys think that you guys… I mean, obviously, you guys are attracted to it, but why do you think that this is the next moment in the cycle?
gh: I mean, I hope people are coming back to enjoy something authentic and challenging and tangible, and you get to go out into the world to do things you can’t do in front of a device, which has amazing things about it. But I hope that’s because people are getting emotional.
K.R: No, children are not emotional. I mean, there’s corporate investment. There is a lot of investment in resources.
gh: there is?
K.R: Yes, Liberty Springing Investments. Well, MotoAmerica. People are not migrating, and there are some investments in terms of that… and maybe that speaks to your question, just people want to see the opportunity to see it, in the context of the MotoAmerica exhibition that’s trying to make deals. And so the energy, the resources, the imagination are there and efforts are being made to develop it.
gh:This is an example of our struggle. (laughing)
RA:It got resolved really quickly. Where did your attraction come from? Where does the desire to go racing come from for both of you personally?
K.R: Well, my father left when I was (everyone laughs) and ever since then I’ve been trying to make this ghost proud!
RA: Although you have a history in motorcycle racing and racing in general! I am…
K.R:Apologise. I’m being stupid. It was fun, friend!
RA:Is it that simple? This is just fun.
gh: Kind of. Yes. I mean…
K.R:It’s creative!
gh:It also promotes the development of our product. It gives us a platform to showcase that product and learn from it.
K.R:And the competition!
gh:And the competition!
K.R: Yes, and I want to make my product the best it can be. I hate to call it a product. Our motorcycle. still.
RA:Oh, I feel the same way when someone says an article is content. It’s like, no, this is an article. This is humanity. This is everything.
gh: I think the challenge of ambition and the challenge of succeeding even where maybe you’re not expected to succeed.
RA:It goes back to that kind of fun. This is that challenge. By that point, as I said, you guys have been doing this for 15 years. You’re creating a very sustainable business model for the company and making really beautiful, amazing bikes. How different was it to take what you’ve learned during those 15 years and apply it to racing? Was there much difference between the two?
K.R: Yes (laughing).
gh: Obviously there are elements of it that remain, but it’s a new challenge and, for me, a fun challenge. I think as I’ve gotten older my appetite for learning new things has increased and it’s been fun.
RA:Ark didn’t do so badly in the standings and this was his first attempt as a rookie. With a brand new motorcycle, where are you looking to move up in the series? Is the sky the limit? Are you guys going to the Isle of Man TT or what?
K.R: There are two races in each round. I would love to complete at least 50% of the race. I hope we finish at least one race in each round.
RA: It’s a laudable goal.
K.R: I want to start with that.
RA: start small.
K.R:For me, it would be a super win for this team. And not from the rider’s side; This is not a rider expectation. It’s just a team-building and motorcycle expectation. If we do that, we will have a competitive motorcycle, and our riders will put us on the podium.
RA:This is a very big goal. This is better.
gh: I’ll just say that I hope we reach all avenues. (laughing)
K.R:Low bar (low speed). High Bar (Motion High).
RA: middle bar (motion towards the middle)
K.R: Probably the middle strip. middle strip.
RA:To that middle strip!
K.R: So you see, you can go higher.
RA: you could do it. I believe.
