My first impression of the KRGT-1 was of its craftsmanship, fit and finish. None of this would matter if the bike didn’t look gorgeous and ride responsively – and it does both. High-tech premium materials are used in every area of the bike, from titanium axle adjusters to carbon fiber wheels. Parts that cannot be efficiently built in-house are sourced from first rate suppliers, like S&S and Ohlins. The resulting parts are stronger, lighter and more precisely built than mass-produced items. Many parts that are formed from sheet metal on conventional motorcycles, like the gas tanks, are carved from solid aluminum billet on the KRGT-1. This subtle bit of engineering has a direct effect on the ergonomics and comfort of the bike.Īrch makes extensive use of billet aluminum in the construction of the KRGT-1, thanks to an impressive CAD system and CNCC machines in their workshop.
Arch’s innovation involves moving the air intake from the side of the engine to a downdraft position between the two halves of the gas tank, which means that the rider no longer has to deal with an air cleaner sticking out of the side of the engine. S&S is a long-established engine manufacturer and speed shop that builds aftermarket motorcycle engines and parts for Harley-Davidsons. The production bike, the KRGT-1, is built around a 124-inch S&S 45-degree fuel-injected V-twin engine, developed jointly with Arch. Eventually, Hollinger and Reeves decided to start Arch Motorcycle Company to refine and produce their vision of a premium factory custom motorcycle. The bike that emerged from their collaboration was the first KRGT – a bike that is now displayed in the lobby of Arch’s Hawthorne, California factory headquarters.
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But Reeves was persistent, and the two men decided to embark on a full custom build. “I told him ‘no,’ because the work was not the kind that interested me,” said Hollinger. A friend brought him to the attention of Keanu Reeves, who needed some minor customization work done on his personal bike. Over the next decade, he accumulated equipment, space and a reputation for obsessively precise work. I sold everything I owned in Seattle and one day I just said, ‘I’m going to get back into motorcycles.’”Ī job as a mechanic and fabricator at a Los Angeles area shop brought Hollinger into the burgeoning Harley-Davidson custom world of the 1990s, and he eventually opened his own shop. “Then I met my wife, who lives in Southern California.
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“We manufactured protective gear for motorcyclists.” A series of other businesses followed, including a wholesale car brokerage and a limousine service. “The first business I owned as an adult was a motorcycle-related business called ‘Devol Engineering,’” he said.
He then left for school, and after receiving a degree, relocated to Seattle. Later in his teens, he started work as a mechanic, making a living as a marine mechanic at a marina, eventually becoming the service manager at that facility.
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A serial entrepreneur from a young age, Hollinger started his first business at 12 or 13 re-sharpening saw blades. He started on mini bikes, and soon moved into motocross and racing. “Gard” is his full first name (“Mother with a weird sense of humor,” he claims), not short for anything. Gard Hollinger is a California native, and a lifelong motorcyclist.
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