Arch Motorcycle Pushes The Limits Of American V-Twin With Three New Models

Arch Motorcycle dropped a lot of jaws at its EICMA unveil today, with three new models. The California maker updated its KRGT-1, expanded beyond the cruiser segment with the sporty, single-sided swingarm Arch 1s, and dove into a whole other world with the ultra-exclusive Method 143. Using precision machining, carbon fiber, American V-twin motors, and all ultra-premium components, Arch just added some serious diversity and performance to its line of custom, handmade motorcycles.

The KRGT-1 was originally developed in 2015 as a custom, luxury power cruiser. I was lucky enough to ride more than 1,000 miles on one this year, and while it's a comfortable cruiser, it's also a bike you can really push and ride hard in turns. The new bike is powered by the same S&S proprietary 124ci engine and built on a very similar steel chassis with an aluminum subframe. For 2018, Arch updated several components, most notably the 48mm fork, display gauge, dual six-piston front brake calipers with optional ABS, and a redesigned tank shape. More than 200 parts were CNC machined for this motorcycle, and, just like before, every bike is custom fit for the buyer.

The 1s is Arch’s new production V-twin sport/cruiser hybrid, powered by an S&S 124ci engine and built on an entirely CNC-machined aluminum backbone and subframe with a single-sided swingarm. The neck holds a steep rake of 26 degrees, and the combination of low handlebars with high mid-mounted foot controls puts the rider in a much more aggressive position than the KRGT-1. The carbon-fiber gas tank adds even more to the raw, aggressive look of this bike, as does the new upswept 2-into-1 exhaust. It not only looks like a more aggressive bike—with the new rake, swingarm, and riding position—but it will undoubtedly handle like one as well.

Alright, this is the one. The blend of carbon fiber, machined aluminum, and leather is absolutely stunning. Limited to production of only 23 motorcycles, Arch is calling this a "concept production bike," probably because styling like this is only ever seen on concepts. A proprietary S&S 143ci engine (yes, that's 2,343cc) is housed in an entirely carbon-fiber MonoCell chassis. Developed as part of a new partnership with Suter Industries, the swingarm is single-sided and CNC machined with a carbon-fiber cover. SC Project—the same company that makes the exhaust for Marc Marquez's MotoGP bike—has developed a full titanium and carbon-fiber exhaust system that's incredible to look at, and, as you can hear in the clip below, it sounds absolutely amazing. The carbon-fiber wheels from BST were designed by Arch and are unique to this bike. I can only imagine what this beautiful, arty monster will cost.

Check out the rest of our coverage of all the new motorcycles released at EICMA this year!