Keanu Reeves turned 55 on September 2, and you probably learned even more “non-trivial” facts about him without us. His first nickname was "Chuck Spadina", his father was a drug dealer, and some of his teeth are fake because he lost them falling off his motorcycle (apparently more than once). It’s better to go into more detail about the latter: many people know that Keanu Reeves is an avid motorcyclist, he even created his own company and is seriously passionate about motorcycle construction. But few people know how wonderful his collection is.
Keanu Reeves' motorcycles, the main passion of his life - this is the perfect festive theme for his anniversary! We have collected for you 15 of the most interesting models from his collection.
Kawasaki Enduro (exact model unknown) - Keanu Reeves' first motorcycle
In 1986, Keanu Reeves starred in the film Babes in Toyland in Munich. There he learned to ride a motorcycle. Moreover, he was taught by a friend who lent him her KawasakiEnduro. Returning to Los Angeles in 1987, he bought his first bike. According to his words, “almost the same.”
Arch 2021 1S
This model has a more aggressive stance, a large amount of carbon fiber and a monoswing rear suspension. And remember that Arch motorcycles are personally tested by Keanu and undergo his strict quality control. Keanu assures that all the brand’s motorcycles “growl - super, and ride - just a fairy tale.” Still not ready to buy?
Norton Commando 850 MK2A
Soon after buying his first motorcycle, Keanu got involved and around the same 1987 he bought himself a British handsome Norton Commando 850 MK2A 1973. It still remains Keanu's favorite motorcycle; he spent the most time on this old man. Reeves admits that even the smell of this motorcycle seems to him the most pleasant.
Norton Commando 850cc
In 1991, Reeves starred in the film My Own Private Idaho, where he and River Phoenix rode around in a bright yellow, foppish 1974 Norton Commando 850cc. After filming, Keanu took it as a souvenir - this began a series of memorable motorcycles that he keeps out of nostalgic feelings. The tradition continues all the way to John Wick.
Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide
A classic of the nineties that touched the actor’s soul, at the same time, the bike is still valued among collectors today. When you are a collector and madly in love with the masterpieces of the motorcycle industry, sooner or later you will have a desire to create your projects the way you want. It was this path that led Keanu to create a custom motorcycle company - Arch Motorcycle Company. Apparently, after so many years, the actor finally wanted to create his own ideal motorcycle.
Keanu Reeves starred in an advertisement for the new game Cyberpunk 2077, to which the developers added a special version of the bike from Arch Motorcycle.
Ducati 996 - straight out of The Matrix
In 2003, The Matrix Reloaded was released, where there was a fantastically beautiful scene with Trinity on a motorcycle. It was a futuristic Ducati 996. According to old tradition, Reeves kept it as a souvenir. Especially for him, the motorcycle was painted green, a color characteristic of the film’s palette, and signed “Matrix Reload.”
123 horsepower, a top speed of 270 km/h (although Keanu Reeves himself admits that he has never accelerated to the maximum) - a car worthy of Neo.
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is one of the most beloved items in Keanu Reeves' collection. He loves it so much that he treacherously rides it even around the garage of his family’s motorcycles, made by his own company, Arch. Maximum speed - 290 km/h, power - 167 horsepower. In general, in terms of performance, it’s a little better than the Ducati 998, but Reeves loves it no less for its cyberpunk design.
Ducati 998
Thanks to the legendary “The Matrix,” Keanu’s collection was also replenished with an amazing motorcycle—the Ducati 998. However, according to the actor, this “horse” is only in his storage, but it still belongs to the Wachowskis. But it is Reeves who now monitors his technical condition and “walks” him from time to time. By the way, such a rich green color of the motorcycle was created specifically for The Matrix.
Brough Superior 1927
The Brough Superior is the most rare and history-steeped motorcycle in Reeves' collection. Great-grandfather's classic, the pinnacle of style of the 20s, and this despite the fact that the car is still capable of accelerating to 180 km/h.
Lawrence of Arabia. Imagine if Keanu Reeves played him!
By the way, the great Lawrence of Arabia, who adored speed and motorcycles no less than Keanu, crashed to his death on the same motorcycle.
What kind of motorcycles do Hollywood stars ride?
Keanu Reeves
Topping multiple ratings of motorcycle connoisseurs is Keanu Rizv, an actor known for his roles in “The Matrix,” “Constantine,” “John Wick” and many other cult films. In interviews, he repeatedly declared his love for the “biker” lifestyle, into which he plunged headlong as a child. Keanu's first motorcycle was a Kawasaki Enduro. He got behind the wheel of this “iron horse” in 1986.
Further more! The actor's next purchase was the Norton Commando 850 MK2A. To this day, Reeves calls it his favorite in the collection. According to Keanu, even the smell of this car makes him feel happy.
Today, Keanu Reeves' motorcycle collection numbers about ten pieces. In the garage of the Hollywood star there is a Ducati 996 (by the way, the heroes of the film “The Matrix” rode around it), a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, a 1955 Vincent Black Shadow, a 1927 Brough Superior retro bike, a Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide and many others.
A separate chapter in the life of Keanu Reeves was the creation of Arch Motorcycles, a motorcycle manufacturing company. The prototype of the first bike was created by Gard Hollinger, a famous customizer and now co-owner of the brand. The range of prestigious motorcycles includes the Arch KRGT-1, Arch 2021 1S and Method 143.
Ewan McGregor
The Star Wars and Trainspotting star is a longtime motorcycle fan. The actor's love for bikes even grew into a strong collaboration with the famous Italian brand - McGregor became the ambassador of the Moto Guzzi V85TT motorcycle.
It is a well-known fact that Ewan McGregor has a motorcycle in his personal collection.
“He has a solo and a motorcycle with a sidecar. The actor is a well-known lover of motorcycles, that’s why he has a Ural,” Vladimir Kurmachev, executive director of the Irbit Motorcycle Plant (IMZ), told TASS.
Back in 2004, the actor decided to take a break from work and go on a trip around the world on a motorcycle. His friend Charlie Boorman picked up the crazy idea. On April 14, enthusiasts got on BMW R1150GS motorcycles and went around the world. In total, they conquered 12 countries, which also included Russia. The result of the trip was the documentary film “The Long Road Around the World.”
The second large-scale journey, almost 25,000 km long, took place later across African lands. This time the motorcyclists rode modern BMW R1200GS. The film describing the details of the trip was called “The Long Road South.”
For the third time, the traveling actors went on a huge motorcycle rally in 2021, but this time on Harley-Davidson LiveWire motorcycles. The new journey took about three months and passed through 13 countries. The star motorcyclists rode from the southernmost point of Argentina (the city of Ushuaia) across South America and to Los Angeles. The result is the 11-episode film “The Long Way Up.”
Brad Pitt
The Hollywood actor is a true connoisseur of motorcycles. There are dozens of different motorcycles in Brad Pitt's garage. There are scooters, cruisers, a multi-purpose BMW R1150GS Adventure motorcycle, a unique Ducati Monster 1100S Titanium with a titanium body, Triumph, exclusive Harley-Davidson, Suzuki.
On his 44th birthday, the actor’s ex-wife gave him a gift – a custom Monster S4R S Testastretta bike. Its value is estimated at one hundred thousand dollars.
The actor has a special love for custom motorcycles. All Pitt custom bikes are made by the best customizers. For example, Marcus Waltz, Jesse Rucki, Arlen Ness.
But the undisputed gold of the collection are the Ural motorcycles. Pitt has two of them. One of them is the “Ural Tourist” with a sidecar - the actor’s favorite motorcycle.
Tom Cruise
The name of Tom Cruise is inextricably linked with the Mission: Impossible film series. The heroes of the spy saga not only ride motorcycles, but also perform incredible stunts on them. Interesting fact: Tom Cruise performed all the dizzying and dangerous maneuvers on his own, without the help of stuntmen.
The actor himself is a longtime fan of bikes. In particular, he likes motorcycles from the Italian company Ducati (the actor’s collection includes an Ecosse model).
A few years ago, Tom Cruise bought himself a Vyrus 985 C3 4V for one hundred thousand dollars. It’s interesting that they made the bike right “for him.” To make it, the craftsmen measured the actor’s height and weight and simulated his position in the saddle.
It is known that the star’s collection also includes a Confederate Hellcat F131 worth $85,000.
Bradley Cooper
Hollywood actor and director Bradley Cooper is also a big fan of motorcycles. The celebrity collection includes bikes such as the Black Ducati and the KTM 1190 RC8 R.
The Hangover star is known to be an ardent fan of Triumph motorcycles. He said that he was simply crazy about vintage equipment, and especially about his own Triumph Bonneville.
© Online magazine “Global City” Polina Popova
El Diablo Chopper from West Coast Choppers
This 2008 El Diablo chopper once cost Keanu Reeves $150,000. It was customized by the legendary company West Coast Choppers. A one-piece product, the company produces barely a few motorcycles a year, and only for celebrities. Pairs well with the film The Devil's Advocate, in which Keanu starred in 1997.
A separate story is Arch motorcycles, which are produced by Keanu Reeves’ own company.
In 2007, Reeves approached Gard Hollinger, owner of the legendary California workshop Chop Rods. The actor wanted to customize his Harley Davidson, and Gard, in turn, proposed making something completely new based on it. The work took four whole years, but the result shocked Keanu so much that he suggested that Hollinger organize a company that would create something similar on a regular basis. This is how the Arch Motorcycle company was born, which in 2015 released its first motorcycle, the KRGT-1. Since then, Reeves and Hollinger have created three very different models, each of them beautiful in their own way.
Price
And now the most important thing. We are talking about the price, and it can make many people surprised, upset, and some even angry. Such a bike will cost its lucky owner $78,000. Parrying the phrases about “getting greedy” and “generally ******”, it is worth noting that each model is made according to individual parameters, down to the height and weight of the owner. All the given data are averaged, so you won’t find assembly line work here, this is pure “jewelry” within the motorcycle industry. And the founders of the brand do not hide the fact that these bikes are not for everyone, so they are not at all worried about the return on investment of the project. Sales, frankly speaking, have been sporadic for many months. It is for this reason that Keanu and Gard set a certain target - 50 models sold, and only then they begin to develop the next bike model under the Arch Motorcycle brand.
KRGT-1 - cruiser/sportbike
Keanu Reeves himself characterizes this model as “a cruiser with a strong influence of sports bikes.” The Arch Motorcycle website states that this is a motorcycle for aggressive, fast riding, but it is also comfortable to cover long distances. In 2021, the model has been improved and, in addition, each of the motorcycles is customized according to the client’s order. Each of them is unique.
New section of the Film Industry program
Due to the pandemic, many businesses in Russia have collapsed and now more than ever we need an inspiring example of how to start from scratch. Why not turn to the experience of world cinema stars? In our new section, we will talk about successful startups of famous actors and directors, and we’ll start with Keanu Reeves.
Business from scratch: Keanu Reeves and Arch Motorcycle
© "Central Partnership"
Method 143 - the pinnacle of Keanu Reeves' motorcycle genius
The Method 143 is Arch Motorcycle's most advanced machine, a concept for the sake of a concept, so rare and difficult to manufacture that the company, in principle, does not plan to produce more than 23 copies. Aluminum here turns into carbon fiber, and carbon fiber into leather. This design has a place in Cyberpunk 2077, and we hope that Method 143 will definitely appear there as an Easter egg.
For anyone interested in the collection, we recommend watching the video from GQ, where Keanu Reeves proudly and tenderly talks about his motorcycles and their history.
Keanu Reeves is not only a Hollywood recluse, Neo and John Wick. Perhaps he will go down in history as a motorcycle genius who, among other things, starred in films.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
The motorcycle turned out to be expensive - almost 80 thousand dollars, which is four times more expensive than a Harley and twice as expensive as a Ducati.
The next two motorcycles were no cheaper, and the Arch Method 143 model is also a conceptual cruiser for luxury lovers, which is assembled in a limited edition of 23 cars. But even this amount is more typical of a serial bike, rather than a custom one (piece by definition). At the same time, all three motorcycles of the brand do not have a distinctive feature that immediately attracts attention, says world champion in customization Dmitry Golubchikov. Dmitry Golubchikov, World Champion in customization: “In Russia, for 6 million you can build such a gun that its photographs will flood all public pages - not only Russian, but throughout the world. I mean, in Russia you can build a very cool motorcycle for that money.”
Among the advantages, Dmitry highlights the stylish design, high seating position, which promotes better taxiing, and the materials from which the bikes are made. Dmitry Golubchikov, World Champion in customization:
“This is not a show-off, this is everything that customers love: carbon, aluminum, new shapes. Not some factory black plastic, but the kind of detailing that you want to touch with your hands. This motorcycle has it all and, in principle, this is what captivates us.”
