If you want a new cafe racer, you’re spoiled for choice in today’s market. Even if you want a custom bike to stand out, you want precisely be left wanting, either. The trouble with 99-percent of the custom cafe racers out there is they don’t do much other than take an existing bike with a proven platform and put a new spin on it. If you break it down, most custom cafes are little more than builders telling manufacturers how they could’ve done better. But if you want a custom cafe racer with a completely unique style and innovative construction all its own, and performance that’ll handle city streets and keep up on the track, Arch Motorcycle is the only place you should be shopping.
The California based builder, lead by Gard Hollinger and co-owned by Keanu Reeves (yes, that Keanu Reeves), has, up until now, only built the KRGT-1. It may be a cruiser, but it’s innovative design, build process and performance are what Arch Motorcycle built a reputation on. And now it’s expanding its portfolio into modern cafe racers.
Focusing on lightweight and minimalism, the Method 143 utilizes a carbon fiber frame and a CNC machined aluminum chassis and sub-frame. Even the bodywork and fuel tank are integrated and CNC’d aluminum. And it’s all wrapped around a 2343cc V-Twin. Regrettably, the Method 143 will be limited to just 23 examples. However, the 1S, like the original KRGT-1, is made to order and tailored to its owner. The 1S employs a slightly smaller 2,032cc V-Twin engine, a steel frame with a CNC machined aluminum backbone and sub-chassis, but also gets a carbon fiber and aluminum fuel tank. From the ground up, these bikes are real custom builds. Nothing against the efforts of all the creative builders out there, but the all-new Arch motorcycles just raised the custom cafe bar into the stratosphere.
