It’s hard to believe, but it’s been five whole years since ARCH Motorcycle introduced its second design, the 1s, at EICMA in 2017. Time has been exceptionally weird for the past few years due to the pandemic, though. In March, 2022, the Californian bespoke motorcycle firm released key specs on the upcoming 1s, along with a small handful of studio photos to get everyone excited about the full release.
Indeed, the finished product was shaping up to be an intriguing piece of machinery. It features a 124 c.i. (2,032cc) S&S Cycle V-twin, which makes a claimed 121.77 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel. It’s mated to a six-speed gearbox with a dry clutch.
A fully adjustable Öhlins suspension at both ends lets riders dial in their preferred characteristics exactly. A full ISR braking system consists of dual, radially-mounted, six-piston monobloc calipers up front, with a pair of floating, dampened discs of large (but unspecified) size. The rear brake is a radially-mounted, four-piston, single-caliper setup with a single semi-floating disc. The 1s comes with Bosch ABS as standard.
Gallery: ARCH Motorcycle 1s
The 1s features sportier handling and a shorter wheelbase than the KRGT-1. The chassis combines a steel frame and a machined, billet aluminum subframe—as well as ARCH’s first-ever single-sided swingarm. That swingarm isn’t just for looks, of course—although it does certainly look good. It’s made of billet aluminum, and comes with titanium axle adjusters. A pair of 17-inch BST carbon fiber wheels helps to keep the unsprung mass low.
Speaking of carbon fiber, the ARCH 1s also makes use of an integrated carbon fiber fuel cell and air intake/filtration system. Side vents on the tank suck the air into the back of the unit, where the actual air intake system is located. It’s a best-of-both-worlds solution, guiding air where it needs to go while simultaneously reducing bulk and streamlining the positions of both bike and rider. (Plus, it looks cool.) A machined billet aluminum mechanical fuel filler cover bears the ARCH logo, and raises up out of the way for a rider to fill the 4.5-gallon tank.
“We’re very excited to officially introduce the new ARCH 1s. With the help of our entire team and many amazing partners, we believe we’ve crafted something truly special for riders to experience and are proud to finally see it out there on the road,” ARCH Motorcycle co-founder and design director Gard Hollinger said in a statement.
“The 1s beautifully merges American cruiser-inspired elegance and race-inspired performance – a concept we’ve worked to design, build, test, refine, and deliver since its initial reveal. I’m proud and honored that we have this opportunity to share the new 1s model with the world,” Hollinger concluded.
“We just celebrated our 10th Anniversary as a company this past year, yet it feels like only yesterday that I put forth the idea of starting a motorcycle company with Gard,” ARCH co-founder Keanu Reeves added.
“It is incredible to see how far we’ve come in such a short period – from the KRGT-1’s amazing reception to the new 1s as our second model. And that’s a real testament to our talented design and build teams and their ability to produce something that fulfills ARCH’s ambitions for what a motorcycle company can bring in architecture, style, elegance, and overall experience,” Reeves concluded.
As of October 13, 2022, ARCH Motorcycle is now accepting orders for the 1s, at a cost of $128,000 per build. Interested parties can reach out to the company via their website, which we’ll link in our Sources.
