Keanu Reeves chooses ME880 Marathons for the Arch KR GT-1

Keanu Reeves got together with L.A. County Choprod’s Gard Hollinger to build a custom bike, but the two got to talking and the eventual result was not just a motorcycle, but a motorcycle company as well. The first bike from the Arch Motorcycle Company—the KR GT-1—will enter production this year.

Keanu has been riding for over 25 years, and is an avid motorcyclist, who has ridden bikes ranging from Ducatis to Kawasakis. Says Reeves:

“I’m a guy who loves everything about motorcycles—the sounds, the style and the aesthetic combined with the function, but most of all the riding experience. I’ve enjoyed motorcycles for as long as I can remember, and I’m ready to share my passion with the world.”

Aside from it being based on an ’84 Shovelhead, not many details are known about the KR GT-1—except that Keanu wisely chose ME880s to go on the bike. The ME880 is a great tire for custom bikes. It comes in 85 sizes, has whitewall variations, and is very long-lasting. A solid center section gives sure-footed handling over grooved pavement and great wear characteristics, and the look perfectly complements cruisers and touring bikes.

From motorcycle.com

Bikes of New York

Last Friday, we headed to the New York International Motorcycle Show.

First, there was the Victory Boardwalk, with it’s 106 c.i. Freedom V-Twin, which slingshots the bike down the road on a massive wave of torque.

Then there’s the Ducati Hyperstrada 821, which is like a mini Multistrada.  Unlike the old Hypermotard, the Hyperstrada has a watercooled engine, and makes 15 bhp more than the old 1100.

The Honda Goldwing F6B may just be a stripped-down Goldwing, but it does look undeniably cool.  Losing the topcase helps the F6B shed more than 60 lbs over it’s bigger brother, and a blacked out engine ups the cool-factor.

Honda’s CBR500 is one of Honda’s new 500cc bikes, and should take the market by storm.  More power and character than a 250, and more rideable than a 600—it’s one of the few bikes that we could wholeheartedly recommend to a new rider.

We’re also excited about the new water-cooled BMW GS.  Check our previous post to learn more about it–it sounds excellent:

And, as ever, it seemed like the majority of the custom bikes there wore ME880s.  We’ve put our favorites below:

Two ME880-adorned custom bikes

Metzeler’s ME880 is a favorite of custom bike builders for a number of reasons.  Firstly, it comes in a huge number of sizes, so it’s easy for bike builders to find a size that suits the bike they’re building.  It’s got a great, meaty look that goes well on custom bikes.  Finally, ME880s last a really long time, so once you get your bike together, it will spend more time on the road than in the shop.

Here are two of Classified Moto bikes riding on ME880s:

Classified Moto XV920R6-R

Classified Moto worked a 920 Virago into something a bit more desirable (top picture).  It’s not just a cosmetic upgrade, either.  Classified redid the swingarm pivots so the bike could house a Yamaha R6 swingarm and wheel, and put R6 forks on the front as well.  Plating the tank presented a challenge.  Said Classified’s John Ryland, “I love the bare metal but we needed to stop it from rusting without paint.  I get some flack for not making everything perfect on these bikes, but honestly, that comes more from bike builders than the general public.”

Classified Moto “Ripper” XS650

This XS650 is inspired by a BMX bike, with it’s BMX grips and riding position, black mag wheels, and paint to match an early 80’s P.K. Ripper.  John said of this bike “We tried to create a skeletal look by relocating and minimizing the battery and other components. I guess the bike has a street-tracker feel, but that wasn’t our original intention. It just has a fun stance. Not sure what you’d call it.”

Learn more about the ME880 in our catalog

From  Bike Exif.

Metzeler’s ME 880 Marathon – A Legendary Tire

On Metzeler’s Facebook page, a reader wanted to know if our ME 880 Marathon custom tire could top the ten thousand miles he got out of the original IRC rear tire that came on his bike.  We reckon it can; we’ve been reading real-world reports on forums of riders enjoying 12,000+ miles on rear Marathons and getting 25,000 miles out of the fronts.  The secret to this long life isn’t a harder compound, rather, it’s an offset central groove, which puts more rubber on the ground.  The offset groove increases life, but not at the expense of good grip.  A side-effect is that the tire doesn’t follow grooves in the pavement, so bridge-crossings and rain grooves are not a hair-raising experience on the ME 880.  There are even two whitewall versions: a full whitewall version and one with a narrow white stripe.

Metzeler even makes a wide version called the ME 880 Marathon XXL, in widths from 240-300mm–it’s a real monster.  The XXL (the rear tire shown above) uses special steel belt technology to maintain a predictable shape, allowing the rear fender to be mounted extremely close to the rear tire.

The ME 880 is praised on riding forums for both its durability and ride characteristics.  Read some reviews and consider them for your next cruiser or custom tire–we think you will be pleased with their performance.