The process of creating a motorcycle is art, at least it is at Arch Motorcycle.
These beauties are bespoke bikes, made like sculptures for an art gallery. They’re shaped and molded from raw materials, taking form one sexy curve at a time. They’re elegance on two wheels, and some only available in limited editions.
Malibu Arts Journal conducted a Q&A with Arch Motorcycle’s talented designer, Gard Hollinger, to find out how these sleek bikes are created.
Q&A
PERRAS: Can you take us through the process to build an Arch motorcycle? Most especially the robotic machine you have to make parts like the gas tank, I believe?
HOLLINGER: The machines you’re referring to are our Haas Automation vertical milling machines. They essentially shape the material, in our case primarily aluminum, by removing all the excess material from a solid billet which starts from a geometric shape that’s slightly larger than the final part size. The machine is guided by a program which our R&D Manager, Ryan Boyd, creates. The machine responds to numerical code commands that dictate everything from which cutting tool is used to the path the tool moves across the material as it cuts away the unwanted excess.
PERRAS: How are you able to customize the bike so easily?
HOLLINGER: The bikes are designed on a proven mechanical platform to optimize performance, ergonomics and quality which at the same time was created to accommodate ease of adjustment to fit the customers desired riding style and ergonomic comfort, as well as to allow nearly endless color, finish and livery options. I wouldn’t exactly describe it as “easy,” but it is, I believe, one of the most satisfying parts of the process for both us and the customers. In the end, you nearly never have two bikes exactly alike, making each one unique to its owner.
HASTINGS: Why is the Arch frame curved?
This story is from the March 2018 edition of Malibu Arts Journal.
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This story is from the March 2018 edition of Malibu Arts Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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