Keanu Reeves isn’t just “John Wick” or “Neo”—he’s a rider, collector, and innovator whose garage holds machines worth over $500,000, each with a story that could fuel a blockbuster.
From a stolen Norton that sparked a lifelong obsession to a Ducati that survived The Matrix, let’s crack open the vault and explore the two-wheeled world of a man who’d rather talk torque than box office numbers.
The Norton That Started It All
Every Rider remembers their first love; for Keanu, it was a 1973 Norton Commando 850 MK2A. He bought it in 1987, once admitted in an interview, “That Norton taught me the thrill of the open road.”
But It wasn’t his first bike. That title belongs to a Kawasaki Enduro he impulsively bought at 22 while filming in Munich after a chance encounter with a woman who let him ride hers.
Keanu Reeves Riding Norton Motorcycles
The Norton, though, became his soulmate. He rode it 1,300 miles from Toronto to Florida to convince River Phoenix to join My Own Private Idaho—a road trip that’s now legendary in motorcycle circles.
Another Norton Commando got stolen during a film shoot. Some say it vanished from a chaotic movie set; others claim it disappeared in an LAX parking lot. Either way, its absence still stings.
“Some bikes get stolen, some crash. The ones that stay? They’re family,” Reeves told Wired. Today, his 73 Norton sits proudly at ARCH Motorcycle’s HQ, a relic of his early riding days.
The Ducati 998
You know that freeway chase in The Matrix Reloaded where Trinity outruns an army of Agent Smiths? That wasn’t CGI—it was a Ducati 996 (disguised as a 998) piloted by stunt legend Debbie Evans.
Reeves loved the bike so much that Ducati gifted him a custom “Matrix Reloaded Edition” in dark green, which he nearly lost during a crash that burned through his pants mid-ride.
Keanu Reeves Ducati 998
“This Ducati survived a crash that burned through my pants—but not my determination to ride,” he joked in a GQ interview.
Only 340 Matrix Editions were made, and collectors now pay six figures for them.
The 128K Bike Keanu Won’t Sell Even to Himself
In 2011, Reeves co-founded ARCH Motorcycle with master builder Gard Hollinger, and their first creation, the KRGT-1, redefined American muscle bikes.
A 2032cc S&S V-twin engine pumping out 121 lb-ft of torque, Ohlins suspension, and carbon fiber wheels—all wrapped in a handcrafted chassis that costs more than a luxury sedan.
Arch Motorcycles
But Reeves doesn’t own one. “I borrow them,” he confessed.
Instead, he’s logged over 50,000 test miles, tweaking ergonomics and fine-tuning performance. ARCH owners rave about the bespoke process—every seat, handlebar, and footpeg is tailored to their body. One Rider said, “It’s like they built it around my skeleton.” At $85,000+, it’s not for everyone, but as Reeves puts it, “These bikes aren’t meant to be parked. They’re meant to move.”
The ‘El Diablo’ Chopper
If the KRGT-1 is ARCH’s polished masterpiece, the El Diablo chopper is its wild cousin. Inspired by Toronto’s underground “pirate gang” culture, this West Coast Choppers collaboration features hand-tooled leather, a jagged exhaust, and a price tag rivaling a Porsche.
Reeves hasn’t publicly discussed it much, but insiders say it’s his ode to rebellion—a bike that’s “more art than transportation.”
Keanu’s Rule: “If It Doesn’t Have a Story, It Doesn’t Belong Here”
Reeves garage isn’t a museum—it’s a scrapbook. Alongside his Norton and Ducati, you’ll find a BMW R75/6, a Harley Dyna Wide Glide (the bike that inspired ARCH), and a Kawasaki he’s kept since the 80s.
“Every bike has to reflect a chapter of my life,” he told Men’s Journal. Even the ones he regrets selling, like a rare Vyrus, haunt him.
His philosophy? Motorcycles are emotional, not transactional. When ARCH builds a bike, they interview owners about their riding style, childhood memories, and even their favorite roads.
“It’s not about horsepower,” Hollinger explained in a podcast. “It’s about connection.”
Reeves passion goes beyond collecting. “Motorcycles are a gateway to understanding how things work—and how to make them better,” he said in the series.
