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Fuck the bike is beautiful It is not the official definition of the acronym FAMEL, but it was the version adopted by motorcycle users that dominated sales in Portugal during the 1970s and 1980s.
Overtaken by foreign prototypes, especially Japanese Honda and Yamaha, the motorcycle ‘made in’ Águeda fell in sales and popularity, ceasing to be sold during the 1990s, which caused the closure of the company.
Famel Zundapp XF-17. Photo: DR
But today, the famous motorcycle of the town seems to want to return to the stalls, reinvented, with an electric motor and a dysfunction in the aspect with which we always know it.
One of those responsible for the new version of the Famel Zundapp, which should begin to be industrialized in 2021, is Hélder Cação, a young natural designer living in the parish of Valões, in the northernmost part of the Vila Verde municipality.
There, next to the pure river Vade, in an enclave between the Ponte da Barca mountains, the 25-year-old remembers how he helped to resurrect one of the most iconic brands in the Portuguese universe, waiting for his design to be used in the final product. something that is not yet insured.
Outline. Photo: FAMEL / Hélder Cação
Outline. Photo: FAMEL / Hélder Cação
With a degree in product design from the University of Minho with a master’s degree in design from the University of Aveiro, Hélder wanted his master’s degree to be completed with a project related to the world of motors, or he was not a fan of rallying.
Upon learning that the engineer Joel Sousa, also a young man living in Aveiro, had acquired FAMEL, whose acronym stands for Fábrica de Produtos Metónicos, Lda, proposed to investigate and develop the design of the new, 100% electric model of our parents’ favorite motorcycle . (and grandparents).
FAMEL ZX01. Photo: FAMEL / Hélder Cação
“We talked, they told me that the brand should be electrified, something with which I also agreed, and we realized that we were aligned to work together in this process,” the young entrepreneur, also founder of Estúdio 812, explains to O MINHO. , based in Guimarães.
Cação got down to work, led by Francisco Providência, also a designer from Vila Verde, looking for a model that would be disruptive with the well-known design of the famous XF-17, the brand’s best-selling model.
FAMEL ZX01. Photo: FAMEL / Hélder Cação
Hélder says that he tried to develop a product that “broke with tradition”, something he considers “critical”, because the image we have of FAMEL in Portugal is “almost untouchable”. But we broke with the design and the project turned out to be a morphological reflection that rehearses the rehabilitation of the brand in another way, with an electrified aspect ”, he explains.
One of the main features is the fuel tank, which has become obsolete. “Being an electric motorcycle, we no longer have the mandatory deposit. So, we decided to put a suitcase (or backpack) in its place that can be removed, leaving that empty space, getting closer to a scooter, ”he says.
FAMEL ZX01. Photo: FAMEL / Hélder Cação
Currently, Hélder is dedicated to other projects through the studio he owns in Guimarães, but remains attentive to the news of FAMEL, saying that, at the latest during 2021 or early 2022, the prototype can become a first version of the motorcycle .
The designer is proud to have participated in this project, stating that the goal he set for himself “was successfully achieved”. “I think it is important to associate design with the national industry, because there are other icons to be explored, such as Casal or UMM.”
FAMEL ZX01. Photo: FAMEL / Hélder Cação
Why not create an association of companies that rehabilitate the most iconic brands of the last century, suggests Cação, as a way to end the conversation?
Hélder Cação. Photo: DR
No exhaust noise
Joel Sousa is the main mentor behind the resurgence of the FAMEL brand. The engineer bought the Águeda brand, but explains that today the smoke and noise characteristic of old motorcycles are not allowed by legal requirements.
“In a broader long-term vision, the new electric Famel is the product with the greatest potential for development using new emerging technologies that offer a new concept of mobility to the user and facilitate traffic in cities,” he explains.
Joel Sousa. Photo: Disclosure / FAMEL
“After presenting the prototype, the project goes to an intermediate stage of business development and investment capture to prepare for industrialization and commercialization,” says the owner of the brand.
Famel ZX 01 project
The FAMEL ZX 01 project was developed in partnership with the brand, as a proposal for its own rehabilitation, taking advantage of the current paradigm of electric motorization.
The product is defined by a syntactic language, with a disruptive design and focused on its most functional meaning.
Of the various characteristics that define the vehicle, its modularity stands out, provided by the backpack / suitcase that replaces the previous tank, obsolete in this type of engine.
This characteristic arises from the intention of designing a vehicle capable of satisfying the needs of the greatest number of audiences.
Main team
Helder Cação (design)
Joel Sousa – FAMEL (engineering)
Francisco Providência (orientation – design)
Samuel Ribeiro – IDEGUI (prototype support)
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