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Casal
.JPG) Metalurgia Casal was the largest Portuguese motorcycle manufacturer, based in Aveiro. Established in 1964, it became renowned for its wide range of mopeds, motorcycles, and innovative partnerships. Although the company ceased production in 2000, its motorcycles remain popular among enthusiasts and collectors. HistoryMetalurgia Casal was founded in 1964 with João Casal as the managing director and Robert Zipprich and other former Zündapp engineers as the technical managers. Initially, the company focused on producing agricultural machinery and two-stroke moped engines based on Zündapp designs. By 1967, Casal expanded to complete motorcycles, beginning with the S170 Carina, a scooter modeled after the Zündapp R50, equipped with a 50cc, 4-speed engine. This was soon followed by the launch of its first mopeds, including the K160, K161, K162, and K163 (2-speed) and the K181 (4-speed). While most of Casal's production consisted of mopeds, it also developed 125cc bikes like the K260, K270, and K276. Plans for a 250cc model, the K280, were also underway. Over its history, the company produced over 30 models featuring automatic, 2-speed, 4-speed, 5-speed, and 6-speed engines. Casal's main market was Portugal, but it exported about 10% of its production, primarily to the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden. A promising joint venture with Germany's Solo brand saw Casal models sold under the Solo name in the German market. Plans to venture into car manufacturing were considered but never realized. As Portugal's economic conditions improved, domestic demand for mopeds declined, leading to Casal's bankruptcy in February 2000. Unfortunately, parts of the company's archives were lost during this period. Racing and PartnershipsDuring the 1970s and 1980s, Casal established several partnerships to improve its racing capabilities. The first, in 1971–72, was with a Dutch company[which?] that led to the development of the M154 motocross engine (50cc, 5-speed). This engine debuted in the Portuguese 1972 motocross championship and quickly made Casal a leader in local motocross. Subsequent partnerships primarily included HuVo of Holland and Villa of Italy, and were focused on racing engine development. The collaboration with HuVo produced 50cc racing engines for both road and off-road competitions, which saw success in Portugal and across Europe. The partnership with Villa concentrated on 50cc and 125cc off-road bikes and components for Villa's 250cc racing engines. Casal also participated in the 80cc World Motorcycle Championships during the 1984 and 1985, achieving excellent results. Legacy and EnthusiastsAlthough the last Casal motorcycle was manufactured in 1999–2000, thousands remain in use in Portugal. A growing community of enthusiasts collects iconic models such as the K166 Boss, K181, K185 Trial, K270, and S170. Internationally, collectors in the UK and Sweden particularly value the K190, a model resembling the Yamaha FS1. Notable models from Casal's final years include the Magnum, RZ50, and Arizona, which featured the M105 water-cooled, 6-speed engine. Some enthusiasts modified these models for increased performance, using custom-built components and achieving speeds comparable to larger motorcycles. World RecordsIn 1980, Jan Nijhuys set a quarter-mile record with a Casal Sparta Plompen, covering 402 meters in 15.26 seconds at 94.29 km/h. In 1981, Dutch racer Jan Huberts set a 50cc speed record of 224 km/h using a HuVo-Casal motorcycle. Post-2000 OperationsAfter ceasing motorcycle production in 2000, Metalurgia Casal transitioned to operating as a Suzuki representative in Portugal, focusing on the distribution and servicing of Suzuki products. External links
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