HOPE
BY SIMON AGUIAR
FROM SAINT-QUENTIN, FRANCE
COURTESY OF SHINY HAMMER
PHOTOS BY SAMUEL AGUIAR
From the turbulence of the no-holds-barred fight to establish a foothold in the global e-bike market, there comes “Hope.” Rising phoenix-like from the ashes of the Vectrix e-scooter, Simon Aguiar fashioned a wingless 1940s aircraft at his custom motorcycle shop north of Paris, adapting the best of the VX-1 (an aluminum chassis with great batteries and motor) to create his remarkable “Hope.” It’s a custom EV that nails the retro-future vibe with exposed rivets on its streamlined panels, yet retains a sporting, modern edge.
“The way that the body turns around the frame is a good representation of what I wanted to express as relation between the different elements of the bike. I see it as a peaceful organization where everything is please to everything and you can see this approach everywhere on ‘Hope’ like the communication between the seat and the taillight for example. Thinking this way, you realize that ‘Hope’ could have been designed a century ago or in a century. As neutral and logical as it may seem, it can also be seen as radical in a way, without trying to satisfy or sell anything but being.” – Simon Aguiar
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