Rotax

BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG, commonly known simply as Rotax, is an Austrian engine manufacturer. In addition it is an international market leader in the development and production of 4-stroke and advanced 2-stroke Rotax engines for BRP products (Ski-Doo® and Lynx™ snowmobiles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Can-Am™ quads and roadsters) as well as for motorcycles, karts, ultra light and light aircraft. Over the past 50 years, the company has developed more than 350 engine models for recreational products and has produced more than six million engines.

History

The company was founded in 1920 in Dresden, Germany as ROTAX-WERK AG. In 1930 it was taken over by Fichtel & Sachs AG and transferred its operations to Schweinfurt/Germany.

Operations were moved to Wels, Austria in 1943 and finally to Gunskirchen in 1947. In 1959, Rotax merged with the Vienna-based Lohner-Werke, a manufacturer of car and railway wagon bodies. In 1970 Lohner-Rotax was bought by Bombardier, who uses Rotax engines in their motorcycles, personal water craft, and snowmobiles [http://corp.brp.com/NR/rdonlyres/3F0275A3-1401-4042-8154-55CB76F60B74/0/2007_01_31_ETEC_backgrounder.pdf] .

The company constructed only two-stroke engines until 1982, when it started building four-stroke engines and aircraft engines. Other important dates include 1962, when a Rotax engine was first installed in a snowmobile and 1989, when Rotax received Type Certification for its 912 A aircraft engine.

In 2008 Rotax start manufacturing the 1125cc Helicon liquid-cooled, four-stroke, fuel-injected 72˚ V-Twin for the Buell Motorcycle Company.

Products

Snowmobile engines

Today's applications include 2- and 4-stroke, 1- to 3-cylinder engines with displacements between 270 and 1500 cc and a performance range of 27 to 150 horsepower in regular serial execution.

* Engine Type 1304
* Engine Type 995 SDI
* Engine Type 793 HO
* Engine Type 593 SDI
* Engine Type 593 HO
* Engine Type 593
* Engine Type 552
* Engine Type 810
* Engine Type 453
* Engine Type 440
* Engine Type 377
* Engine Type 277

Marine engines

BRP-Rotax started the worldwide trend of PWCs to 4-stroke engines with the unveiling of our 4-TEC watercraft engines. Today's marines include 2- and 4-stroke engines in 2- and 3-cylinder inline configurations, covering a range between 130 and 215 HP.

* Engine Type 1503 SC IC
* Engine Type 1503 SC
* Engine Type 1503 NA
* Engine Type 1503 DT
* Engine Type 947 DI

ATV engines

Lliquid-cooled, 1- and 2-cylinder, 4-stroke engines are designed specifically for ATV applications. They cover a range between 400 and 800 cc and come either with gearboxes - with foot-lever shifting - or with CVTs (continuous variable transmissions).

* Engine Type 810
* Engine Type 660
* Engine Type 654 DS
* Engine Type 490
* Engine Type 400

Motorcycle engines

Development of the 1125cc Helicon engine was driven solely by Buell's desire to achieve the perfect power delivery, regardless of displacement. Working with BRP-Rotax®, a premier manufacturer of high-performance engines, the result is a lightweight, fast-revving, big-bore, short-stroke engine with broad and seamless power, hitting 146 hp just before the 10,500 RPM redline.

With 139 horsepower and an extremely compact design the V990 powers one of the fastest twin-cylinder motorcycle on the track. Simply put, it's built for speed and with magnesium cylinder head and clutch covers, the weight of the engine is reduced to an absolute minimum.

* Engine Type 1125R - Buell Motorcycle Company
* Engine Type V990
* Engine Type 804
* Engine Type 654
* Engine Type 122 - 22 kW
* Engine Type 122 - 11 kW

Kart engines

Rotax began designing kart engines 25 years ago. The 2-stroke engines continue to transform the world of karting, from the 125 MAX to the 125 MAX direct drive.

* KART RM1
* Engine Type FR125 MAX DD2
* Engine Type FR125 MAX
* Engine Type FR125 JUNIOR MAX
* Engine Type FR125 MINI MAX

Aircraft engines

Rotax is the world's leading supplier of aircraft engines for ultra-light and lightweight aircraft. Rotax aircraft engines offer 2- and 4-stroke technology.

* Engine Type Rotax 914 F/UL
* Engine Type Rotax 912 S/ULS
* Engine Type Rotax 912 A/F/UL
* Engine Type Rotax 582 UL
* Engine Type Rotax 503 UL
* Engine Type Rotax 447 UL

References

External links

* [http://www.rotax.com/en/ Official Website]
* [http://www.rotax-aircraft-engines.com/ Rotax Aircraft Engines]
* [http://www.airframer.com/direct_detail.html?company=121719 List of Rotax engines applied to new-build aircraft]