Rotax

The company was founded as ROTAX-WERK AG, the name referencing a bicycle freewheel patent. In 1930, Fichtel & Sachs took over Rotax, moving operations to Schweinfurt, Germany. During World War II, production was relocated to Wels, Austria to conceal it from Allied bombing. After the war, operations moved to Gunskirchen, Austria, and ownership was transferred under the 1955 Austrian State Treaty. In 1970, Lohner-Rotax was bought by Bombardier Inc.

Rotax engines are used in a wide variety of vehicles, including snowmobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, personal watercraft, and off-road vehicles. Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) utilizes Rotax engines in its own range of vehicles. The original application for Rotax engines was Ski-Doo snowmobiles.

In the 1980s, Rotax air-cooled, two-stroke engines began appearing on ultralight aircraft, with the single-cylinder Rotax 185 powering the Lazair ultralight by 1982. The Rotax 277 became widely used on U.S. ultralight aircraft, and remains popular for those seeking to operate within FAA weight limits without a pilot’s license. Subsequent two-stroke models included the 377, 447, and 503, all in production by 1985. Later designs, like the 532 and 582, augmented air-cooling with liquid-cooled cylinder heads.

By 1989, Rotax developed the four-stroke, four-cylinder Rotax 912 engine, ranging from 60 to 75 kW (80 to 100 hp), followed by the turbocharged 115 horsepower Rotax 914. These four-stroke engines differ from conventional aircraft engines due to their higher rotational speed, compensated for by a reduction gearbox. Initially given a 600-hour Time Before Overhaul (TBO), modifications and operational experience extended the TBO to 2,000 hours. A 2022 statistical study found the Rotax 912 family had the lowest rate of failure among six common lines of engines used in U.S. Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft. Later models increased power, with the 100 kW (135 hp) Rotax 915 iS.

Rotax engines also feature prominently in motorcycles. Can-Am motorcycles, starting in 1971, were powered by Rotax engines, and the brand resumed motorcycle production in 2020 with the Spyder, using Rotax engines. Several major motorcycle manufacturers use Rotax engines in their smaller models, including Aprilia, BMW, and KTM. BMW built a 798 cc parallel twin engine with and for Rotax from 2006 to 2020.

The company introduced the Rotax Max for karting in 1998, and began organizing the Rotax Max Challenge in 2000. Current aircraft engine models include the Rotax 912, 914, 915, and 916 series, while historical models include the 275, 277, 377, 447 UL, 503 UL, 532 UL, 535, 582 UL, and 618 UL. Rotax also produces unbranded engines and parts for original equipment manufacturers, including engines for motorbikes and scooters like the Rotax 122, 144, and 804.