 | |
| Industry | Automotive and motorcycle industry |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 |
| Defunct | 1925 |
| Fate | defunct |
| Headquarters | Industriehof Oranienstraße 6, Berlin, Germany |
| Key people | Engelbert Zaschka (Chief Engineer) |
| Products | motorcycles, bicycle auxiliary engines |
Orionette is a historic German motorcycle brand.
The Orionette AG für Motorfahrzeuge (also: Orion AG für Motorfahrzeuge) was a German motorcycle manufacturer. The company was founded in 1921. The company's headquarters was the Industriehof Oranienstraße 6 in Berlin-Kreuzberg. There was also the serial production of the Orionette. It was one of the most important companies in the automotive and motorcycle industry in Berlin.
The company built a range of 129 cc (7.9 cu in), 137 cc (8.4 cu in), 148 cc (9.0 cu in) and 346 cc (21.1 cu in) two-stroke machines with mainly unitdesign engines and two or three-speed gearboxes. The design department, headed by Engelbert Zaschka, also produced some interesting unorthodox designs. Unfortunately the very desmodromic lay-out of this interesting two-stroke engine still remains secret. It is called system Zaschka.
At last later sales declined and in 1925 the company went bankrupt and closed.
References
- Doogs, Kurt (1928). Die Berliner maschinen-industrie und ihre produktionsbedingungen seit ihrer entstehung (in German). Julius Springer.
- "Orionette". Motorrad Heft 10/1971 and Tragatsch, E. : The Ill. Encyclopedia of motorcycles. October 1971.
External links
- Orionette
- ORIONETTE, MOTORETTE - GTÜ - Oldtimerservice (German)
- The Long History of Reverse-Cylinder Engine Designs - motocrossactionmag.com