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.[1]
The company built a range of 129 cc, 137 cc, 148 cc and 346 cc 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.[2]
At last later sales declined and in 1925 the company went bankrupt and closed.
External links
- Orionette
- ORIONETTE, MOTORETTE - GTÜ - Oldtimerservice (German)
- The Long History of Reverse-Cylinder Engine Designs - motocrossactionmag.com
References
- Kurt Doogs. Die Berliner maschinen-industrie und ihre produktionsbedingungen seit ihrer entstehung Julius Springer, 1928^
- Orionette Motorrad Heft 10/1971 and Tragatsch, E. : The Ill. Encyclopedia of motorcycles, October 1971^