The vehicles sector increasingly gains in importance. Motorcycles, snowmobiles and all sorts of other motorized vehicles now rely on Rotax power. Performance and reliability have been central to the Rotax brand since its origins in the bicycle sector. And just as in bygone days, Rotax looks to intensify its involvement with motorsports.  The foundations of this are the engine generations of the 1960s, which are increasingly drawing on a high level of in-house development, and this is stepped up yet further in the course of the takeover by Bombardier. In each case, Rotax engineering expertise is applied to individual engines that are developed by enthusiasts from the company. This is how Rotax comes to provide aspiring motorcyclist and future Rotax Development Manager Heinz Lippitsch and his team with Rotax engines for competition. The “Rotax Racing Association Austria” is a sensation. When the machines are presented at the Jochen Rindt Show in 1967, racing legends Jochen Rindt and Jack Brabham are amongst their admirers.

As well as being involved with motorsports, Rotax also demonstrates its engines’ performance by setting world speed records. The first successful attempt is made in October 1968 on the freeway in Anif near Salzburg. “In the under-125cc class, I achieved 125.264 km/h from a standing start and 176.039 km/h from a flying start over a kilometer, and 142.418 km/h from a standing start and 172.891 km/h from a flying start over a mile. Those records still stand today,” says Heinz Lippitsch, developer and rider with the record-breaking Rotax team.