The Big Car Database

Orionette Motorcycles

Orionette is a historic German motorcycle brand. One of the most important companies in the automotive industry in Berlin, it built a range of 129cc, 137cc, 148cc and 346cc two-stroke machines with mainly unit-construction engines and two or three-speed gearboxes.

The design department, headed by Chief Engineer Engelbert Zaschka, also produced some interesting unorthodox designs including one referred to as system Zaschka.

ndustry Automotive and motorcycle industry
Fate defunct
Founded 1921
Defunct 1925
Headquarters Industriehof Oranienstraße 6, Berlin,Germany

Key people

Engelbert Zaschka (Chief Engineer)
Products Motorcycles, bicycle auxiliary engines

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 first Orionette motorcycle came in 1921 on the market. The Orion Corporation for motor vehicles was one of the most important companies in Berlin for car and motorcycle of the 1920s.

The complex Industrieh of Orange Street Number 6 in Berlin -Kreuzberg was the 1920s and 1930s corporate location of the Orionette AG for motor vehicles and manufacture of Orionette.

System Zaschka

The lay-out of this interesting two-stroke engine still remains secret. It is called system Zaschka.

The Orionette two-stroke engine was also called system Zaschka. The name goes back to Engelbert Zaschka who developed the motor system for the Orionette and constructed.

The two stroke engine consists of an uncontrolled poppet for the inlet in the crankcase (acting like an automatic diaphragm control). Another component is the Kurbelvorverdichtungsraum. This is followed by four to about the piston ring disposed transfer channels, which are controlled in a customary manner by the piston top. The cylinder chamber and the rocker arm over and bumper controlled, hanging in the head exhaust valve are also connected to each other. The desmodromic control is operated by means of two cams ( with speed of the crankshaft ). One for opening, the other for closing of the valve. Characteristic of the Berlin motor were horizontally from the front is screwed on top of the cylinder spark plug and the decompression valve located at the rear of the engine.

Sales declined and in 1925 the company went bankrupt and closed.