Today in motorcycle history, June 7, 1985

                                          

 

  Mark Gruber wins the inaugral Dairyland Classic on June 7, 1985 at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds’ new 1/3-mile clay oval.   The race was sanctioned through the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) as a Pro-Am event, featuring several amateur and professional racing classes combined in a single event. 

  Gruber won the Classic on a Rotax 500cc.  Matter of fact, from 1985-2012 a Rotax powered bike won 16 of the Dairyland Classics. "Won it on a...what?!" A Rotax, son, a Rotax...

 

  The innovative engine company was founded as ROTAX-WERK AG in 1920 in Dresden, Germany.  In 1930 it was taken over by Fichtel & Sachs and its operations were moved to Schweinfurt, Germany.  Not thrilled with the night-life in Schweinfurt, operations were eventually moved to Gunskirchen, Austria.  In 1959, the majority of Rotax shares were taken over by the Vienna-based Lohner-Werke, a manufacturer of car and railway wagon bodies.  In 1970 Lohner-Rotax was bought by Bombardier, Inc.. The former Bombardier branch, Bombardier Recreational Products, now an independent company, uses Rotax engines in its motorcycles, personal water craft, and snowmobiles.

  The company only built two-stroke engines until 1982, when it started building four-strokes and aircraft engines.

  In 2008, Rotax started manufacturing the 1,125cc Helicon liquid-cooled, four-stroke, fuel-injected 72° V-twin for Buell. 

  Speaking of Buell, if you're interested in an H-D/Buell-Rotax Speedway/Flat-tracker conversion and are lucky enough to live somewhere near Bedfordshire, UK call or stop by Maulden Motorcycle Repair in Maulden, Bedfordshire MK45 2AY.  If anybody can help you with this the good folk there can .