Athena Direct Injection 2-stroke Technology

I came across this video on Youtube showing the death of the 2 stroke engine is greatly exaggerated. Athena, an Italian powersports engine aftermarket parts company shows off their own direct injection system for aftermarket cylinders. The video makes some impressive claims. I think a 4-stroke versus 2-stroke smackdown needs to occur, pitting Hondas 50cc FI scooter engine against this Athena tech.

We’ve seen DI systems from Orbital and subsequently Aprilia, Piaggio and Evinrude in the past. But coming from Athena suggests this could be in place for retrofitting and maybe turning a 5% oil burning piston-ported 150 two stroke generating a mind blowing 5 HP into something clean, efficient and still not ‘stroke-wasting’.

5 thoughts on “Athena Direct Injection 2-stroke Technology”

  1. The DI Aprilia scooter was amazing for a 50cc machine, but there was never a bigger version from them or anybody else that I know of. Why not? I always figured the technology did not scale well or there a legal gotcha in there somewhere. A 150cc 2T DI scooter that doesn’t generate more emissions than 100 SUVs would be awesome, wouldn’t it? ;->

  2. Actually a couple months ago I read a article who talked to the engineers at Aprilla. Of course I can find the article now that I want to share it, but he asked them if they tested larger version. After much persuasion, they admitted they had and in fact had a control knob to adjust the poweband on the fly. They let him ride it on a back parking lot and he said it was awesome, 500cc I believe. A much more immediate throttle response from di2-stroke.

    Evenrude’s 2-stroke outboard is well liked, I don’t understand why a big manufacturer doesn’t build them. Some articles seem to indicate that companies make more money from 4-strokes, but even if it’s true, you’d think one not doing so well would start in a effort to steal market share.

    I’d really like to see something in the shape of the corbin sparrow with a 150cc di-2stroke. http://www.corbinsparrow.com/
    Bet you’d get 150+mpg and decent acceleration.
    If only my lottery ticket comes through…

    Oh and some dirt racers in Australia have built their own 2-stroke direct inject and are really pleased with result on dirt motorcycle. If they can do it so can the big boys, you’d think. O the possiblities.

  3. What would make someone follow through would be to have it affordable and adaptable to a major product in India…

  4. Are they having to pay Orbital a license fee per cc of displacement or something weird like that? That would certainly explain some things. Otherwise, what’s happened just makes no sense.

  5. Did a quick search on Aprilla di-tech engines. It appears back in 2003 they built a prototype 500cc direct injection 2stroke scooter. Aprilia Leonardo SR 500 single cylinder.

    Just some data gleaned from news article:

    – 38 km/l or 450 km a tank
    – Euro 3 emmisions, no smoke, cleaner than 4 strokes
    – 400m in 12.5 s acceleration
    – 175 kg
    – 50 bhp
    – Automatic / sequential gear change with belt drive

    They never made a production model. Maybe its a reliability issue with larger direct injection systems. Evenrude makes a larger displacement motor for their boats, but that is a constant speed system. I don’t know, its a puzzle to me and no clear reason that I can find saying THIS is why a direct injection engine is just not feasible for motorcycle or tiny car. From the aprilla site about their 50cc engine they have only good things to say about direct injection. http://www.speed-sports.com/motorscooters/scooter_models/aprilia_scooters/ditech.html

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