Snow Goer January 2026 | Page 43

Inside Rotax: DAVID MONFETTE

David Monfette, director of engineering at Rotax, started at BRP as an intern in 2006. It was such a good fit that BRP hired him in 2008 and promoted him to Ski-Doo project manager in 2012 and then to project manager of two-stroke development for the 850 / 600 / 600RS and 850Turbo engines. He became director of engineering in 2019. Monfette provided his insights into what makes the Rotax and BRP relationship a success, both through technology and mutual vision.

THE EVOLUTION OF SHOT One of Monfette’ s proudest Rotax innovations is the Start Hot( SHOT) technology, which began with a vision of starting a two-stroke engine without a battery or a starter. It took some time: Monfette says a few concepts didn’ t meet Rotax quality standards or expectations. It was a large undertaking to reconfigure the generator to not only produce enough electricity to power the machine, but to also charge an ultracapacitor to then discharge with enough juice to pass top dead center. Without reconfiguring, the engine wouldn’ t have enough power to reach more than 6,000 RPM while in generation mode – switching between true TQ generation vs electric generation. Beyond going past top dead center, the air in the cylinder must be fresh and full enough to spark a full charge.

THINKING AHEAD ON THE 850 Rotax built its 850cc engine with the thought that it would someday host a turbocharger. Monfette says even its early designs included a ring carrier piston, a one-piece crankshaft and a high focus on proper oiling – foundations that needed critical attention during the engine’ s development.

ONE DROP AT A TIME Everything that comes out of Rotax aims to be efficient and scrutinized, including oil and fuel mapping. Rotax aims for oil and fuel consumption to be as low as possible while safely operating the engine. Even the turbo engine is oiled in a series of single drops, which pass through the turbo then into the exhaust valve, to determine the precise amount of oil needed.

David Monfette, left, narrates a demonstration of the Rotax cold room.

FRIENDLY PARTNERSHIP The snow teams at BRP and Rotax maintain a tight relationship and combine knowledge to develop new technology – particularly when tweaking fuel delivery systems. Monfette points to the water injection on the MXZ Comp package setup. They knew they needed water injection to ensure piston durability during a long pull on a lake. While water injection was a known technology, the two teams worked together to set up a complex piston temp model.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION The Rotax facility is one of several engine and parts manufacturers in the surrounding area, including piston manufacturers, turbo tech creators, auto manufacturers and more. This allows for the sharing of information and tech culture locally and across the border in Germany.

The other benefit, Monfette says, is the ability to find knowledgeable employees locally. Rotax employees, he says, are highly skilled, driven, innovative, passionate people who leave no details unturned. The strength of the whole development headquarters is that all stakeholders are on site. The different buildings hold departments such as design, quality control, global sourcing and production. If an issue arises, players can gather quickly to problem-solve.

1970 1980 1990 2000 2020

JANUARY 2026 / SNOWGOER. COM / 43