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Bombardier is a weird company. It's one of those huge conglomerations that is in multiple lines of business, like some of the Japanese consortiums. This arti

by douche 10y ago

Bombardier is a weird company. It's one of those huge conglomerations that is in multiple lines of business, like some of the Japanese consortiums. This article mentions their aerospace and rail lines, which I wasn't even aware of; their more visible business, as far as I know, is in ATVs, snowmobiles, and jetskis.

maxerickson 10y ago
The sport vehicles division was spun out into an independent company that doesn't really use the Bombardier brand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Recreational_Products https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Recreational_Produc...
cybrjoe 10y ago
They also make karting and small aircraft engines under their Rotax brand.
dingaling 10y ago
The snowmobiles et al aren't part of Bombardier-proper any more, that part of the business was sold-off back in 2003 to focus on the 'core' of transportation systems. They're made by BRP now ( Bombardier Recreational Products, technically, though they can't use the name ) who seem to be doing fine. Bombardier is a running joke in Northern Ireland, where they bought Short Brothers[0] and shut-down a promising and well-advanced airliner project only to recognise that there was a market niche and launched the CRJ hastily streched from their Challenger business jet. And then a few years later, after selling over 1000 of them, discovered they owed per-hull royalties to Bill Lear ( of Learjet ) who held the rights to the original business jet design... Every few years they lay-off hundreds of Belfast workers, then receive a big order and hastily recruit agency-supplied contractors who have no idea how to assemble an aeroplane. Guess what.. by the time they're up to speed, it's time for another lay-off because business is soft again. [0] the industry-preferred partner for Shorts was Fokker, but uk.gov was interfering and preferred Bombardier
- sandworm101 10y ago
  And didn't they drop the bombardier name in favour of something more appealing to the US ATV/snowmachine market? Aren't they called BRP now?
dsjoerg 10y ago
Visible to who? I only know of them because I ride in subway cars they made. http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-services/rail-vehicles/metros.html http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-service... Nobody rides ATVs, snowmobiles and jetskis. Everyone rides the subway.
- douche 10y ago
  I've never ridden in a Bombardier subway car. I have driven a Bombardier snowmobile.
  - doobiedowner 10y ago
    I've done neither, but I have peed myself on a Bombardier made prop plane flying in turbulence.
    - wott 10y ago
      So now you have a goal in life: to try it on a snowmobile.
      - yongjik 10y ago
        ...Peeing in a Bombardier snowmobile flying in turbulence?
        Gravityloss 10y ago
        Lake ice with shallow snow dunes is great for a little snowmobile flight practice. If only the machines weren't so damn noisy. They are a real terror to the environment.
  - 67726e 10y ago
    Similarly, been on boats with Evinrude / Bombardier outboard. Never seen a Bombardier subway car.
koyote 10y ago
That is quite weird. I, on the other hand, did not know they made things other than public transport vehicles such as planes and trains. I'd say anyone who has travelled a modest amount on planes will have flown on one of their planes and most people will have used one of their trains if they've ever been to a large city (one might not realize that this is the case however).
tjr 10y ago
I've worked with people in their aerospace division on several occasions. I honestly didn't know they did anything besides aerospace... :-/

by douche 10y ago

maxerickson 10y ago

The sport vehicles division was spun out into an independent company that doesn't really use the Bombardier brand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Recreational_Products https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Recreational_Produc...

cybrjoe 10y ago

They also make karting and small aircraft engines under their Rotax brand.

dingaling 10y ago

The snowmobiles et al aren't part of Bombardier-proper any more, that part of the business was sold-off back in 2003 to focus on the 'core' of transportation systems. They're made by BRP now ( Bombardier Recreational Products, technically, though they can't use the name ) who seem to be doing fine. Bombardier is a running joke in Northern Ireland, where they bought Short Brothers[0] and shut-down a promising and well-advanced airliner project only to recognise that there was a market niche and launched the CRJ hastily streched from their Challenger business jet. And then a few years later, after selling over 1000 of them, discovered they owed per-hull royalties to Bill Lear ( of Learjet ) who held the rights to the original business jet design... Every few years they lay-off hundreds of Belfast workers, then receive a big order and hastily recruit agency-supplied contractors who have no idea how to assemble an aeroplane. Guess what.. by the time they're up to speed, it's time for another lay-off because business is soft again. [0] the industry-preferred partner for Shorts was Fokker, but uk.gov was interfering and preferred Bombardier

sandworm101 10y ago
And didn't they drop the bombardier name in favour of something more appealing to the US ATV/snowmachine market? Aren't they called BRP now?

dsjoerg 10y ago

Visible to who? I only know of them because I ride in subway cars they made. http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-services/rail-vehicles/metros.html http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-service... Nobody rides ATVs, snowmobiles and jetskis. Everyone rides the subway.

douche 10y ago
I've never ridden in a Bombardier subway car. I have driven a Bombardier snowmobile.
- doobiedowner 10y ago
  I've done neither, but I have peed myself on a Bombardier made prop plane flying in turbulence.
  - wott 10y ago
    So now you have a goal in life: to try it on a snowmobile.
    - yongjik 10y ago
      ...Peeing in a Bombardier snowmobile flying in turbulence?
      - Gravityloss 10y ago
        Lake ice with shallow snow dunes is great for a little snowmobile flight practice. If only the machines weren't so damn noisy. They are a real terror to the environment.
- 67726e 10y ago
  Similarly, been on boats with Evinrude / Bombardier outboard. Never seen a Bombardier subway car.

koyote 10y ago

That is quite weird. I, on the other hand, did not know they made things other than public transport vehicles such as planes and trains. I'd say anyone who has travelled a modest amount on planes will have flown on one of their planes and most people will have used one of their trains if they've ever been to a large city (one might not realize that this is the case however).

tjr 10y ago

I've worked with people in their aerospace division on several occasions. I honestly didn't know they did anything besides aerospace... :-/