Body cover structure for straddle type vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016264201-A1
Application number	US-201615009089-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an off road vehicle having a cradle type vehicle body frame, an electrical component is arranged forwardly of rider's legs. A vehicle body frame includes a head pipe, a main frame, a pivot frame, a down frame and a lower frame so as to be formed in a cradle of a closed loop shape in a side view. An engine is supported inside the cradle, and a fuel tank is arranged above the cradle. A vehicle body cover for covering the engine and the fuel tank includes a tank shroud, a side cover and an under cover. A portion of the side cover swells laterally and has an apex located within the cradle on the lateral side of a cylinder section. A fuel pump or an ABS unit as a heavy electrical component is arranged on the inside of the apex.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle comprising:
a cradle type vehicle body frame that includes a head pipe, left and right main frames extending rearwardly from the head pipe, left and right pivot frames, which are connected to rear parts of the main frames and extend downwardly so as to be provided with a pivot shaft, a down frame extending downwardly from the head pipe, and left and right lower frames, which are connected to a lower part of the down frame and extend rearwardly so as to be connected to lower parts of the pivot frames; an engine supported below the main frames and in front of the pivot frames; a fuel tank supported on the left and right main frames above the engine; a seat supported at the rear of the fuel tank; and a vehicle body cover for covering a lateral part of the vehicle body; wherein the body cover includes left and right tank shroud sections that are arranged so as to extend forwardly from the fuel tank so as to take in traveling air to cool the engine, and a side cover section, which is provided with a swelling portion swelling laterally beyond the tank shroud sections below the fuel tank so as to cover at least a part of the lower frames in a swelling fashion and has an apex of the swelling portion located in a cradle of the vehicle body frame in a side view; and wherein an exhaust pipe and an electrical component are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the vehicle body in an inside space of the swelling portion.

2 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a radiator, which is arranged at least on the same side of the electrical component within the left and right tank shroud sections, wherein the engine includes a cylinder section and a crankcase section extending outwardly in the left and right directions below the cylinder section, and wherein the apex is located on a lateral side of the cylinder section and at the rear of the radiator, and an air outlet port is formed in either one or both of the left and right tank shroud sections and the side cover section and located at the rear of the radiator on the upper side of the apex.

3 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the side cover section is arranged at the rear of the tank shroud section so as to cover the main frames and the cylinder section from lateral sides and provided with the apex, and an under cover section is connected to a front part of the side cover section and a lower part of the tank shroud section, and wherein the tank shroud section, the side cover section and the under cover section are formed as separate components from each other.

4 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the electrical component is a fuel pump arranged on an outside of the fuel tank, and fuel piping is arranged between the fuel pump and the fuel tank, and wherein the under cover section is configured to cover a front part of the lower frame and at least a portion of a lateral part of the fuel tank in a side view.

5 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the fuel pump is a cylindrical member having an upper end surface connected to the fuel piping for feeding fuel, and is arranged so as to be inclined such that an upper end portion is located on an inward side of the vehicle body and a lower end portion is located on an outward side of the vehicle body.

6 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the fuel pump is a cylindrical member having the upper end surface connected to fuel discharge piping for discharging the fuel to a fuel injection device, and is arranged such that on the lateral side of the cylinder section, the upper end portion is located toward the rear of the vehicle body and the lower end portion is located toward the front of the vehicle body, and the fuel injection device is arranged at the rear of the cylinder section so as to inject the fuel into an intake port which is provided on a back side of the cylinder section.

7 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical component is an ABS unit that controls a brake for a front wheel and a rear wheel.

8 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the side cover section is arranged at the rear of the tank shroud section so as to cover the main frames and the cylinder section from lateral sides and provided with the apex, and an under cover section is connected to a front part of the side cover section and a lower part of the tank shroud section, and wherein the tank shroud section, the side cover section and the under cover section are formed as separate components from each other.

9 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the electrical component is a fuel pump arranged on an outside of the fuel tank, and fuel piping is arranged between the fuel pump and the fuel tank, and wherein the under cover section is configured to cover a front part of the lower frame and at least a portion of a lateral part of the fuel tank in a side view.

10 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the fuel pump is a cylindrical member having an upper end surface connected to the fuel piping for feeding fuel, and is arranged so as to be inclined such that an upper end portion is located on an inward side of the vehicle body and a lower end portion is located on an outward side of the vehicle body.

11 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the fuel pump is a cylindrical member having the upper end surface connected to fuel discharge piping for discharging the fuel to a fuel injection device, and is arranged such that on the lateral side of the cylinder section, the upper end portion is located toward the rear of the vehicle body and the lower end portion is located toward the front of the vehicle body, and the fuel injection device is arranged at the rear of the cylinder section so as to inject the fuel into an intake port which is provided on a back side of the cylinder section.

12 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical component is an ABS unit that controls a brake for a front wheel and a rear wheel.

13 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the electrical component is an ABS unit that controls a brake for a front wheel and a rear wheel.

14 . The body cover structure of a straddle type vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the electrical component is an ABS unit that controls a brake for a front wheel and a rear wheel.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inomata Osami
• Miwa Koji

Classifications

• B62J35/00

  Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof (fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K {; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406}) · CPC title

• F02M51/04

  Pumps peculiar thereto · CPC title

• B62J37/00 Primary

  Arrangements of fuel supply lines, taps, or the like, on motor cycles or engine-assisted cycles · CPC title

• B60T8/176

  Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel slip during vehicle deceleration, e.g. ABS (B60T8/1755 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62K11/04

  characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels · CPC title