Straddle-type vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9297300-B2
Application number	US-46695609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2009
Priority date	Nov 15, 2006
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle body frame has a head pipe, a main frame, a down frame, and a lower frame. The main frame extends downward to the rear from the head pipe. The down frame extends downward to the rear from the head pipe in a position below the main frame. The lower frame connects an end of the down frame to an end of the main frame. An engine of the vehicle has a crankshaft, a crankcase, and a cylinder member. The crankshaft is housed in the crankcase. The cylinder member is attached to the crankcase. A cylinder is formed inside the cylinder member. An axis of the cylinder extends upward obliquely to the rear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle a rider straddles comprising:
a body frame having a head pipe, a main frame extending downward to a rear of the vehicle from the head pipe, a down frame extending downward to the rear from the head pipe in a position below the main frame, and a lower frame connecting an end of the down frame with an end of the main frame;
a steering shaft rotatably inserted in the head pipe;
a front fork attached to the steering shaft;
a front wheel rotatably attached to the front fork;
an engine having a crankshaft, a crankcase housing the crankshaft, a piston, and a cylinder member attached to the crankcase and having formed therein a cylinder with an axis extending upward obliquely to the rear, the cylinder having an innermost radius so as to form an aperture in the cylinder to house the piston, the axis of the cylinder being located in front of a straight line that intersects an axis of the crankshaft and is parallel to the axis of the cylinder;
a first support plate for fixing the crankcase and the lower frame to each other; and
a second support plate for fixing the cylinder member and the main frame to each other,
wherein both of at least a portion of the first support plate and at least a portion of the second support plate are located in an area corresponding to an extension of the cylinder in a side view, outermost edges of the extension each being both
disposed a distance, that is equal to said innermost radius, away from said axis of the cylinder, and
parallel to said axis of the cylinder.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , the cylinder member including:
a cylinder body in which the cylinder is formed, and
a cylinder head mounted on top of the cylinder body,
wherein the engine is fixed to the main frame with the cylinder head via the second support plate.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an attachment, at least a portion of which is located in front of the cylinder, formed in the cylinder member,
wherein the second support plate fixes the attachment and the main frame to each other so as to fix the cylinder member and the main frame to each other.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein
a cam chain chamber disposed laterally in a vehicle width direction with respect to the cylinder is formed in the cylinder member, and
at least a portion of the attachment is located in front of the cam chain chamber.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the body frame has another frame disposed above the main frame and connected to the head pipe and a middle portion of the main frame, and the cylinder member is fixed to a connection of the main frame with the another frame.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the engine further has an intake pipe attached to a front side of the cylinder member and extending obliquely upward from the cylinder member, and the cylinder member has an attachment formed lower than the intake pipe,
the second support plate fixing the attachment and the main frame to each other so as to fix the cylinder member and the main frame to each other.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rear arm swingably connected to the main frame; and
a rear wheel rotatably attached to the rear arm.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the head pipe has a cylindrical portion and a body section,
the main frame includes left and right unitary members, the left and right unitary members are each a single integral unit, each of the left and right unitary members being connected at a front end thereof to the head pipe and extending downward and to the rear from the head pipe,
the body frame further including a linking frame connecting the left and right unitary members to the body section of the head pipe at a position below the cylindrical portion of the head pipe,
the second support plate includes at least one support plate which is at least one of formed on or connected to the linking frame, for connecting the engine to the body frame,
the body section of the head pipe does not surround an uppermost part of the down frame.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the left and right unitary members each curves outward from the head pipe in a vehicle width direction.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the linking frame is formed in approximately a U-shape.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein a left arm of the linking frame is connected to the left unitary member and a right arm of the linking frame is connected to the right unitary member.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein a substantially central portion of the linking frame is connected to the body section of the head pipe.

13. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the main frame, the down frame, the lower frame and the linking frame form a loop shape in a side view.

14. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the linking frame includes a portion in contact with the body section of the head pipe.

15. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the body section of the head pipe does not surround any part of the down frame.

16. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein a connection of the left and right unitary members to the head pipe is further forward than a connection of the linking frame to the body section.

17. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein every cylinder of the engine extends upward obliquely to the rear.

18. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein both a portion of the first support plate, and a portion, which is directly connected to the main frame, of the second support plate are located in the area corresponding to the extension of the cylinder in a side view.

Assignees

• Miyashiro Shidehiko
• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miyashiro Shidehiko

Classifications

• B62K19/32

  Steering heads (bearings therefor B62K21/06) · CPC title

• F02B61/02 Primary

  for driving cycles · CPC title

• B62K11/04

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

• F02F7/0019

  Cylinders and crankshaft not in one plane (deaxation) · CPC title

• Y10T74/13

  Machine starters · CPC title