Amphibious vehicle

An amphibious vehicle comprising:

• a sit-astride seat,
• a planing hull,
• at least four wheels, all of which are movable between an extended land mode location and a retracted water mode location, two of the wheels being front steerable wheels, which are, at least in the land mode of the vehicle, connected to handlebars which can be operated by a driver to steer the vehicle,
• an engine which in the land mode of the vehicle is connected to at least one of the wheels to drive the wheel,
• a speed change transmission giving the vehicle in forward motion on land a plurality of different gear ratios connected between the engine and the driven wheel(s), and a jet connected to the engine so as to be directly driven thereby to propel the vehicle on water.

An amphibious vehicle comprising:

• a sit-astride seat for a driver of the vehicle,
• a planing hull,
• at least four wheels, all of which are movable between an extended land mode location and a retracted water mode location, each being pivoted about an axis running fore and aft along the vehicle when moved between the land mode and the water mode locations thereof, two of the wheels being front steerable wheels, which are, at least in the land mode of the vehicle, connected to handlebars which can be operated by a driver to steer the vehicle,
• an engine which in the land mode of the vehicle is connected to at least one of the wheels to drive the wheel, and
• marine propulsion means to propel the vehicle on water

An amphibious vehicle comprising:

• a sit-astride seat,
• a planing hull,
• at least four wheels, each of which is movable between an extended land mode location and a retracted water mode location, two of the wheels being front steerable wheels, which are, at least in the land mode of the vehicle, connected to handlebars which can be operated by a driver to steer the vehicle,
• an engine which in the land mode of the vehicle is connected to at least one of the wheels to drive the wheel, and
• marine propulsion means to propel the vehicle on water, wherein:
• the planing hull is formed as a single component and the vehicle has one or more deck components all joined to the hull component along a join line which extends around an entire periphery of the vehicle at a level above a water line of the vehicle in water;
• and
• the or at least one of the deck components forms a majority of an upwardly facing surface of the vehicle and is demountable to allow access to the engine located there beneath.

An amphibious vehicle comprising:

• a sit-astride seat,
• a planing hull,
• at least four wheels, each of which is movable between an extended land mode location and a retracted water mode location, two of the wheels being front steerable wheels of the vehicle, which are, at least in the land mode of the vehicle, connected to handlebars which can be operated by a driver to steer the vehicle, an engine which in the land mode of the vehicle is connected to at least one wheel to drive the wheel, and
• marine propulsion means to propel the vehicle on water, wherein:
• the engine is mounted on a frame releasably connected to the hull, the vehicle also comprising a transmission connecting the engine to the driven wheel(s), at least part of the transmission also being mounted on the frame.

An amphibious vehicle comprising:

• a sit-astride seat,
• a vehicle body having a planing hull,
• at least four wheels, each of which is movable between an extended land mode location and a retracted water mode location, two of the wheels being steerable wheels, which are, at least in the land mode of the vehicle, connected to handlebars which can be operated by a driver to steer the vehicle,
• an engine which in the land mode of the vehicle is connected to at least one of the wheels to drive the wheel, and
• marine propulsion means to propel the vehicle on water, wherein:
• the vehicle body defines a pair of footwell areas spaced apart on both sides of the sit-astride seat with the vehicle body having sill portions positioned laterally outside the footwell areas.