# US 2017/0282991 A1 · Rear portion structure of saddle-ride type vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0282991 A1 - Document ID: US20170282991A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/452,401 - Filed: 2017-03-07 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Koji MIZUTA; Jun HIROSE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170282991A1 ## CPC - B62J 6/04: Rear lights - B62J 1/00: Saddles or other seats for cycles; Arrangement thereof; Component parts - B62J 17/00: Weather guards for riders; Fairings or stream-lining parts not otherwise provided for - B62J 17/02: shielding only the rider's front - B62K 11/02: Frames (motorcycles or cycles with auxiliary engines characterised by position of engine B62M) - B62J: CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS - B62K: CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDECARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE ## Abstract One embodiment provides a rear portion structure of a saddle-ride type vehicle. The structure includes: seat frames inclined rearward and upward and supporting a riding seat; and a rear cowl having an upper cowl and a lower cowl. The upper cowl includes: a first cowl; and a second cowl which is connected to the first cowl and forms an opening upper edge portion of an opening for exposing a tail light. The lower cowl includes: a third cowl; and a fourth cowl which is connected to the third cowl and forms an opening lower edge portion of the opening. An approximately-U-shaped recessed portion is opened at a rear end of the third cowl. The fourth cowl forms the opening lower edge portion while covering the U-shaped recessed portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rear portion structure of a saddle-ride type vehicle (1) including: seat frames (2c) inclined rearward and upward toward a rear side of the vehicle and supporting a riding seat (7); a tail light (20) supported on rear ends of the seat frames (2c); and a rear cowl (10) having an upper cowl (10u) which covers upper surfaces of the seat frames (2c) disposed below a rear portion of the riding seat (7) and a lower cowl (10d) which covers lower surfaces of the seat frames (2c), wherein the upper cowl (10u) includes: a first cowl (11); and a second cowl (12) which is connected to a rear side of the first cowl (11) and forms an opening upper edge portion (10hu) of an opening (10h) through which the tail light (20) is exposed, wherein the lower cowl (10d) includes: a third cowl (13); and a fourth cowl (14) which is connected to a rear side of the third cowl (13) and forms an opening lower edge portion (10hd) of the opening (10h), wherein the first cowl (11) and the third cowl (13) are connected to each other by a vertical connecting portion (10b) which extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein a U-shaped recessed portion (13a) having an approximately U shape which is opened at a rear end (13re) thereof as viewed in a side view is formed on the third cowl (13) below the vertical connecting portion (10b), and wherein the fourth cowl (14) forms the opening lower edge portion (10hd) while covering the U-shaped recessed portion (13a) as viewed in a side view. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The structure of claim 1, wherein the second cowl (12) is formed in an edge shape such that the opening upper edge portion (10hu) follows an upper edge (20ue) of the tail light (20) in shape as viewed in a back view, wherein the first cowl (11) is configured such that the first cowl (11) extends toward left and right outer sides and downward from first cowl left and right inner end portions (11ie) disposed laterally outside of and adjacently to left and right ends of the second cowl (12) thus forming left and right outermost portions (11ue) as viewed in a back view, wherein the third cowl (13) is configured such that the third cowl (13) bulges laterally so as to be connected to the left and right outermost portions (11ue) from third cowl left and right inner end portions (13ie) disposed below and adjacently to the first cowl left and right inner end portions (11ie), and the U-shaped recessed portion (13a) expands in a vehicle width direction as the U-shaped recessed portion (13a) extends downward as viewed in a back view, and wherein the fourth cowl (14) is configured such that the fourth cowl (14) closes the U-shaped recessed portion (13a) while surrounding a lower edge (20de) and side edges (20se) of the tail light (20) as viewed in a back view. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The structure of claim 1, further including a license stay (30) which has a front end thereof supported by the seat frames (2c), extends toward a rear side of the vehicle while passing through a through portion (10dh) of the rear cowl (10), and supports a license plate (31) on a rear end thereof, wherein the third cowl (13) includes a third cowl connecting portion (13c) which extends in the vehicle width direction above the through portion (10dh) of the license stay (30) and has left and right portions thereof connected to each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The structure of claim 1, wherein the third cowl (13) includes a U-shaped recessed portion outer peripheral portion (13s) which is inclined toward an inner side from an outer side of the vehicle in a direction toward the U-shaped recessed portion (13a) on an outer periphery of the U-shaped recessed portion (13a) as viewed in a back view, and wherein the U-shaped recessed portion outer peripheral portion (13s) has a flat surface (13ss) continuously formed with the U-shaped recessed portion (13a) via a ridge (13su) which surrounds the U-shaped recessed portion (13a). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The structure of claim 4, wherein the fourth cowl (14) has a rear exposed portion (14r) having an approximately U shape which is positioned in the U-shaped recessed portion (13a), and is formed by left and right side wall portions (14rs) and a bottom portion (14rd) as viewed in a back view, and wherein a distance in a vehicle width direction between the left and right side wall portions (14rs) is decreased toward a rear side of the vehicle from a front side of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the upper cowl (10u) is formed in an approximately straight line shape where an upper cowl upper portion (10uu) extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle as viewed in a side view, wherein the lower cowl (10d) is formed in an approximately straight line shape where a lower cowl lower portion (10dd) extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a distance between the lower cowl lower portion (10dd) and the upper cowl upper portion (10uu) is decreased as the lower cowl lower portion (10dd) extends toward a rear side of the vehicle as viewed in a side view, and wherein a lens outer surface (20s) of the tail light (20) is disposed between the upper cowl upper portion (10uu) and the lower cowl lower portion (10dd), and an upper end (20su) of the lens outer surface (20s) is disposed downward behind a lower end (20sd) of the lens outer surface (20s) as viewed in a side view.