Stabilized motor vehicle
AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasaki Watanabe, Hiroshi Shimoyama, Keiji Suzuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-wheeled motorcycle having a front body portion including a relatively low floor which carries a fuel tank and a battery which are located on a floor having footrests, and below a reference level tangential to the front and rear wheels at their upper edges. The fuel tank and battery are covered with an upper hood and a lower protective cover. With the relatively heavy fuel tank and battery being disposed at a relatively low level, the motorcycle is stabilized for improved maneuverability during driving and parking, and has a wide space available for driver's activity or storing baggage.
Claims7
A three-wheeled motor vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- said vehicle body comprising a front body member and a rear body member which are interconnected for limited relative angular movement;
- a front wheel rotatably supported on said front body member;
- a pair of laterally spaced rear wheels rotatably supported on said rear body member, there being defined a reference level tangential to said front and rear wheels at the upper edges thereof;
- a motor supported on said rear body member and positioned between and drivingly connected to said rear wheels;
- relatively heavy parts, including a fuel tank and a battery, mounted on said front body member;
- and
- said motor and said relatively heavy parts being positioned below said reference level.
A motor vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a front wheel rotatably supported on and located forwardly of said vehicle body;
- at least one rear wheel rotatably supported on and located rearwardly of said vehicle body, there being defined a reference level tangential to said front and rear wheels at the upper edges thereof;
- a motor carried on said body and adjacent to said rear wheel and drivingly connected to said rear wheel;
- a fuel tank mounted on said vehicle body at a position below said reference level;
- said body including a floor located below said reference level and having a pair of laterally spaced footrests and a casing disposed between said footrests for accommodating therein said fuel tank, said floor being disposed substantially in horizontal alignment with the axes of said front and rear wheels;
- said floor having an opening between said footrests;
- said casing comprising a trough-shaped cover located below said opening and fixed to said footrests and a hood located over said opening;
- said fuel tank being interposed between said cover and said hood through said opening;
- said floor having a flange jointly defining said opening and extending upwardly into said hood;
- and
- said flange jointly supporting said fuel tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.