All terrain vehicle

An all terrain vehicle comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of front wheels suspended from a front portion of said frame defining a first transverse axis;
• a pair of rear wheels suspended from a rear portion of said frame defining a second transverse axis;
• a power unit mounted on said frame on a medial transverse axis located between the first and second transverse axes, said power unit being operatively coupled to at least one of said front and rear wheels to transmit power thereto;
• a seat constructed and arranged to be straddled by a rider, the seat being located between said front and rear pairs of wheels, wherein a main portion of said power unit is disposed beneath said seat and rearwardly of a front portion of said seat and a peripheral portion of the power unit is disposed forward of the front portion of said seat and below a horizontal plane defined by an uppermost portion of the seat;
• and
• an open area defined between the uppermost portion of the seat and a portion of the frame forward of the seat where the peripheral portion of the power unit is located,
• wherein a height of the open area is about ¼ to about ⅓ of a seat height measured as a distance between the horizontal plane of the seat and a plane defined by a foot rest on the vehicle.

An all terrain vehicle comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of front wheels suspended from a front portion of said frame defining a first transverse axis;
• a pair of rear wheels suspended from a rear portion of said frame defining a second transverse axis;
• a steering member connected to a steering mechanism for steering said front wheels;
• a seat located in between said front and rear pairs of wheels, the seat being constructed and arranged to be straddled by a rider;
• a power unit mounted on said frame and having a first portion thereof being disposed beneath said seat, the power unit being disposed at a medial transverse axis located between the first and second transverse axes, said power unit being operatively coupled to at least one of said front and rear pairs of wheels to transmit power thereto;
• a fuel tank located beneath said steering member;
• and
• an open area located between said fuel tank and said power unit, said open area facilitating access to and from said vehicle, a second portion of said power unit spanning at least a portion of a width of the open area.

An all terrain vehicle comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of front wheels suspended from a front portion of said frame defining a first transverse axis;
• a pair of rear wheels suspended from a rear portion of said frame defining a second transverse axis;
• a steering member connected to a steering mechanism for steering said front wheels;
• a seat located between said front and rear pairs of wheels, the seat being constructed and arranged to be straddled by a rider;
• a power unit mounted on said frame and having a main portion being disposed beneath said seat and a peripheral portion being disposed forward of the seat;
• a fuel tank located beneath said steering member;
• a transmission transmitting power from the power unit to at least one of said front and rear wheels;
• and
• an open area located above the peripheral portion of the power unit and between said fuel tank and said main portion of said power unit, said open area facilitating access to and from said vehicle.

An all terrain vehicle, comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of front wheels including first and second wheels suspended from a front portion of said frame, said first and second wheels defining a first transverse axis;
• a pair of rear wheels including third and fourth wheels suspended from a rear portion of said frame, said third and fourth wheels defining a second transverse axis;
• a power unit mounted on said frame at a medial transverse axis located between the first and second transverse axes;
• a transmission transmitting power from the power unit to at least one of said front and rear pairs of wheels;
• a seat located between said front and rear pairs of wheels, wherein a main portion of said power unit is located between said second transverse axis and the medial transverse axis, wherein a main portion of said fuel tank extends generally vertically and is disposed substantially below a horizontal plane defined by the uppermost portion of said seat;
• and
• an open area located above a peripheral portion of the power unit and between said fuel tank and said power unit, said open area facilitating access to and from said vehicle.

An all terrain vehicle comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of front wheels supported by a portion of the frame defining a first transverse axis;
• a pair of rear wheels supported by a portion of the frame defining a second transverse axis;
• a power unit mounted on the frame at a medial transverse axis located between the first and second transverse axes;
• and
• a transmission coupled between the power unit and at one of the front and rear wheels to transmit power from the power unit at least to one of the front and rear wheels;
• a seat mounted on the frame generally above the power unit, the seat being constructed and arranged to be straddled by a rider;
• a plurality of foot rests supported by the frame generally below the seat;
• a steering assembly supported by the frame and coupled to the front wheels to steer the vehicle, wherein an open area is defined between the seat and the steering assembly, the open area having a height less than a distance between the seat and the foot rests;
• and
• a gas tank supported by the frame and disposed between the steering assembly and the seat,
• wherein a portion of at least one of the power unit, and the transmission is disposed beneath the open area.

An all terrain vehicle comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of front wheels suspended from a front portion of said frame defining a first transverse axis;
• a pair of rear wheels suspended from a rear portion of said frame defining a second transverse axis;
• a power unit mounted on said frame on a medial transverse axis located between the first and second transverse axes, said power unit being operatively coupled to at least one of said front and rear wheels to transmit power thereto;
• a seat constructed and arranged to be straddled by a rider, the seat being located between said front and rear pairs of wheels, wherein a main portion of said power unit is disposed beneath said seat and rearwardly of a front portion of said seat and a peripheral portion of the power unit is disposed forward of the front portion of said seat and below a horizontal plane defined by an uppermost portion of the seat;
• and
• an open area defined between the uppermost portion of the seat and a portion of the frame forward of the seat where the peripheral portion of the power unit is located,
• wherein a lowermost portion of the open area is positioned lower than an uppermost portion of the pair of front wheels.

An all terrain vehicle comprising:

• a frame;
• a pair of front wheels suspended from a front portion of said frame defining a first transverse axis;
• a pair of rear wheels suspended from a rear portion of said frame defining a second transverse axis;
• a power unit mounted on said frame on a medial transverse axis located between the first and second transverse axes, said power unit being operatively coupled to at least one of said front and rear wheels to transmit power thereto;
• a seat constructed and arranged to be straddled by a rider, the seat being located between said front and rear pairs of wheels, wherein a main portion of said power unit is disposed beneath said seat and rearwardly of a front portion of said seat and a peripheral portion of the power unit is disposed forward of the front portion of said seat and below a horizontal plane defined by an uppermost portion of the seat;
• and
• an open area defined between the uppermost portion of the seat and a portion of the frame forward of the seat where the peripheral portion of the power unit is located,
• wherein a lowermost portion of the open area extends below an uppermost portion of the power unit.