All wheel drive motorcycle with enhanced soft terrain capabilities
OwnerMartin E. Lawson, William E. Lawsoninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motorcycle includes a front wheel drive train that supplies power to a front wheel and a rear wheel drive train that supplies power to a rear wheel. The front wheel drive train is configured to drive the front wheel at a selected rate that is faster than a rate at which the rear wheel drive train drives the rear wheel. Driving the front wheel at the selected faster rate relative to the rear wheel provides enhanced steering capabilities in soft terrain, as the front wheel pulls the motorcycle in a direction that the front wheel is pointed.
Claims15
A front wheel drive train for a rear wheel drive motorcycle having a frame, a front wheel supported by the frame, a back wheel supported by the frame, a prime mover supported by the frame, the prime mover having an output shaft and a back wheel drive train coupled to the output shaft and to the back wheel wherein the back wheel drive train supplies power to the back wheel, the front wheel drive train comprising:
- a variable speed driver coupled to the front wheel wherein the driver is configured to provide power the front wheel such that a speed of rotation of the front wheel is in a range between about 5% less than a speed of rotation of the back wheel and about 8% faster than the speed of the back wheel;
- and
- a sensor sensing an angle of the front wheel relative to a direction of travel of the motorcycle, wherein the sensor provides a signal to the variable speed driver to manipulate the speed of rotation of the front wheel relative to the back wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.