JPH0361188A - Motorcycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce air resistance, in a motorcycle in which an engine is mounted between the front and rear wheels, by making the diameter of the front wheel smaller than that of the rear wheel, and positioning the steering handle nearly to the height of the top of the rear wheel, and also covering the front part with a cowl and a screen from the vicinity of the road surface in front of the front wheel to the upper part of the steering wheel. CONSTITUTION:The diameter of a front wheel Wf is set to be smaller than that of a rear wheel Wr, and the height of a steering handle H is aligned nearly to the height of the top of the rear wheel Wr. And, a screen S is provided to the front part of a cowl C for covering the vehicle, so that the front part can be covered with the screen S having a smooth curve ranging from the vicinity of the road surface in front of the front wheel Wf to the upper part of the steering handle H. By this constitution, the height and riding posture of a rider can be lowered, thus air resistance can be reduced.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] A1 Objective of the Invention (]) Industrial Field of Application The present invention comprises a vehicle body in which an engine is mounted between the front wheels and the rear wheels, and a screen is provided at a position in front of the handle of a cowl that covers the vehicle body. This invention relates to a motorcycle equipped with a

(2) Conventional technology Generally speaking, conventional motorcycles are
As described in Publication No. 3, a front wheel and a rear wheel of the same diameter are supported at the front and rear of a car body with an engine mounted in the center, and a wheel in front of the handlebar is placed at a relatively high position behind and above the front wheels. is covered with a cowl and screen, which reduce air resistance when riding and provide wind protection for the rider.

(3) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional motorcycle described above, the front wheel is exposed from the cowl, the front wheel and the rear wheel have the same diameter, and the handlebar is located at a relatively high position. Therefore, the vehicle height and rider's riding position become high, making it difficult to sufficiently reduce air resistance during running.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a motorcycle that can significantly reduce air resistance during running by lowering the vehicle height and the rider's riding position. do.

B9 Structure of the Invention (1) Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a vehicle body in which an engine is mounted between the front wheels and the rear wheels, and a cowl that covers the vehicle body has a handle in front of the handle. In a motorcycle provided with a screen at a position, the front wheel has a smaller diameter than the rear wheel, the handle is arranged at approximately the height of the upper end of the rear wheel, and
The vehicle is characterized in that the cowl and screen smoothly cover the area from the road surface in front of the front wheels to the top of the handlebar.

(2) Function According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, since the front wheel of the motorcycle is made smaller in diameter than the rear wheel, a space is formed above the front wheel, and this space is utilized. This makes it possible to arrange the handlebar at a low position that roughly corresponds to the upper end of the rear wheel. This lowers the vehicle height and tilts the rider's riding position forward significantly, reducing air resistance. Also,
By extending the cowl and screen from near the road surface in front of the front wheels to a position that covers the handlebars, the line from the cowl to the screen slopes significantly backwards and smoothly connects to the rider's head and back, resulting in air resistance. will be significantly reduced.

(3) Examples Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, and FIGS.
The figure is a perspective view thereof.

As shown in Figure 1, this motorcycle has a body frame F
A V-type water-cooled 4-cylinder engine E is installed in the center of the engine.
A rear wheel Wr having a larger diameter than f is supported.

The knuckle 1 that supports the front wheel Wf has a lower swing arm 2 whose rear end is pivoted to the vehicle body frame F so as to be able to swing vertically.
and is connected to the front end of the upper swing arm 3 via universal joints 4 and 5. The middle of the lower swing arm 2 and the vehicle body frame F are connected by a front damper 6 that suspends the front wheel Wf.

The handle H is pivoted to the front part of the vehicle body frame F so that its longitudinal position corresponds approximately to the rear end of the front wheel Wf, and its vertical position corresponds approximately to the upper end of the rear wheel Wr.

A rod 8 of a steering cylinder 7 provided between the fulcrums of the lower swing arm 2 and the upper swing arm 3 is connected to the knuckle 1, and the rod 8 of the steering cylinder 7 is connected to the knuckle 1 via hydraulic hoses 9a and 9b depending on the angle of the handle H. The front wheels Wf are steered by supplying pressure oil to the front wheels Wf.

At the rear end of the vehicle body frame F, a rear fork 10 that supports the rear wheel Wr is pivotally supported by a pin 11 so as to be able to swing vertically.
The middle of the rear fork 10 is connected to a link 13 at the other end of a rear damper 12 for rear wheel suspension whose one end is connected to the vehicle body frame F.
connected via. The engine E is mounted in the center of the vehicle body frame F with its cylinders 4a and 14b facing diagonally forward and diagonally backward, and a hydraulic pump 15 driven by the engine E is mounted at the rear of the engine E.
is installed. At the rear end of the rear fork 10 is a rear wheel W.
A hydraulic motor 16 directly connected to the hydraulic motor 6 is provided, and the hydraulic motor 6 and the hydraulic pump 15 are connected by two hydraulic hoses 17a and 17b.

V formed between cylinder 14a and Ldb of engine E
An air cleaner 18 is provided in the letter-shaped space, and a carburetor 19 installed at the bottom of the air cleaner 18 connects the front and rear cylinders 1.
4a and 14b. The exhaust pipe 20 connected to the front cylinder 14a curves downward from the front of the crankcase and extends to the lower part of the vehicle body frame F, and the exhaust pipe 20 connected to the rear cylinder 14b passes through the rear of the crankcase. The lower part of the rear fork 10 extends rearward. On both sides of the engine E, a pair of left and right radiators 21 are arranged in a V-shape in a plan view so that the rear side expands, and the radiators 21 and the cylinder 14a of the engine E
, 14b are connected by a cooling water pipe 22. A fuel tank 23 is disposed behind the rear cylinder 14b of the engine E, and a seat 24 is supported above the fuel tank 23.

Furthermore, as is clear from FIG. 2, a translucent screen S is provided at the front of a cowl C that covers the vehicle body. The front end of the screen S extends to a low position close to the road surface in front of the front wheels Wf, and the rear end extends to a low position close to the road surface in front of the front wheels Wf, and the rear end extends to a low position close to the road surface in front of the front wheels Wf.
It reaches the upper part of the instrument panel 25, which is disposed at the upper part of the vehicle, and is connected in the middle by a smooth curve that gently slopes toward the front.

A link 27 pivoted to the front end of the screen S by a pin 26 and a link 29 pivoted to the vehicle body side by a pin 28 are connected to each other by a pin 30, and the link 29 can be connected to a lift cylinder 31 and rotated. The front end of the screen S is driven up and down.

On the other hand, a link 33 pivoted to the rear end of the screen S with a pin 32 and a link 35 pivoted to the vehicle body side with a pin 34 are connected to the pin 3.
6, and by rotating the link 35 with a lift cylinder 37, the rear end of the screen S is driven up and down in the same way as described above. The lift amount at the rear of the screen S is set to be larger than the lift amount at the front, and the screen S tilts up to the position shown by the chain line in FIG. 2 when driving at high speed.

Furthermore, air intake ports 38 are formed on both sides of the cowl C to introduce cooling air into the radiators 21 provided on both sides of the engine E.

As is clear from FIG. 3, a transparent window 39 is formed at the rear of the cowl C, and a camera 40 is mounted inside the window 39 facing rearward. This camera 40 is connected to a liquid crystal monitor 42 provided on the instrument panel 25 by a lead wire 41 passing through the inside of the cowl C, and displays the rear view while the vehicle is running on the monitor 42. The instrument panel 25 also includes various instruments 4.
3, and an indicator lamp 44 consisting of a stop lamp and a direction indicator lamp is provided at the rear end of the cowl C.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention having the above-described configuration will be explained.

Pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump 15 driven by the engine is supplied from the hydraulic hose 17a to the hydraulic motor 16 to drive the rear wheel Wr, and the return oil is supplied from the hydraulic hose 17b.
and is returned to the hydraulic pump 15. The shock transmitted from the road surface to the front wheel Wf during driving is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the front damper 6 caused by the vertical swing of the lower swing arm 2, and the shock transmitted to the rear wheel Wr0 is absorbed by the vertical swing of the rear fork 10. It is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the rear damper 12 transmitted through the damper 13. The operation of the handle H is converted into hydraulic pressure and drives the steering cylinder 7, causing the knuckle 1 connected to the rotor 8 to rotate around the universal joints 4 and 5, thereby steering the front wheels Wf. During high-speed driving, a pair of lift cylinders 3 are used to reduce the wind pressure applied to the rider R.
137 is driven, and the screen S is tilted up to the position shown by the chain line in FIG. The rear view while riding is captured by a camera 40 mounted on the rear of the cowl C, and the image is displayed on a monitor 4 mounted on the instrument panel 25 in front of the rider R's head.
It is shown on 2. This eliminates the need for conventional bank mirrors, reducing air resistance and improving styling.

As is clear from FIG. 2, since the handlebar H of this motorcycle V is arranged at a low position, the posture of the rider R sitting on the seat 24 is strongly tilted forward, and the handlebar H and the front wheel Wf are in a forward position. The cowl C and screen S that cover the rider R extend from the head of the rider R to near the road surface at a gentle slope, so the vehicle body and the rider R form a smooth curve, which greatly reduces air resistance. be done.

4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view thereof. In this embodiment, members corresponding to those in the previous embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

The V air/water cooled 4-cylinder engine E of this embodiment has cylinder 14.
The cylinder 14a is mounted in the center of the vehicle body frame F so that the cylinder 14b faces forward and the cylinder 14b faces forward. Due to the layout of this engine E, the positions of the air cleaner 18 and carburetor 19 have been moved forward compared to the previous embodiment, and the position of the fuel tank 23 has also been moved forward to be formed between the seat 24 and the rear cylinder 14b. It is placed in a space where Furthermore, the radiator 21 is disposed on the side of the engine E as in the previous embodiment, but its upper part is tilted significantly backwards, and the cooling air introduced from the air intake port is directed downwards from the road. It passes through the radiator 21 in the direction. The exhaust pipe 20 extends from the lower surface of the seat 24 along the upper part of the rear wheel Wr, and opens at the rear end of the cowl C.

The steering device and suspension device for the front wheels WR are the same as those in the previous embodiment, but the front damper 6 connected to the lower swing arm 2 via a link 45 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. A vehicle height adjustment cylinder 46 is connected in series between the front damper 6 and the vehicle body frame 1. Further, the drive device and suspension device for the rear wheels Wr are the same as those in the previous embodiment, but another vehicle height adjustment cylinder 47 is connected in series between the rear damper 12 and the vehicle body frame 1.

The screen S is pivotally supported to the vehicle body by a hinge 48 at its front end, and connected at its rear end to a lift cylinder 49 disposed downwardly.

According to this second embodiment, by detecting the vehicle speed,
At low speeds, the vehicle height adjustment cylinders 46,47 contract to increase the vehicle height, and at high speeds, the vehicle height adjustment cylinders 46,47 extend to decrease the vehicle height, making it possible to further reduce air resistance. Furthermore, at high speeds, the lift cylinder 49 extends and the screen S tilts up around the hinge 48, reducing the wind pressure applied to the rider R.

6 and 7 show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 6 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof. Also in this example,
Components corresponding to those in the previous embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

The engine E in this embodiment is a horizontally opposed water-cooled four-cylinder engine, which is mounted so that its crankshaft faces in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the rear wheels Wr are driven by a well-known shaft drive. Further, the radiator 21 is arranged in front of the engine E, the air cleaner 18 and the fuel cylinder 23 are arranged above the engine E, and the exhaust pipe 20 is arranged in front of the engine E.
It opens at the rear end of the cowl C through the upper part of the cowl C.

The front wheel Wf is supported by the knuckle 1 which is pivotally supported by the lower swing arm 2 and the upper swing arm 3 as in the previous embodiment, but its steering is performed by a link 50 that connects the handle H and the knuckle 1 and is vertically extendable and retractable. It is done through.

Further, the rear wheel Wr is suspended by directly connecting the rear fork 10 and the vehicle body frame F with a rear damper 12.

The front end of the stay 51 fixed to the back surface of the screen S is pivotally supported to the front end of a guide rod 52 fixed to the vehicle body.
The rear end of a lift cylinder 53 slidably supported by the guide rod 52 is connected to the stay 51 via a link 54.

8 and 9 show a modification of the third embodiment described above. In this embodiment, the exhaust pipe 20 is opened at the bottom of the vehicle body, and the rear part of the cowl C is smoothly attached to the back of the rider R. It is characterized by a point formed by a curved line that connects to.

However, in the third embodiment and its modifications, when the lift cylinder 53 is moved forward along the guide rod 52 to pull the link 54, the screen S integrated with the stay 5■ tilts up and the rider The wind pressure applied to R is reduced.

Also, as in the previous embodiment, there is a handlebar H located at a low position, a cowl C connected to the head of the rider R, and a screen S.
The shape of the cowl C reduces air resistance, and in particular, according to the above modification, the rear shape of the cowl C also connects with the back of the rider R with a smooth curve, making it possible to further reduce air resistance.

10 and 11 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, and FIG.
The figure is also a perspective view. In this embodiment as well, members corresponding to those in the previous embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

The engine E in this embodiment is a type 4 water-cooled 4-cylinder engine, which is mounted in the center of the vehicle frame F in the same position as in the first embodiment, and the rear wheels Wr are driven by a well-known chain drive. .

Suspension of the front wheel Wf and rear wheel Wr is performed by the front damper 6 and the rear damper 12 as in the first embodiment. Further, the front wheel Wf is steered by swinging a lever 55 mechanically connected to the handle H7 and pushing or pulling the rod 8 connected to the knuckle l.

The screen S is pivotally supported by a hinge 48 at a position slightly rearward from the front end of the cowl C, and the rear end of the screen S is connected to a lift cylinder driven by a signal from a detector that detects the position of the rider R's head. 49.

A camera 40 is mounted on the rear upper surface of cowl C.
Its upper surface is covered with a cover 56 that is integrated with the cowl C. This camera 40 is connected to the instrument panel 25 via a lead wire 41.
It is connected to a monitor 42 provided at the.

According to this embodiment, the position of the rider R's head is detected, and when the rider R's head becomes low at high speed, the lift cylinder 49 is extended and the screen S is tilted up to the chain line position in FIG. When the rider R's head becomes higher at low speed 8, the lift cylinder 49 contracts and the screen S tilts down to the solid line position. Also in this embodiment, the height of the vehicle and the riding position of the rider R are lowered, and the shapes of the front portion of the cowl C and the screen S make it possible to reduce air resistance.

Further, as in the first embodiment, the rear view taken by the camera 40 mounted on the rear of the vehicle body is displayed on the monitor 42 provided on the instrument panel 25, and the rider R can check the rear view without using the conventional rearview mirror. be able to.

C1 Effect of the Invention According to the above-mentioned invention, by making the front wheel smaller in diameter than the rear wheel, a space is created above the front wheel, and this space is utilized to move the handlebar to a low position that roughly corresponds to the upper end of the rear wheel. It becomes possible to arrange it in a certain position.

The low-positioned handle allows the rider's riding posture to lean forward significantly, and the angle of inclination of the cowl and screen that cover the front of the vehicle increases, allowing them to smoothly connect to the rider's head and back. Air resistance is significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, and FIGS.
4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, FIG. 5 is a perspective view thereof, and FIGS. 6 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, FIG. 7 is a perspective view thereof, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are modifications of the third embodiment. 8 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, FIG. 9 is a perspective view thereof, FIGS. 10 and 11 are a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a side view of the motorcycle. FIG. 11 is an overall side view of the motorcycle, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view thereof. C...Cowl, E...Engine, I"...Handle, ...Screen, wr...Front wheel, Wr...Rear wheel

Claims (1)

[Claims] An engine (E) is located between the front wheels (Wf) and the rear wheels (Wr).
In this motorcycle, the front wheel (Wf) has a diameter smaller than that of the rear wheel (Wr), in which the front wheel (Wf) has a smaller diameter than the rear wheel (Wr). , the handle (H) is arranged approximately at the height of the upper end of the rear wheel (Wr), and the cowl (B) and the screen (
A motorcycle characterized in that the area from the vicinity of the road surface in front of the front wheel (Wf) to the upper part of the handlebar (H) is smoothly covered by S).