Motorcycle

• US 4,799,569 A
• Filed: 08/21/1986
• Issued: 01/24/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Asakura, Toshimitsu, Hattori, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hill, Mitchell J.
• Application Number:
  US06/899,063
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 180/219, 180/225, 180/229, 180/68.1, 180/68.3, 280/9 H, 280/5 A, 280/281 B, 280/281 A
• US Class Current: 180/219
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 35/00 Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K ; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406

Abstract

A motorcycle carrying a fuel tank of large capacity on a body frame, wherein the fuel tank is hung down to a position sideward of an engine and is divided in its structure to have right and left side sections, at least one of the two sections of the fuel tank being made pivotable to provide an easy access to other equipments for maintenance.

Claims

1. A motorcycle comprising a body frame, an engine on the body frame and a fuel tank carried on and straddled over a main frame of the body frame, said main frame extending longitudinally of the body of the motorcycle, wherein said fuel tank is divided into left and right side sections which are hung down to a position sideward of a cylinder of the engine and a carburetor for the engine, said left and right side sections being connected together at upper parts thereof by hinge means such that at least one of the side sections is pivotable upwards around said hinge means.

2. A motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein said hinge means is located above said engine cylinder.

3. A motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein an air cleaner is provided upwardly and frontwardly of said fuel tank.

4. A motorcycle according to claim 3, wherein said air cleaner is straddled over said main frame.

5. A motorcycle according to claim 4, wherein said engine is of multicylinder type, said air cleaner has a cleaning chamber divided into left and right side parts on the main frame, and a plurality of carburetors leading to a plurality of cylinders of said engine are arranged to communicate with the left and right side parts of said cleaning chamber.

6. A motorcycle according to claim 3, wherein said engine is located below said air cleaner, and said carburetor is disposed at a vertically intermediate position between said engine and said air cleaner.

7. A motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein said hinge means is attached to separate frames welded to upper surfaces of said sections.

8. A motorcycle according to claim 4, wherein said engine is located below said air cleaner, and said carburetor is disposed at a vertically intermediate position between said engine and said air cleaner.

9. A motorcycle including a body frame having a main frame element extending longitudinally between a front wheel and a wheel thereof, an engine supported by said body frame beneath said main frame element, and a fuel tank carried by said body frame for operation with said engine, said fuel tank comprising:

a body having a generally bifurcate cross-sectional shape defining a support portion fixedly supported by said main frame element and oppositely spaced depending sections enclosing adjacent sides of said engine; and

hinge means connecting at least one of said depending sections to said support portion to enable pivotal movement of said at least one depending section about a substantially longitudinally extending axis to effect access to said engine.