Motorcycle

• US 6,142,123 A
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moto Assets Acquisition Corp.
• Original Assignee: Cannondale Bicycle Corporation (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Robison, Gary, Galasso, Mario M., D'Aluisio, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Henry C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US09/249,000
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 123/486, 123/478, 123/480, 123/406.12, 477/109, 477/111, 701/104, 701/102, D12/110
• US Class Current: 123/486
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/02 with engine between front and rear wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/02 for driving cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/16 Engines characterised by number of cylinders, e.g. single-cylinder engines F02B75/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 1/4214 specially adapted for four or more valves per cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 2001/245 the valve stems being orientated at an angle with the cylinder axis
• CPC Class Codes: F05C 2201/021 Aluminium

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a motorcycle or off-road use with an improved engine, air inlet, exhaust and engine control management. The engine is an improved four-stroke engine with a monocoque cylinder and crank case. The air inlet has been moved to the head tube of the motorcycle frame. The engine is reverse flow with the exhaust coming out the rear side and being shortened to less than about 50 inches. The engine control management has been modified to include an ignition interrupt, gear based ignition timing and after market tuning capabilities.

Claims

1. A four-stroke engine comprising:

a) only a single cylinder having a predetermined radius, centerline, a first end and a second end and an internal volume of between 250 cc and 700 cc;

b) a piston received within the cylinder having substantially the same radius and being able to substantially transverse within the cylinder from the first end to the second end; and

c) a cylinder head coupled to the cylinder at the first end to form a substantially closed volume with the piston, the cylinder head having at least one inlet with a corresponding inlet valve for introducing air and at least one fuel injector for injecting fuel into the closed volume and at least one outlet with a corresponding outlet valve for expelling exhaust products from the closed volume;

wherein the inlet is formed on a front side of the engine and the outlet is formed on a back side of the engine.

2. The four-stroke engine of claim 1, further comprising:

a) an electronic control management system electronically coupled to each fuel injector to control the amount and timing of the fuel injection into the closed volume and to an ignition coil and a spark plug for controlling the ignition within the closed volume by selectively igniting the air and fuel therein, the electronic control management system comprising;

(a) an air temperature sensor positioned for measuring air temperature flowing into a butterfly housing;

(b) an air pressure sensor positioned for measuring air pressure;

(c) a transmission sensor positioned within a transmission of the engine for determining which gear the transmission is in; and

(d) a programmed board for receiving input signals from the air temperature sensor, the air pressure sensor and the transmission sensor and providing control signals to the fuel injectors and ignition coil based on the input signals.

3. The four-stroke engine of claim 2 wherein the programmed board contains at least two different fuel injector control maps for providing control signals, the fuel injector control maps being selectable by a user.

4. The four-stroke engine of claim 3 wherein the electronic control management system further includes means for electronically coupling the programmed board to a computer such that the fuel injector control maps can be changed with the computer.

5. The four-stroke engine of claim 1, further comprising and exhaust pipe coupled to the outlet of the engine and extending in a substantially backwards direction therefrom for the entire length of the exhaust pipe.

6. The four-stroke engine of claim 5, wherein the exhaust pipe has an entire length of less than about 50 inches.

7. The four-stroke engine of claim 2, wherein the electronic control management includes an ignition interrupt, whereby the ignition within the control volume is stopped during gear changes.

8. The four-stroke engine of claim 7, wherein the electronic control management system includes a shift drum position sensor to provide a signal to the electronic control management when the user is changing gears.

9. The four-stroke engine of claim 2, wherein the engine has a plurality of gears and wherein the electronic control management is programmed to provide different ignition timing for each gear.

10. A four-stroke engine comprising:

d) only a single cylinder having a predetermined radius, centerline, a first end and a second end and an internal volume of between 250 cc and 700 cc;

e) a piston received within the cylinder having substantially the same radius and being able to substantially transverse within the cylinder from the first end to the second end;

f) a cylinder head coupled to the cylinder at the first end to form a substantially closed volume with the piston, the cylinder head having at least one inlet with a corresponding inlet valve for introducing air and fuel into the closed volume and at least one outlet with a corresponding outlet valve for expelling exhaust products from the closed volume; and

an exhaust pipe coupled to the outlet of the engine and extending in a substantially rearward and upward direction therefrom for the entire length of the exhaust pipe, and the entire length being less than about 45 inches;

wherein the inlet is formed on a front side of the engine and the outlet is formed on a back side of the engine.