Power unit of motorcycle

• US 6,405,821 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tsutsumikoshi, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner, Avraham H.
• Application Number:
  US09/866,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20010047901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 180/219, 180/227, 180/228, 180/230, 180/226, 180/291, 180/374
• US Class Current: 180/226
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/10 characterised by the engine being over or beside driven rear wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/1808 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2275/18 DOHC [Double overhead camshaft]
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/02 for driving cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/20 with cylinders all in one line
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 2001/245 the valve stems being orientated at an angle with the cylinder axis

Abstract

A power unit of the motorcycle is provided with an engine unit in which a counter shaft is pivoted to a rear portion in a casing of an engine body provided with a crankshaft disposed along a motorcycle body width direction and a bracket having a fitting hole extending rearward so as to pass through in the width direction is formed in a rear portion outside the casing, a transmission unit and a bevel unit which are pivoted in a manner to be independent from the engine unit. One side surface of a front portion of the transmission unit is fixed to one side surface of a rear portion of the casing in the engine unit so as to connect the counter shaft to the input shaft to be integrally rotatable, the same side surface of the rear portion in the transmission unit is fitted and fixed to one side surface of the bracket so as to fit and fix the bevel unit to another side surface of the bracket. Thus, the output shaft is connected to a bevel input shaft to be integrally rotatable.

Claims

1. A power unit of a motorcycle comprising:

an engine unit in which a counter shaft rotating, while interlocking with a crankshaft, is supported in parallel at a rear portion in a casing of an engine body provided with the crankshaft disposed along a width direction of a motorcycle body and a bracket portion having a fitting hole extending rearward so as to pass through in the width direction of the motorcycle body is formed in a rear portion outside the casing;

a transmission unit in which an input shaft and an output shaft are pivoted at front and rear portions in another casing different from the casing of the engine unit so as to constitute a transmission device; and

a bevel unit receiving a bevel input shaft disposed along the width direction of the motorcycle body, a bevel output shaft disposed along a longitudinal direction of the motorcycle body and a bevel gear which are all disposed in a further casing so as to take out an engine output rearward from the bevel output shaft,

wherein one side surface of a front portion, in the longitudinal direction of the motorcycle body, of the transmission unit is fixed to one side surface of a rear portion of the casing in the engine unit so as to connect the counter shaft to the input shaft to be integrally rotatable, a bearing boss of the output shaft is closely fitted to the fitting hole in the bracket portion with one side surface of the rear portion of the transmission unit being disposed adjacent to one side surface of the bracket portion of the engine unit, and the bearing boss of the bevel input shaft is closely fitted and fixed to the fitting hole of the bracket portion with the bevel unit being disposed adjacent to another side surface of the bracket portion so as to connect the output shaft to the bevel input shaft to be integrally rotatable.

2. A power unit of a motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the counter shaft receiving portion of the engine unit is arranged, in an offset manner, close to one side with respect to a center line of the motorcycle body in a plan view and the bracket portion is extended to a rear portion thereof so as to provide a plan shape of the engine unit to be a substantially L-shape and a plan shape of the transmission unit to be a substantially L-shape to thereby arrange the transmission unit on a side of the center line of the motorcycle body in the bracket portion so as to assemble substantially L-shaped portions of the engine unit and the transmission unit with each other to provide a substantially rectangular shape, and on the other hand, the bevel unit is arranged on a side opposite to the center line of the vehicle body in the bracket portion.

3. A power unit of a motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the bracket portion of the engine unit, the transmission unit and the bevel unit are fastened together by a fastening member disposed along the width direction of the motorcycle body.

4. A power unit of a motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the motorcycle body frame fixing portion of the power unit is formed to the bracket portion of the engine unit.

5. A power unit of a motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein said transmission device is a belt-type change gear device disposed in the another casing having a three-piece structure.

6. A power unit of a motorcycle according to claim 5, wherein said belt-type change gear device includes an input shaft supported in parallel to the crankshaft of the engine unit and the input shaft is operatively coupled with the bevel input shaft.