Rear suspension for a two wheeled vehicle

• US 7,669,682 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Koesters, Brian R., Holroyd, James Arthur John, Chevalier, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris; Lesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scharich; Marc A
• Application Number:
  US11/624,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20080169149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 180/227, 180/309, 280/284, 280/285, 280/288
• US Class Current: 180/227
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/06 the frame being of single-beam type
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 19/12 having cast members
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/283 for cycles without a pedal crank, e.g. motorcycles

Abstract

A two-wheeled vehicle, a touring motorcycle, is disclosed. The touring motorcycle may include multiple fuel storage tanks arranged in a split side-by-side configuration. The touring motorcycle may include a rear suspension having a linkage which moves in a direction not parallel with a centerline plane of the motorcycle. The touring motorcycle may include a tip-over structure which prevents unwanted tip-over of the motorcycle.

Claims

1. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising

a front wheel;

a rear wheel generally positioned in line with the front wheel along a longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle;

a frame supported by the front wheel and the rear wheel;

a swingarm pivotably coupled to the frame and supported by the rear wheel;

a suspension system coupled to the swing arm and to the frame, the suspension system including a shock absorber and a linkage coupled to the shock absorber, the linkage comprising a first link coupled to the shock absorber and being freely pivotable relative to the frame, wherein the linkage moves in a plane which is transverse to the longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle.

2. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plane is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle.

3. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shock absorber is coupled to the swingarm and the frame in a generally vertical orientation.

4. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the linkage further comprises a second link being rotatably coupled to the first link and rotatably coupled to the swingarm, and the shock absorber being rotatably coupled to the first link and rotatably coupled to the swingarm.

5. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first link is rotatably coupled to the frame at a first pivot point and the first link includes a first arm extending in a first direction from the first pivot point and a second arm extending in a second direction from the first pivot point, the shock absorber being coupled to the first arm and the second link being coupled to the second arm.

6. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 5, wherein the plane is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle.

7. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the suspension system has a generally constant motion ratio through a travel of the suspension system from an extended state to a compressed state.

8. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 7, wherein the generally constant motion ratio is less than about 1.5.

9. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 7, wherein the generally constant motion ratio is about 0.5.

10. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1, wherein the swingarm and the suspension system are coupled to the frame in less than three locations.

11. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10, wherein the swingarm is coupled to the frame at a first location and the suspension system is coupled to the frame at a second location.

12. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising

a front wheel;

a rear wheel generally positioned in line with the front wheel along a longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle;

a frame supported by the front wheel and the rear wheel;

a swingarm pivotably coupled to the frame and supported by the rear wheel;

a suspension system coupled to the swing arm and to the frame, the suspension system including a shock absorber and a linkage coupled to the shock absorber, wherein the linkage moves in a plane which is transverse to the longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle;

a rear body member supported by the frame;

a cover coupled to the rear body member and moveable between an opened position and a closed position; and

a suspension adjuster coupled to the rear body member and accessible when the cover is in the opened position.

13. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 12, wherein the shock absorber is an air shock and the suspension adjuster includes an air line.

14. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 13, wherein the rear body member forms a portion of a storage compartment positioned laterally outward of the rear wheel and overlapping a portion of the rear wheel from a direction normal to the longitudinal plane.

15. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 12, wherein the rear body member forms a portion of a storage compartment, the suspension adjuster being coupled to the rear body member at a first location spaced apart from the portion of the storage compartment.

16. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 15, wherein the portion of the storage compartment is accessible when the cover is in the opened position and inaccessible when the cover is in the closed position.

17. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising

a front wheel;

a rear wheel generally positioned in line with the front wheel along a longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle;

a frame supported by the front wheel and the rear wheel;

an engine supported by the frame;

a swingarm pivotably coupled to the frame at a first location and supported by the rear wheel;

a suspension system comprising a shock absorber and a linkage coupled to the shock absorber, the suspension system being coupled to the frame at a second location, the second location being higher than the first location, the suspension system further coupled to the swingarm the suspension system including a shock absorber and a linkage coupled to the shock absorber;

the suspension system including

an exhaust system coupled to the engine, the exhaust system extending rearward from the engine towards the rear wheel and passing in front of the rear wheel from a first side of the two-wheeled vehicle to a second side of the two-wheeled vehicle at a location lower than the first location.

19. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 17, wherein the location is at least about 5 inches from the ground.

20. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 17, further comprising a straddle seat having an operator position, the operator seat having a height above a lower portion of the location of up to about 21.5 inches.

21. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 20, wherein the seat includes about 4 inches of padding.

22. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 20, wherein the lower portion of the location is at least about 5 inches from the ground.

23. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 22, wherein the suspension system includes a linkage which moves in a plane transverse to the longitudinal plane of the vehicle.

18. The two-wheeled vehicle of 17, wherein the exhaust system includes a cross-over section which passes in front of the rear wheel from the first side of the two-wheeled vehicle to the second side of the two-wheeled vehicle at a height lower than the first location, the cross-over section being in fluid communication with a first muffler located on the first side of the two-wheeled vehicle and a second muffler located on the second side of the two-wheeled vehicle.

24. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising

a front wheel;

a rear wheel;

a frame supported by the front wheel and the rear wheel;

a swingarm pivotably coupled to the frame and supported by the rear wheel;

a suspension system coupled to the swing arm and to the frame, the suspension system including shock absorber and a linkage coupled to the shock absorber, the shock absorber having an adjustable variable rate, wherein the linkage moves in a plane which is transverse to the longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle.

25. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 24, wherein the plane is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of the two-wheeled vehicle.

26. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 24, wherein the shock absorber is coupled to the swingarm and the frame in a generally vertical orientation.

27. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 24, wherein the linkage includes a first link and a second link, the first link being rotatably coupled to the frame, the second link being rotatably coupled to the first link and rotatably coupled to the swingarm, and the shock absorber being rotatably coupled to the first link and rotatably coupled to the swingarm.

28. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 27, wherein the first link is rotatably coupled to the frame at a first pivot point and the first link includes a first arm extending in a first direction from the first pivot point and a second arm extending in a second direction from the first pivot point, the shock absorber being coupled to the first arm and the second link being coupled to the second arm.

29. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 24, wherein the suspension system has a generally constant motion ratio through a travel of the suspension system from an extended state to a compressed state.

30. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 24, further including a suspension adjuster for adjusting the adjustable variable rate shock absorber.

31. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 30, wherein the shock absorber is an air shock and the suspension adjuster includes an air line.

32. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 31, further comprising a rear body member supported by the frame and a cover coupled to the rear body member and moveable between an opened position and a closed position.

33. he two-wheeled vehicle of claim 32, wherein the suspension adjuster is coupled to the rear body member and accessible when the cover is in the opened position.