| Title of Invention | STRADDLE TYPE VEHICLE |
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| Abstract | A motorcycle includes an engine, an undercover, an exhaust system, and a bracket. The undercover covers the engine from the lateral directions, and an exhaust pipe included in the exhaust system extends to a vehicle-body rear portion from the engine on the inner side of the undercover. The bracket includes mount holes to be mounted to a main frame, an exhaust-system support portion for mounting the exhaust pipe, and a cover support portion for mounting the undercover. |
| Full Text | STRADDLE-TYPE VEHICLE This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-341406 filed on December 28, 2007. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a straddle-type vehicle, and more specifically to a supporting structure for an exhaust system including, for example, an exhaust pipe and a muffler, and a vehicle body cover that covers a vehicle body. 2. Description of the Related Art There have been proposed related motorcycles each including an exhaust system configured to include, for example, an exhaust pipe and a muffler connected to an engine, and a vehicle body cover that covers a portion of the exhaust system. For example, in a motorcycle disclosed in JP-A-2003-48591, an exhaust pipe connected to a front face of an engine is provided to extend to a vehicle-body rear portion by way of a portion below the engine, and a portion of the exhaust pipe located below the engine is covered by a vehicle body cover (lower cowl in JP-A-2003-48591) . In such a vehicle, a clearance has to be provided between the exhaust system and the vehicle body cover to discharge hot air caused by the exhaust system. In the motorcycle disclosed in JP-A-2003-48591, an air inlet for introducing air between the exhaust system and the lower cowl is provided on a front face of the lower cowl, thereby to improve the heat radiation effect of the exhaust system. However, generally, in the conventional motorcycles such as the ones described above, an exhaust system and a vehicle body cover have been separately mounted to, for example, a vehicle body frame. Hence, there have been cases in which manufacturing errors occur concerning the mounting positions of, for example, the exhaust system and the vehicle body cover, therefore making it difficult to secure a sufficient clearance between the exhaust system and the vehicle body cover. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a straddle-type vehicle which enables a clearance between an exhaust system and a vehicle body cover covering a vehicle body to be secured. In order to achieve the above-described object, a straddle-type vehicle according to the present invention includes an engine; a vehicle body cover that covers a vehicle body from lateral directions; and an exhaust system that includes an exhaust pipe extending to a vehicle-body rear portion from the engine on an inner side of the vehicle body cover and that discharges an exhaust gas emitted from the engine to the vehicle-body rear side. The straddle-type vehicle includes a bracket, and the bracket includes at least a mount portion to be mounted to the vehicle body, an exhaust-system support portion for mounting the exhaust system, and a cover support portion for mounting the vehicle body cover. According to the present invention, the exhaust system and the vehicle body cover are both supported by the single bracket. Hence, compared to the case where the exhaust system and the vehicle body cover are separately supported, the probability that the clearance between the exhaust system and the vehicle body cover is narrowed due to manufacturing errors can be reduced. The straddle-type vehicle is a vehicle that allows a rider to take a seat by straddling the seat, and is any one of, for example, motorcycles (including motor scooters) and four-wheel baggies. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion where an exhaust pipe is supported in the motorcycle; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portion where the exhaust pipe is supported in the motorcycle; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a kick pedal; FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line V-V shown in FIG. 2; and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a main frame, a bracket, and a stopper. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle 1 shown as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion in which an exhaust pipe 41 is supported in the motorcycle 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portion shown in FIG. 2. As described below, the motorcycle 1 includes a kick pedal 50 that is used to start an engine 2. FIGS. 1 and 3, respectively, show the kick pedal 50 set to a position before the kick pedal 50 is kicked down by a rider; and FIG. 2 shows the kick pedal 50 set to a position after the kick pedal 50 has been kicked down by the rider. With reference to FIG. 1, the motorcycle 1 includes, in addition to the kick pedal 50, the engine 2, a front wheel 3, a rear wheel 4, a vehicle body frame 20, a vehicle body cover 30, and an exhaust system 40. The vehicle body frame 20 includes a head pipe 21 and a main frame 22. The exhaust system 40 includes a muffler 42 in addition to the exhaust pipe 41. The head pipe 21 is provided to a front end of the vehicle body frame 20, and rotatably supports a steering shaft (not shown) inserted into an inner side thereof. The steering shaft is operatively connected to a front fork 5 by way of an upper bracket 6 and an under bracket 7 which are arranged vertically. The front wheel 3 is disposed between leg portions of the front fork 5. The upper bracket 6 is operatively connected to a handle bar 8 disposed thereabove. The handle bar 8 pivotally rotates leftward and rightward about the steering shaft together with the front fork 5 and the front wheel 3. A front end of the main frame 22 is connected to the head pipe 21. The main frame 22 includes a curved portion 22a placed behind the engine 2. The main frame 22 is formed to extend from the head pipe 21 in an obliguely downward direction towards the vehicle-body rear portion, then to be curved downward at the curved portion 22a, and then to further extend downward. A pair of left and right-hand main frames 22 are provided, but FIG. 1 shows only the right main frame 22, which is located on the right-hand side with respect to the travel direction of the vehicle. The engine 2 is disposed below the main frame 22 and is supported by the main frame 22. The rear wheel 4 is disposed behind the engine 2. Drive forces output from the engine 2 are transmitted to the rear wheel 4 via, for example, a chain or a belt (not shown) . A seat 12 on which the rider is seated in a straddling manner is disposed above the rear wheel 4. The rear wheel 4 is supported by a rear end of a rear arm 9. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the main frame 22 includes a rear extensional portion 22b, and the rear extensional portion 22b extends downward behind a crankcase 2a of the engine 2. A pivot support hole 22c is formed in the rear extensional portion 22b, and the pivot support hole 22c supports a pivot shaft 11. The front end of the rear arm 9 is supported by the pivot shaft 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the engine 2 includes the crankcase 2a located below the engine 2, a cylinder block 2b provided above the crankcase 2a, and a cylinder head 2c provided above the cylinder block 2b. A crankshaft 2d is disposed in the interior of the crankcase 2a. An exhaust path (not shown) for discharging exhaust gases generated by driving of the engine 2 is formed in the interior of the cylinder head 2c. A front end of an exhaust pipe 41 is connected to the exhaust path. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear extensional portion 22b of the main frame 22 includes an engine support portion 22d in a position below the pivot support hole 22c, and a rear end of the crankcase 2a is mounted to the engine support portion 22d. As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, the kick pedal 50 is provided behind the crankcase 2a. The engine 2 is started by the kick pedal 50 pivotally rotating about a pedal axle 51 provided in the crankcase 2a. More specifically, components, such as a main shaft (not shown) , to which a rotation of the crankshaft 2d is transmitted therefrom, and a counter shaft (not shown), to which a rotation of the main shaft is transmitted therefrom, are disposed in the interior of the crankcase 2a, and the pedal axle 51 is provided to be operable in association with these shafts. A base portion of the kick pedal 50 is operatively connected to the pedal axle 51. The kick pedal 50 moves from a position above the pedal axle 51 (hereinafter referred to as "before- operation position" (see FIG. 3)) to a position below the pedal axle 51 (hereinafter referred to as "after- operation position" (see FIG. 2)) about the pedal axle 51. In this movement, the kick pedal 50 rotates the pedal axle 51, thereby to start the engine 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the kick pedal 50. In this figure, the kick pedal 50 in the after-operation position is shown. The kick pedal 50 includes an arm 52 and a rod 53. The arm 52 is located in the base portion of the kick pedal 50, and is fitted onto the pedal axle 51, therefore integrally moving with the pedal axle 51. The arm 52 includes an axial portion 52b in a position spaced apart from the pedal axle 51. A base portion 53a of the rod 53 is operatively connected to the axial portion 52b so that it can rotate relative to the axial portion 52b. The rod 53 extends along the radial direction of the axial portion 52, and then curves substantially at a right angle to further extend. A pedal portion 53b that is stepped by the rider when the kick pedal 50 is used is formed at a leading end of the rod 53. The rod 53 can be disposed along a sidewall of the crankcase 2a by being pivotally rotated about the axial portion 52b. A projecting portion 52a protruding along the radial direction of the pedal axle 51 is formed to the arm 52. Further, a stopper 2 9 is mounted to a rear end (lower end) of the main frame 22 (see FIG. 3). In addition, a projecting portion 29a projecting upward is formed to the stopper 29. In the event of the rotation of the kick pedal 50 from the before-operation position to the after- operation position, the projecting portion 52a of the arm 52 contacts with the projecting portion 29a of the stopper 29, thereby to regulate the rotation of the kick pedal 50. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body cover 30 includes an undercover 31 and a side cover 32. The undercover 31 covers the crankcase 2a from the lateral directions. More specifically, the undercover 31 covers a front portion of the crankcase 2a from the lateral directions. The undercover 31 has a substantially rectangular shape in the side view thereof, and a lower edge 31a thereof is located further downward than a lower face 2g of the crankcase 2a (see FIG. 2). An upper edge 31b of the undercover 31 extends in an obliquely upward direction along an upper face 2h of the crankcase 2a, and an end portion 31c thereof is located behind the cylinder block 2b. As shown in FIG. 2, a mount portion 31e is formed on the upper edge 31b of the undercover 31. The mount portion 31e is mounted on a stay 33 mounted on the upper face 2h of the crankcase 2a. A pair of left and right undercovers 31 are provided, and are respectively disposed on the right and left sides of the crankcase 2a. FIGS. 1 to 3 show only the undercover 31 disposed on the right-hand side with respect to the vehicle travel direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the side cover 32 covers the cylinder block 2b and the cylinder head 2c from the lateral directions. The side cover 32 is provided to extend in an obliquely frontward direction from the upper edge 31b of the undercover 31, and a front end 32a of the side cover 32 is located in front of the front fork 5. The exhaust pipe 41 extends in an obliquely downward direction towards the vehicle-body rear portion on the inner sides of the side cover 32 and the undercover 31 (central side in the vehicle width direction). The exhaust system 40 is a system that discharges exhaust gases generated in association with the driving of the engine 2 to the rear of the vehicle body, and, as described above, includes the muffler 42 in addition to the exhaust pipe 41. FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line V-V shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust pipe 41 includes a sloped portion 41a, and a rear extensional portion 41b that is continuous to the sloped portion 41a. An upper end of the sloped portion 41a is connected to the front face of the cylinder head 2c, and the sloped portion 41a extends in the obliquely downward direction in front of the cylinder block 2b. The exhaust pipe 41 is bent in a lower portion of a front portion of the crankcase 2a. The rear extensional portion 41b extends to the vehicle-body rear side in a lower portion of the crankcase 2a and on the inner side of the undercover 31 (central side in the vehicle width direction) (see FIG. 1, 2, or 5). Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower edge 31a of the undercover 31 is located on a lateral side of the rear extensional portion 41b, and a clearance is provided between the rear extensional portion 41b and the lower edge 31a of the undercover 31. The undercover 31 includes a sidewall portion 31d located on the lateral side of a lower portion of the crankcase 2a. The sidewall portion 31d is extended downward on the lateral side of the crankcase 2a, and is sloped towards the central side in the vehicle width direction. Then, the sidewall portion 31d is curved in a curved portion 31g to the outer side, and is further extended therefrom. As shown in FIG. 1, a rear end 41c of the exhaust pipe 41 is accommodated in the muffler 42. The interior of the muffler 42 is segmented into multiple expansion chambers. Exhaust gases from the engine 2 are discharged from the rear end 41c of the exhaust pipe 41 into the interior of the muffler 42, then are progressively expanded, and then are emitted to the outside from the rear end of the muffler 42. The exhaust pipe 41 and the undercover 31 are supported by the vehicle body frame 20. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 or 3, a plate-like bracket 28 is mounted to a sidewall of the rear extensional portion 22b of the main frame 22. The exhaust pipe 41 and the undercover 31 are mounted on the bracket 28, thereby being supported by the main frame 22. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the main frame 22 and the bracket 28. In this figure, also the stopper 29 for regulating the rotation of the kick pedal 50 is shown. As shown in FIG. 6, the bracket 28 is a plate-like member lengthy in the front^rear direction, and includes an exhaust-system support portion 28a on a rear side thereof for mounting the exhaust pipe 41, and a cover support portion 28b on a front side thereof for mounting the undercover 31. The exhaust-system support portion 28a and the cover support portion 28b are molded integrally. More specifically, the bracket 28 is a single member, which is continuous from the front end to the rear end, and the entirety thereof is molded by, for example, die cutting or press forming. The bracket 28 and the stopper 29 are mounted on the main frame 22 with removable fasteners. More specifically, the bracket 28 and the stopper 29 are mounted with common bolts 4 6 and 4 6 to the main frame 22 (see FIG. 2). More specifically, multiple (two, in the present example) mounting holes 22e and 22e are formed below the engine support portion 22d of the rear extensional portion 22b. Further, multiple (two, in the present example) mount holes 28e and 28e by which the bracket 28 is mounted on the main frame 22 are formed in a portion close to the central portion of the bracket 28. Further, mount holes 29b and 29b are also formed in positions in the stopper 29 corresponding to the respective mount holes 28e and 28e of the bracket 28. The bolts 46 are inserted into the mount hole 28e, the mount hole 2 9b, and the mounting hole 22e of the main frame 22. In addition to the mount holes 29b and 29b, a hole 29c for weight saving of the stopper 29 is formed in the stopper 29. The exhaust-system support portion 28a and the cover support portion 28b are formed on opposite sides to each other with the mount holes 28e and 28e being interposed therebetween. More specifically, the exhaust-system support portion 28a is formed to extend rearward from the positions where the mount holes 28e and 28e are formed to extend frontward from the positions where the mount holes 28e and 28e are formed. A mounting hole 28f is formed in a leading end of the exhaust-system support portion 28a. A bracket 43 protruding upward is mounted in a portion located behind the main frame 22 in the rear extensional portion 41b of the exhaust pipe 41, and a mounting hole 43a is formed in a leading end of the bracket 43. A bolt 44 is inserted into the mounting holes 28f and 43a, and the exhaust pipe 41 is mounted with the bolt 44 to the exhaust-system support portion 28a (see FIG. 3). In a portion below the engine 2, the rear extensional portion 41b obliquely extends so that the rear side thereof is located more outward in the vehicle width direction than the front side thereof, and a mounting position of the bracket 43 is located behind the rear extensional portion 22b. A mounting hole 28g is formed also in a leading end of the cover support portion 28b. As shown in FIG. 5, a mount portion 31f is formed in the sidewall portion 31d of the undercover 31, and a mounting hole is formed in the mount portion 31f. A bolt 45 is inserted into the mounting hole 28g and the mounting hole of the mount portion 31f, and the undercover 31 is mounted with the bolt 45 to the cover support portion 28b. Thereby, both the exhaust pipe 41 and the undercover 31 are supported by the main frame 22 via the common bracket 28. An annular damper 34 is fitted into an inner side of the mounting hole of the mount portion 31f, and further a cylindrical collar 35 is fitted into an inner side of the damper 34. Then, the bolt 45 is inserted into the collar 35. As shown in FIG. 6, the bracket 28 is slightly bent in a portion close to the central portion of the bracket 28 so that the cover support portion 28b is located closer to the central side in the vehicle width direction than the exhaust-system support portion 28a. Further, the cover support portion 28b extends frontward on an inner side (central side in the vehicle width direction) of the undercover 31, and the exhaust-system support portion 28a is located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the bracket 43 (see FIG. 3). As described above, the motorcycle 1 includes the engine 2; the vehicle body cover 30 that covers the vehicle body from the lateral directions; and the exhaust system 40 that includes the exhaust pipe 41 extending from the engine 2 to the vehicle-body rear portion on the inner side of the vehicle body cover 30 and that discharges exhaust gases emitted from the engine 2 to the vehicle-body rear side. The motorcycle 1 further includes the bracket 28. The bracket 28 includes the mount holes 28e and 28e to be mounted to the vehicle body; the exhaust-system support portion 28a to which the exhaust system 40 (the exhaust pipe 41 in the above description) is mounted; and the cover support portion 28b to which the vehicle body cover 30 (the undercover 31 in the above description) is mounted. Thus, in the motorcycle 1, the exhaust pipe 41 and the under cover 31 are both supported by the single bracket 28. Hence, compared to the case where the exhaust pipe 41 and the under cover 31 are separately mounted to the vehicle body, the probability that the clearance between the exhaust pipe 41 and the under cover 31 is narrowed due to manufacturing errors can be reduced. Further, in the motorcycle 1, the exhaust-system support portion 28a and cover support portion 28b of the bracket 28 are provided on the sides opposite to each other with the mount holes 28e and 28e being interposed therebetween. Thereby, the forces to be exerted on the bracket 28 can be equalized, and hence support stability can be secured. Further, in the motorcycle 1, the mount holes 28e and 28e of the bracket 28 are provided to the vehicle body with the removable fasteners (the bolts 4 6 in the above description). Thereby, maintenance work of the device disposed within the main frame 22, for example, the engine 2 can be performed by removing the bracket 2 8 from the main frame 22. Further, the motorcycle 1 includes the kick pedal 50 that starts the engine 2 by rotating about the pedal axle 51 provided to the engine 2, and the stopper 29 that regulates the rotation of the kick pedal 50 by contacting with the kick pedal 50. The stopper 29 is mounted together with the bracket 28 to the vehicle body. Thereby, the mounting work can be simplified, compared to the case where the bracket 28 and the stopper 29 are separately mounted to the vehicle body. Further, in the motorcycle 1, the stopper 29 and the bracket 28 are mounted with the common bolts 46 and 46 to the vehicle body. Consequently, the number of components for mounting the stopper 29 and the bracket 28 can be reduced. Further, in the motorcycle 1, the bracket 28 includes the multiple mount holes 28e and 28e. Thereby, the support strength of the bracket 28 can be increased. Further, in the motorcycle 1, the mount holes 28e and 28e of the bracket 28 are provided in the main frame 22. Thereby, the exhaust pipe 41 and the undercover 31 can be stably supported. The present invention is not limited to the motorcycle 1 described above, but various modifications can be made. For example, according to the above description, the exhaust pipe 41 and the undercover 31 of the exhaust system 40 are mounted to the single bracket 28. However, for example, the muffler 42 and a vehicle body cover provided adjacent to the muffler 42 to cover the vehicle body from the lateral directions may be mounted to a single bracket. Further, according to the above description, the bracket 28 and the stopper 29 are mounted with the bolts 4 6 to the main frame 22. However, the bracket 28 and the stopper 29 may be mounted to the main frame 22 by welding. Further, according to the above description, the bracket 28 is mounted to the main frame 22. However, the bracket 28 may be mounted to a different member. For example, a stay may be provided to the engine 2, and the bracket 28 may be mounted to the stay. WE CLAIM: 1. A straddle-type vehicle comprising: an engine; a vehicle body cover that covers a vehicle body from lateral directions; an exhaust system that includes an exhaust pipe extending to a vehicle-body rear portion from the engine on an inner side of the vehicle body cover and that discharges an exhaust gas emitted from the engine to the vehicle-body rear side; and a bracket that includes at least one mount portion to be mounted to the vehicle body, an exhaust-system support portion for mounting the exhaust system, and a cover support portion for mounting the vehicle body cover. 2. The straddle-type vehicle as claimed in claim 1,' wherein the exhaust-system support portion and the cover support portion of the bracket are provided on sides opposite to each other in the manner of interposing the mount portion therebetween. 3. The straddle-type vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mount portion of the bracket is mounted with a removable fastener to the vehicle body. 4. The straddle-type vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a kick pedal that starts the engine by rotating about an axle provided to the engine; and a stopper that limits the rotation of the kick pedal by contacting with the kick pedal, wherein the stopper is fixed together with the bracket to the vehicle body. 5. The straddle-type vehicle as claimed in claim A, wherein the stopper and the mount portion of the bracket are mounted with a common fastener to the vehicle body. 6. The straddle-type vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket includes a plurality of the mount portions. 7. The straddle-type vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mount portion of the bracket is mounted to a vehicle body frame. A motorcycle includes an engine, an undercover, an exhaust system, and a bracket. The undercover covers the engine from the lateral directions, and an exhaust pipe included in the exhaust system extends to a vehicle-body rear portion from the engine on the inner side of the undercover. The bracket includes mount holes to be mounted to a main frame, an exhaust-system support portion for mounting the exhaust pipe, and a cover support portion for mounting the undercover. |
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| Patent Number | 272015 | |||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 2043/KOL/2008 | |||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 12/2016 | |||||||||
| Publication Date | 18-Mar-2016 | |||||||||
| Grant Date | 14-Mar-2016 | |||||||||
| Date of Filing | 24-Nov-2008 | |||||||||
| Name of Patentee | YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA | |||||||||
| Applicant Address | 2500 SHINGAI, IWATA-SHI, SHIZUOKA-KEN | |||||||||
Inventors:
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| PCT International Classification Number | B62K11/00 | |||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | N/A | |||||||||
| PCT International Filing date | ||||||||||
PCT Conventions:
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