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US5014807A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Motorcycle

Assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1989-11-02
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Granted: 1991-05-14
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Expires: 2009-11-02
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Abstract

Abstract A motorcycle has a frame assembly including a main frame supporting front and rear wheels on a central line thereof. A connecting member is mounted on the main frame between the front and rear wheels, and a subframe is mounted on the connecting member and is capable of banking laterally about the connecting member. At least one of the front and rear wheels is a drive wheel. At least the drive wheel is capable of preventing the main frame from banking laterally. Centrifugal forces generated upon cornering are counterbalanced by centripetal forces produced when only the subframe banks laterally. The drive wheel supported on the main frame which does not bank has an increased road gripping force. Thus, high-speed cornering is possible.

Inventors

  • 👤 Satoru Horiike
  • 👤 Yasuhiko Nakano
  • 👤 Shigetarou Okano
  • 👤 Shigeru Kimura
  • 👤 Masanobu Matsuzaki
  • 👤 Toshiteru Yamamoto
  • 👤 Kenji Ooki
  • 👤 Eiji Hamano
  • 👤 Mikio Kubo

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 08:38
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02B; F02B61/00; F02B61/02; B; B62; B62K; B62K11/00; B62K25/00; B62K25/005

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 101 words
A motorcycle comprising: a front wheel; a rear wheel; a frame assembly including a front frame supporting said front wheel, a main frame supporting said rear wheel, and a connecting means interconnecting said front and main frames in a longitudinal direction of the frame assembly, said front frame being capable of banking laterally of a center line of the motorcycle about said connecting means, said rear wheel being capable of preventing said main frame from banking laterally; and a seat frame separately swingably mounted on said front frame wherein said seat frame swings with respect to said front frame during turning.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 101 words
A motorcycle comprising: a front wheel; a rear wheel; a frame assembly including a front frame supporting said front wheel, a main frame supporting said rear wheel, and a connecting means interconnecting said front and main frames in a longitudinal direction of the frame assembly, said front frame being capable of banking laterally of a center line of the motorcycle about said connecting means, said rear wheel being capable of preventing said main frame from banking laterally; and a seat frame separately swingably mounted on said front frame wherein said seat frame swings with respect to said front frame during turning.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
A motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein said rear wheel includes a flat tire of a U-shaped cross section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
A motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein said rear wheel includes a tire having a flat portion centrally at a surface thereof for contact with ground.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 45 words
A motorcycle according to claim 1, further including a steering handle mounted on said front frame for steering said front wheel, said seat frame extending above said main frame, a driver's riding seat mounted on said seat frame, and footsteps mounted on said main frame.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
A motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein said seat frame has a device for angularly moving said seat frame according to a banking angle of said front frame.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
A motorcycle according to claim 5, wherein said device includes means for angularly moving said seat frame in a direction in which said front frame banks.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 149 words
A motorcycle comprising: a front wheel; a rear wheel; a frame assembly including a front frame supporting said front wheel, a main frame supporting said rear wheel, and a connecting means interconnecting said front and main frames in a longitudinal direction of the frame assembly, said front frame being capable of banking laterally of a center line of the motorcycle about said connecting means, said front wheel having a round tire for banking the front frame, said rear wheel being capable of preventing said main frame from banking laterally, said rear wheel having a substantially flat tire for preventing the main frame from banking laterally, said front wheel, said connecting means and said rear wheel being disposed on said central line of the frame assembly; and a seat frame separately swingably mounted on said front frame wherein said seat frame swings with respect to said front frame during turning.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 149 words
A motorcycle comprising: a front wheel; a rear wheel; a frame assembly including a front frame supporting said front wheel, a main frame supporting said rear wheel, and a connecting means interconnecting said front and main frames in a longitudinal direction of the frame assembly, said front frame being capable of banking laterally of a center line of the motorcycle about said connecting means, said front wheel having a round tire for banking the front frame, said rear wheel being capable of preventing said main frame from banking laterally, said rear wheel having a substantially flat tire for preventing the main frame from banking laterally, said front wheel, said connecting means and said rear wheel being disposed on said central line of the frame assembly; and a seat frame separately swingably mounted on said front frame wherein said seat frame swings with respect to said front frame during turning.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3938609A Cited
US3912031A Cited
EP0017480A2 Cited
US4437535A Cited
US4448436A Cited
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US4541501A Cited
US4666018A Cited
FR2583704A1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-05-13 1994-11-12 1995-05-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-05-13 1998-11-12 1999-05-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-05-13 2002-11-12 2003-05-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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