Abstract: A sub headlight unit for use in a vehicle that leans into turns includes a sub headlight light source that illuminates an area ahead and outward of the vehicle with respect to a width direction of the vehicle. The sub headlight light source is configured to, when the vehicle is in an upright state, produce an illumination range including an area above a horizontal plane. The sub headlight light source is turned on in accordance with a lean angle of the vehicle. At a time of parking or stopping or at a time of running straight ahead, the sub headlight light source is turned on or caused to flash with the amount of light per unit of time being reduced as compared with the amount of light per unit of time emitted when the sub headlight light source is turned on in accordance with the lean angle of the vehicle.

Abstract: A sub headlight unit for use in a vehicle that leans into turns includes a plurality of sub headlight light sources to illuminate, at one side with respect to a width direction of the vehicle, an area ahead and outward of the vehicle with respect to the width direction of the vehicle. The brightness of the sub headlight light source changes in accordance with a lean angle of the vehicle. When the lean angle of the vehicle reaches a reference value that is individually set for each of the sub headlight light sources, the sub headlight light source exhibits a predetermined brightness. The reference values are greater than 0° and different from one another. The reference values are set to be values sequentially increasing at intervals from 0° such that the interval is smaller as the reference value is greater.

Abstract: A sub headlight unit for use in a vehicle that leans into turns includes a plurality of sub headlight light sources that illuminate, at one side with respect to a width direction of the vehicle, an area ahead and outward of the vehicle with respect to the width direction of the vehicle. The brightness of the sub headlight light source changes in accordance with a lean angle of the vehicle. When the lean angle of the vehicle reaches a reference value that is individually set for each of the sub headlight light sources, the sub headlight light source exhibits a predetermined brightness. As the reference value set for the sub headlight light source is greater, an outer edge of an illumination range of the sub headlight light source having a predetermined illuminance is located increasingly farther outward with respect to the width direction of the vehicle in a plan view.

Abstract: A speed change controller is provided on a saddle-ride type vehicle and is suited to manipulation by a foot. The speed change controller for saddle-ride type vehicles comprises a detection mechanism that detects operation by a driver for speed change, and a speed change mechanism that performs speed change on the basis of speed change operation detected by the detection mechanism. The detection mechanism provided by the invention comprises an operation part manipulated by a foot for speed change and including a moving part, which moves relative to the vehicle on the basis of manipulation by a foot, and a detection unit that detects that the moving part moves a predetermined amount or more.

Abstract: A speed change controller is provided on a saddle-ride type vehicle and is suited to manipulation by a foot. The speed change controller for saddle-ride type vehicles comprises a detection mechanism that detects operation by a driver for speed change, and a speed change mechanism that performs speed change on the basis of speed change operation detected by the detection mechanism. The detection mechanism provided by the invention comprises an operation part manipulated by a foot for speed change and including a moving part, which moves relative to the vehicle on the basis of manipulation by a foot, and a detection unit that detects that the moving part moves a predetermined amount or more.

Abstract: A sub headlight unit for use in a vehicle that leans into turns includes a plurality of sub headlight light sources to illuminate, at one side with respect to a width direction of the vehicle, an area ahead and outward of the vehicle with respect to the width direction of the vehicle. The brightness of the sub headlight light source changes in accordance with a lean angle of the vehicle. When the lean angle of the vehicle reaches a reference value that is individually set for each of the sub headlight light sources, the sub headlight light source exhibits a predetermined brightness. The reference values are greater than 0° and different from one another. The reference values are set to be values sequentially increasing at intervals from 0° such that the interval is smaller as the reference value is greater.

Abstract: A sub headlight unit for use in a vehicle that leans into turns includes a plurality of sub headlight light sources that illuminate, at one side with respect to a width direction of the vehicle, an area ahead and outward of the vehicle with respect to the width direction of the vehicle. The brightness of the sub headlight light source changes in accordance with a lean angle of the vehicle. When the lean angle of the vehicle reaches a reference value that is individually set for each of the sub headlight light sources, the sub headlight light source exhibits a predetermined brightness. As the reference value set for the sub headlight light source is greater, an outer edge of an illumination range of the sub headlight light source having a predetermined illuminance is located increasingly farther outward with respect to the width direction of the vehicle in a plan view.

Abstract: A sub headlight unit for use in a vehicle that leans into turns includes a sub headlight light source that illuminates an area ahead and outward of the vehicle with respect to a width direction of the vehicle. The sub headlight light source is configured to, when the vehicle is in an upright state, produce an illumination range including an area above a horizontal plane. The sub headlight light source is turned on in accordance with a lean angle of the vehicle. At a time of parking or stopping or at a time of running straight ahead, the sub headlight light source is turned on or caused to flash with the amount of light per unit of time being reduced as compared with the amount of light per unit of time emitted when the sub headlight light source is turned on in accordance with the lean angle of the vehicle.

Abstract: A speed change controller is provided on a saddle-ride type vehicle and is suited to manipulation by a foot. The speed change controller for saddle-ride type vehicles comprises a detection mechanism that detects operation by a driver for speed change, and a speed change mechanism that performs speed change on the basis of speed change operation detected by the detection mechanism. The detection mechanism provided by the invention comprises an operation part manipulated by a foot for speed change and including a moving part, which moves relative to the vehicle on the basis of manipulation by a foot, and a detection unit that detects that the moving part moves a predetermined amount or more.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission can comprise a plurality of gears, and a shift cam coupled to the gears to at least partly control shifting of the gears. The shift cam comprise a plurality of grooves each with respective positions corresponding to gear speeds, and further including a neutral position, wherein the neutral position is below a position corresponding to a lowest gear speed in a view of at least a portion of the shift cam. A rotation angle of the shift cam between the neutral position and a lowest step corresponding to the lowest gear speed can be different from that between any adjacent shift steps, respectively corresponding to other gear speeds.

Abstract: An actuation force transmission mechanism is provided that can be interposed between a shift actuator and a shift shaft. The mechanism can include: first and second coupling parts that can be coupled for movement relative to each other in sliding directions; a biasing mechanism that can be configured for urging the first and second coupling parts toward a neutral position; and a stopper mechanism that can be configured for stopping relative movement of one of the first and second coupling parts when moved relatively from the neutral position against an urging force of the biasing mechanism. When the shift actuator is stroked by a predetermined amount, the first coupling part can move relative to the second coupling part against the urging force until the first coupling part is stopped by the stopper mechanism, at which point, the first and second coupling parts can move together.

Abstract: A riding type vehicle includes an automatic transmission capable of executing a shift change by a clutch actuator and a shift actuator. A clutch is controlled by the clutch actuator and is a multiplate clutch. The multiplate clutch is provided with bias member configured to enlarge a partial clutch engagement region of the clutch. The multiplate clutch is configured such that during shift change, both of the clutch actuator and the shift actuator are controlled to operate in overlapping manner.

Abstract: Riding comfort of a vehicle is improved by reducing deceleration and acceleration exceeding the expectation of a rider due to gear changes. A gear change control device calculates current torque being transmitted from a drive-side member of a clutch to a driven-side member of the clutch, and calculates post-completion torque estimated to be transmitted from the drive-side member to the driven-side member after the completion of engagement of the clutch. The gear change control device then controls the degree of engagement of the clutch according to the difference between the current torque and the post-completion torque, and receives a next gear change command according to the difference between the current torque and the post-completion torque.

Abstract: A transmission mechanism is provide that can be interposed between a shift actuator and a shift shaft. The mechanism can include first and second coupling parts that can be coupled for movement relative to each other; a biasing mechanism that can be configured for urging the first and second coupling parts toward a neutral position; and a stopper mechanism that can be configured for stopping the relative movement of one of the first and second coupling parts when moved relatively from the neutral position against urging force of the biasing mechanism. When the shift actuator is stroked by a predetermined amount, a dog can be compulsorily disengaged as the first and second coupling parts are moved together by the stopper mechanism, and engaged as one of the first and second coupling parts moves relatively against the urging force, for allowing smooth shift change.

Abstract: A clutch actuator comprises a motor having a motor shaft. A worm shaft is formed with a threaded section. A worm wheel meshes with the threaded section of the worm shaft. An output rod reciprocates in an axial direction to disengage and engage a clutch. A crank shaft converts rotational motion of the worm wheel to reciprocating motion of the output rod. The motor shaft and the worm shaft are coupled by a spline connection.

Abstract: A clutch actuator comprises a clutch motor comprising motor shaft. The clutch actuator also comprises a worm shaft that is spline connected to the motor shaft. The rotary motion of the worm shaft 103 is transferred to a worm wheel 105, which is engaged with the worm shaft 103. The worm shaft 103 has a threaded portion 103c. The threaded portion 103c comprises multiple threads.

Abstract: A shift actuator comprises a drive shaft and a housing that rotatably supports the drive shaft. A shift position detecting apparatus detects a rotational position of the drive shaft. The drive shaft is connected to a shift mechanism by an operating lever and a shift rod. The operating lever and the housing are respectively formed with a through hole and a bottomed hole. The drive shaft can be temporarily secured in rotational position by inserting a lever positioning pin into the through hole and the bottomed hole. When secured, the shift position detecting apparatus can be attached to the housing and a length of the shift rod can be adjusted.

Abstract: A clutch actuator comprises a worm shaft that rotates along with a clutch motor. The worm shaft is meshed with a worm wheel. The worm wheel is fixed to one end of a crank shaft member of a crank shaft separately from a crank arm of the crank shaft. A bearing that supports the crank shaft is provided between the worm wheel and the crank arm.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission can comprise a plurality of gears, and a shift cam coupled to the gears to at least partly control shifting of the gears. The shift cam comprise a plurality of grooves each with respective positions corresponding to gear speeds, and further including a neutral position, wherein the neutral position is below a position corresponding to a lowest gear speed in a view of at least a portion of the shift cam. A rotation angle of the shift cam between the neutral position and a lowest step corresponding to the lowest gear speed can be different from that between any adjacent shift steps, respectively corresponding to other gear speeds.

Abstract: In order to reduce the influences of engine heat and vibration on a shift actuator, a shift actuator is disposed apart from the engine and the transmission on a vehicle. In particular a straddle-type vehicle, the vehicle includes a head pipe and a body frame including a main frame that extends rearward from the head pipe. The engine is suspended by the body frame 2 and a transmission is disposed next to the engine. The transmission includes a shift mechanism having a multiple-step speed change gear and a clutch mechanism that interrupts the transmission of rotation at the switching of the speed change gear of the transmission 40. An automatic transmission control unit operates the clutch mechanism and switches the speed change gear of the transmission automatically.