Velocipede Type Patents (Class 280/160.1)
  • Patent number: 8562010
    Abstract: A body structure of a straddle-ride vehicle includes a body frame, a handlebar, a front fork, a front wheel guide member, and an opposite cover. The handlebar is turnably provided on the body frame. The fork extends from the handlebar and rotatably supports a front wheel. The front wheel guide member is disposed at a front portion of the body frame in a traveling direction of the vehicle and faces the front wheel. The front wheel guide member includes a slant portion extending from one side to another side in a vehicle-width direction and from a front to a rear in the traveling direction. The opposite cover is supported by the front fork to cover a rear portion of the front wheel and faces the front wheel guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Namiki, Kazuyoshi Kuroki, Kenichi Misaki, Sunao Kawano, Hiroshi Furuse
  • Patent number: 8348292
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus may allow for the protection of vehicle tires from ground debris. A swing arm configuration may be used to displace ground debris from the path of a vehicle tire. The length of the swing arm may be established to maximize the vehicle's angle of approach. The motion of the swing arm may be arrested with a swing motion arrest substantially collocated with a swing axis pivot point. A ground debris displacement system may be capable of unpowered operation from a single position on a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Eagle Wing LLC
    Inventor: Steven J. Meakins
  • Patent number: 8272460
    Abstract: A two-wheeled vehicle is disclosed. The two-wheeled vehicle may include highway bars. The two-wheeled vehicle may include a steering axis which is tilted relative to a fork axis. The two-wheeled vehicle may be configured in a faring configuration and in a non-fairing configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Michael M. Song, Scott A. Orpen, Daniel L. Burt, II, Mark W. Chevalier, James Arthur John Holroyd
  • Patent number: 8132824
    Abstract: A bicycle having a wheel (e.g., a rear wheel) and a frame supported by the wheel. The frame includes a wheel support and a stay extending from the wheel support. A stay protector resiliently engages the stay and comprises a body member including a resilient material adapted to resiliently engage the stay, and a guard member positioned on (e.g., protruding beyond) an outer surface of the body member (e.g., on a top portion and/or bottom portion of the body member). Preferably, the stay includes a molded image on a central portion that is not covered by the guard member. In one embodiment, the guard member comprises a material that has a different hardness than the resilient material of the body member. For example, the guard member can comprise a material that is harder than the resilient material of the body member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Dale Sloan, Joseph Edward Buckley, F. Robert Egger
  • Patent number: 8016308
    Abstract: A rear fender of a motorcycle includes a hollow stay portion which extends in the vehicle rearward and downward direction from a base portion thereof arranged in the inside of a rear portion of a seat rail, the stay portion is configured to be dividable, and lines for electric components are encased in a hollow portion of the stay portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Ishikawa, Gen Tanabe
  • Patent number: 7793963
    Abstract: A bicycle having a wheel and a frame supported by the wheel. The frame includes a wheel support and a stay extending from the wheel support. A stay protector resiliently engages the stay. In one embodiment, the stay includes a tubular-shaped member having an exterior surface, and the stay protector is contoured to substantially match the exterior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Dale Sloan, Joseph Edward Buckley, F. Robert Egger
  • Patent number: 7681942
    Abstract: The invention provides a fairing assembly (10) for a motorcycle (12) including an aerodynamic shield (11) and a mounting arrangement for mounting the shield (11) on a motorcycle (12). The shield (11) is operable between a stowed condition and an operative condition. In the operative condition, the shield (11) is positioned to reduce aerodynamic drag on a front wheel (13) of a motorcycle (12), such that, in use, the drag on the front wheel (13) is smaller when the shield (11) is in its operative condition than when the shield (11) is in its stowed position. The invention also extends to a motorcycle (12) having such an aerodynamic shield (11) mounted adjacent a front wheel (13) of the motorcycle (12). The invention further extends to a method of improving the aerodynamic characteristics of a motorcycle (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Inventor: Pieter Daniel Van Der Westhuizen
  • Patent number: 7325639
    Abstract: A fender assembly is divided into an upper fender and a lower fender with a air guide port being formed in the upper fender wherein the entry of muddy water splashed up in a tangential line direction by a front wheel into the air guide port is prevented and the size of the upper fender is reduced. An upper fender is secured to upper forks of the front forks, while a lower fender is secured to lower forks. The upper fender is disposed in a range in which muddy water is blocked by the lower fender. An air guide port is formed in the upper fender and an air guide path is formed by a fender recess extending forward of the air guide port and a lower portion of a visor which covers the fender recess from above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Yamaguchi, Naoki Urano, Akinori Hirano, Hiroki Sakata, Yoshiyuki Ishiguri, Yasuhiro Uchiike
  • Patent number: 7090235
    Abstract: A structure for mounting a front fender that can enhance rigidity of a fin without unduly increasing the thickness of the fin or decreasing the slope of the fin. In one example structure for mounting a front fender, a fin of a front fender is mounted on a fin mounting portion formed in a front fork with a bolt, and a holding member is fastened to the fin mounting portion, together with the fin 55, with the bolt. A tip portion of the holding member is extended to a position separate from the fin mounting portion to support the reverse surface of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroo Takemura, Shunichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6367832
    Abstract: A retractable bike fender and housing are provided. The bike fender resides in the housing while it is in its retracted position and depends from the housing when it is in its extended position. The bike fender includes an integral light at the distal end. The light is powered by a battery and may flash. Elements of the fender may be coated with a reflective material which may be illuminated by the integral light as well as other light sources. The housing is designed to mounted about the seat stem to provide a barrier against water and debris being flung against the rider by the rear wheel. The housing may also be mounted about the handlebar stem to provide a barrier against water and debris being flung against the rider by the front wheel. The fender housing has an opening which permits the elongated fender to be extended and retracted from the housing. A hand operated drum within the housing may be rotated manually by grip hubs which extend through both sides of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Inventor: Tim Vogel
  • Patent number: 6257362
    Abstract: A motorcycle includes a frame having left and right tail supports extending rearward, front and rear wheels coupled to the frame, and a rear fender positioned over the rear wheel and between the tail supports. The rear fender includes left and right flanges positioned adjacent inner surfaces of the left and right tail supports, respectively. A fender mounting assembly interconnects the rear fender to the tail supports. The assembly includes a left fastener positioned through the left tail support and through the left flange, and a right fastener positioned through the right tail support and through the right flange. Each fastener includes a low profile head adjacent the outer surface of the corresponding tail support. Each fastener includes a stud plate and two threaded studs secured to the stud plate. In order to improve the cosmetics of the design, the motorcycle can further include a cover positioned over each of the tail supports and covering each of the fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company
    Inventor: Brian M. Scherbarth