Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Keiichiro Niizuma

Masahide Mimura

Hitoshi Suzuki

Takashi Matsuda

Koji Kobayashi

Hiroshi Iwakami

Toshio Yamamoto

Takushi Matsuto

Kazuo Sato

Kaoru Wachigai

Yasuo Shinde

Hideaki Nakagawa

Shin Nabeya

Koichiro Honda

Masato Tanaka

Provided is an electric vehicle that realizes a light electric straddled vehicle using a motor with a small size, and optimizes the left and right weight balances in the width direction of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle body centerline. The electric motor () is disposed inside a swing arm () of a cantilever type at a position overlapping a projection area of a rear wheel WR when seen from the side portion of the vehicle body. The motor driver () is disposed inside the swing arm () so that the vehicle body centerline (C) passing through at the front side of the vehicle body in the rear wheel (WR). The position (G) of the center of gravity of the motor driver () is disposed to be offset in the direction opposite to the offset direction of the electric motor () with respect to the vehicle body centerline (C).

Electric straddled vehicle

In an electric three-wheeled vehicle, a centrifugal clutch transmits rotary driving power to a counter shaft when the revolution speed of a motor exceeds a prescribed value. The clutch is coaxially located at one end of a motor output shaft. A counter shaft is located inside the outside diameter of the motor in a side view of the vehicle. The motor output shaft, counter shaft, and axles are arranged from a vehicle forward side in the order of mention. The axis center of the counter shaft is located below a line connecting the axis center of the motor output shaft and the axis center of the axle in a side view of the vehicle.

Electric vehicle

Provided is an electric vehicle that is easy to start to move even when there is load applied, and which does not generate rotational resistance of the electric motor when the vehicle is push-walked. A connection/disconnection mechanism is provided between the electric motor () and the speed reducing mechanism () to switch transmission of the rotating driving force from a disabled state to an enabled state when the electric motor () rotates at a predetermined rotation speed or more. The connection/disconnection mechanism is a centrifugal clutch (). The swing arm () is configured as a cantilever-type, supported only at the left side in the vehicle width direction, so that the centrifugal clutch (), the electric motor (), and the speed reducing mechanism () are arranged in this order, from the left side in the vehicle width direction.

Electric vehicle having swing arm with motor

A saddle riding vehicle having an accelerator operator includes an accelerator operation amount detecting unit connected to a second end portion of an accelerator cable having a first end portion connected to the accelerator operator, the accelerator operation amount detecting unit is disposed at a location less susceptible to the effect from an external force and steering of the steering handlebar with a space to permit removal of screws and other parts that may be dropped during the assembly process. An accelerator operation amount detecting unit includes a rotatable member connected to an accelerator cable so as to be rotated according to displacement of the accelerator cable and a cover plate extending in a longitudinal direction to cover the rotatable member from an upward direction. The accelerator operation amount detecting unit is disposed near a head pipe.

Saddle riding type vehicle

A fuel injection valve attaching structure is provided in an engine for a small-sized vehicle. The vehicle includes a vehicle body frame, an engine mounted on the vehicle body frame, a crankshaft extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle body frame, and a storage compartment positioned above the engine and supported by the vehicle body frame. The vehicle includes an intake device forming an intake path having a U-like shape in side view in cooperation with an intake port provided for a cylinder head as a part of the engine, connected above the cylinder head, and disposed between the engine and the storage compartment so as to extend rearward from the cylinder head. The vehicle includes a fuel injection valve attached to the cylinder head and having an axis tilted forward and outward of the vehicle body frame.

Fuel injection valve attaching structure in engine for small-sized vehicle

In a cooling system for a vehicular engine wherein a cooling water storage chamber communicating with the top of a water jacket provided in an engine body is located at a position higher than the engine body, a connecting hose is not used, whereby it is intended to decrease the number of components used and facilitate the assembling work. A cooling water storage chamber is formed within a vessel member which is connected directly to an upper portion of an engine body.

Cooling system for vehicular engine

To provide a compact water-cooled four cycle engine suitable for a hybrid type power unit. The tension of a belt is increased by loosening bolts, turning an eccentric tube fitting, and moving a common pulley. After the tension of the belt is thus adjusted, the bolts are fastened. A water pump, which is supported by a shaft portion fitted in a guide groove and by the two bolts, are not moved except for the step of adjusting the tension of the belt 122. Since the tensioner serves as the pump pulley, it is possible to reduce the number of pulleys and hence to simplify the layout of the pulleys and reduce the number of parts. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a thermostat is mounted in a water jacket near an intake port of a cylinder head and is covered with an intake manifold. It is therefore unnecessary to provide a case and a lid for mounting the thermostat.

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Wako, Japan

Keiichiro Niizuma