Lateral stabilizer for two-wheeled vehicles

Abstract

A system for laterally stabilizing a two-wheeled vehicle includes a pair of outrigger struts having respective outrigger wheels on opposite sides of the rear wheel, vertically movable between raised and lowered positions relative to a supporting structure, the struts each being connected by a transverse strut shaft for unison vertical movement and extending forwardly of the strut shaft; an electric motor driven actuator mechanism including a rotatably mounted lead screw shaft that is pivotably mounted relative to the supporting structure, a drive nut threadingly engaging the lead screw shaft that is connected to the strut shaft for driving the wheels between the raised and lowered positions in response to rotation of the lead screw shaft. A controller for electrically powering the motor includes pilot circuit paths of a bidirectional motor bridge circuit, the pilot circuit paths being electrically powered only when motive power of the vehicle is enabled, the actuator mechanism in combination with the motor having sufficient drag and mechanical advantage whereby the outrigger wheels are locked from movement between the raised and lowered positions in the absence of electrical power to the motor. Limit switches are connected for inhibiting corresponding ones of the pilot circuit paths for preventing overtravel of the outrigger wheels.