WO2025075204A1 - Saddle-ridden vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a scooter-type saddle-ridden vehicle in which a space between an inner surface of an exterior component and a side surface of a head pipe is restricted, and provides a saddle-ridden vehicle in which it is possible to secure a space for disposing an internally disposed component and to increase the vertical rigidity of a component support stay even if a steering motor is provided in a space covered by the exterior component. A leaning vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body frame 10, a pine-needle fork 20, an exterior component 30, an internally disposed component 40, a component support stay 50, and a steering assistance motor 61. The steering assistance motor 61 is disposed in a position overlapping an upper end of a left shock absorber 21, an upper end of a right shock absorber 22, or a portion of a bracket 23 when viewed in the vertical direction of the leaning vehicle 1. In addition, the steering assistance motor 61 is disposed so as to overlap at least a portion of the component support stay 50 when viewed in the left-right direction of the leaning vehicle 1.

Description

Saddle-type vehicle

This invention relates to saddle-type vehicles.

Scooter-type saddle-ride vehicles are known. As such scooter-type saddle-ride vehicles, vehicles have been proposed that have a structure in which the area around the head pipe is covered by a front cover and a rear cover, and the front equipment parts such as a headlight and wiring materials such as brake wires are housed within the front cover and the rear cover. Exterior components including cover parts such as the front cover and rear cover and front equipment parts such as a headlight are supported on the frame of the saddle-ride vehicle by component support stays. Some scooter-type saddle-ride vehicles have a pine-needle fork in order to surround the periphery of the head pipe with the front cover and the rear cover.

The demand for convenience in such scooter-type saddle-type vehicles is increasing, and there is a demand for steering assistance using electric power steering (hereinafter referred to as "EPS"). For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a saddle-type vehicle equipped with an actuator unit for steering assistance.

US Patent Publication No. 20230192221

The scooter-type saddle-ride vehicle is expected to be used for a variety of purposes, and therefore it is desirable to have a storage box in the rear cover that is accessible to the driver from the seat. Therefore, the scooter-type saddle-ride vehicle is required to have internal components such as the actuator unit and storage box, in addition to exterior components, arranged in the space around the head pipe surrounded by the front cover and rear cover. Furthermore, the exterior components or internal components are supported within the space by component support stays.

In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the EPS actuator unit is located behind the head pipe. However, a configuration in which the actuator unit is located behind the head pipe affects the layout of the storage box and the space in which the driver sits.

In the scooter-type straddle-type vehicle, even if a steering motor is provided within the space covered by the front and rear covers, there is a demand for securing space for arranging internal components and increasing the degree of freedom in designing storage boxes, etc.

In addition, when a steering motor is provided in the space covered by the front and rear covers, not only the exterior components or internal components, but also the component support stay that supports at least one of the exterior components or internal components must be positioned so as not to interfere with the steering motor. When the exterior components or internal components are positioned away from the head pipe while avoiding the steering motor, the component support stay must have vertical rigidity.

The present invention aims to provide a saddle-type vehicle that can secure space for arranging internal components and increase the vertical rigidity of the component support stays, even when a steering motor is installed in a space covered by external components.

The inventors have conducted detailed research into a saddle-type vehicle that can ensure space for arranging internal components and increase the vertical rigidity of the component support stays even when a steering motor is provided in a space covered by the exterior components, in a scooter-type saddle-type vehicle that is restricted by the space between the inner surface of the exterior components and the side of the head pipe. After extensive research, the inventors have come up with the following configuration.

A saddle-type vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a body frame having a head pipe at the front, a front wheel having an axle extending in the left-right direction of the saddle-type vehicle, a left shock absorber supporting the left end of the axle of the front wheel, a right shock absorber supporting the right end of the axle of the front wheel, a bracket connecting the upper end of the left shock absorber to the upper end of the right shock absorber and positioned lower than the head pipe in the vertical direction of the saddle-type vehicle, and a steering shaft extending upward from the bracket, connected at its upper end to a handlebar and supported by the head pipe so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis, and a pine-needle fork including a steering shaft which covers the front side of the head pipe when viewed from the front and covers the head pipe when viewed from the rear. the head pipe when viewed from the right, or the left side of the head pipe when viewed from the left; an internally arranged component, at least a portion of which is disposed between the inner surface of the external component and the side of the head pipe; a component support stay, located between the external component and the head pipe, extending forward from the head pipe in the fore-and-aft direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle, for supporting at least one of the external component or the internally arranged component relative to the head pipe; and a steering motor, located between the external component and the head pipe, for outputting torque to the steering shaft via a torque transmission mechanism capable of transmitting torque to the steering shaft. The steering motor is positioned to overlap the upper end of the left shock absorber, the upper end of the right shock absorber, or a portion of the bracket when viewed in the vertical direction of the saddle-type vehicle or in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft, utilizing the upper space located above the upper end of the left shock absorber, the upper end of the right shock absorber, or the bracket of the pine-needle fork, and is positioned to overlap a portion of the component support stay when viewed in the horizontal direction of the saddle-type vehicle so that the left and right spaces located on the left and right of the steering motor are utilized.

The above-mentioned configuration has a pine-needle type fork. The pine-needle type fork includes a shock absorber supporting the front wheel, a left shock absorber supporting the left end of the axle of the front wheel, a right shock absorber supporting the right end of the axle of the front wheel, a bracket connecting the upper end of the left shock absorber and the upper end of the right shock absorber and positioned below the head pipe in the vertical direction of the saddle-type vehicle, and a steering shaft extending upward from the bracket, connected at its upper end to the handlebars, and supported by the head pipe so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis of the steering shaft. When the handlebars are operated, the bracket positioned below the head pipe in the pine-needle type fork and the left and right shock absorbers connected by the bracket swing around the rotation axis of the steering shaft. Therefore, when the pine-needle type fork swings, the upper ends of the shock absorbers of the pine-needle type fork or the bracket do not pass through the upper space positioned above the upper ends of the left and right shock absorbers of the pine-needle type fork or the bracket. For this reason, for example, the upper ends of the two shock absorbers of the pine-needle fork or the upper space above the bracket can be used to arrange the parts support stays. Therefore, when the pine-needle fork swings, it can avoid interference with the parts support stays supported by the head pipe.

The steering motor is arranged in a position overlapping the upper ends of both shock absorbers or parts of the bracket when viewed in the vertical direction of the saddle-type vehicle or in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft, so that the upper space located above the upper ends of both shock absorbers or the bracket of the pine-needle-shaped fork is utilized. Because the steering motor is arranged using the upper space, interference between the pine-needle-shaped fork and the steering motor can be avoided even when the pine-needle-shaped fork swings.

The steering motor is arranged in a position overlapping a portion of the component support stay when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-riding vehicle so that the left-right spaces on the left and right of the steering motor are utilized. By arranging the component support stay in the left-right space, the component support stay can have a large dimension in the vertical direction of the saddle-riding vehicle, within a range that does not interfere with the part of the pine-needle fork that swings around the rotation axis. This makes it easier to ensure the vertical dimension required to increase the support rigidity of the component support stay while ensuring the area second moment of area of the component support stay.

Furthermore, by increasing the dimension of the steering motor in the direction of the rotational axis so that the steering motor and a portion of the component support stay overlap when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle, the size of the steering motor in the left-right direction can be reduced while maintaining the required performance. Therefore, even if at least a portion of the component support stay and at least a portion of the steering motor are arranged to overlap when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle, the left-right size of the space occupied by the component support stay and the steering motor can be further reduced. Therefore, a space extending in the vertical direction can be secured to the left and right of the component support stay and the steering motor within the space covered by the exterior components.

In this way, in the above-mentioned configuration, the steering motor is positioned in the upper space above the pine-needle-shaped fork so as not to interfere with the swinging pine-needle-shaped fork, while the component support stay is positioned in the left and right spaces to the left and right of the steering motor.

As a result, in a scooter-type saddle-ride vehicle where the space between the inner surface of the exterior component and the side of the head pipe is restricted, even if the steering motor is installed in the space covered by the exterior component, space can be secured for arranging the internal components and the vertical rigidity of the component support stay can be increased.

According to another aspect, the saddle-type vehicle of the present invention may include the following configuration.
The internal components include a storage box, which is located at least to the left or right of the steering shaft in the left-right direction of the saddle-riding vehicle, and the storage box is located in a position overlapping at least a portion of the bracket when viewed in the direction of the rotational axis of the steering shaft, and is located in a position overlapping with the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-riding vehicle, so that the storage box is positioned utilizing the space located above the left shock absorber, the right shock absorber, and the bracket and to the right or left of the steering motor, which swing with the rotation of the steering shaft.

In the above-described configuration, the storage box is positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the bracket when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft, and is positioned so as to overlap the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle. The storage box can be disposed, for example, in a space covered by the exterior components in a positional relationship where it overlaps with the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle. This allows a space to be secured on at least one of the left and right sides of the steering shaft, within the space covered by the exterior components, that is located to the left or right of the steering motor, and that extends forward and backward in the fore-and-aft direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle. Therefore, the design freedom of the storage box can be improved by using the space located to the left or right of the steering motor. This allows the storage capacity of the storage box to be improved.

According to another aspect, the saddle-type vehicle of the present invention may include the following configuration.
The internal components include a storage box, which is located at least to the left or right of the steering shaft in the left-right direction of the saddle-riding type vehicle, and at least a portion of the storage box is located below the lower edge of the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-riding type vehicle.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the storage box is located at least to the left or right of the steering shaft. The storage box is located to the left or right of the steering motor within the space covered by the exterior components, and can utilize the space that extends vertically in the vertical direction of the saddle-type vehicle.

In addition, at least a portion of the storage box is located below the lower edge of the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-type vehicle. This allows the space below the steering motor to be used.

This allows for greater freedom in designing the storage box. This allows for greater storage capacity for the storage box.

According to another aspect, the saddle-type vehicle of the present invention may include the following configuration.
At least a portion of the component support stay is located below a lower end of the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the component support stay is positioned using not only the space to the left or right of the steering motor, but also the space below it. This improves the rigidity of the component support stay.

According to another aspect, the saddle-type vehicle of the present invention may include the following configuration.
The internally disposed component includes a wiring material, and when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle, the wiring material is disposed at a position overlapping with the component support stay.

With the above-mentioned configuration, the wiring materials can be arranged together with the component support stays, using the space to the left or right of the steering motor. This improves the space efficiency in arranging the internal components.

According to another aspect, the saddle-type vehicle of the present invention may include the following configuration.
The steering motor is configured so that the maximum width in the left-right direction of the saddle-riding vehicle is smaller than the dimension of the steering motor in the direction of the rotation axis, and at least a portion of the steering motor is positioned between the leftmost and rightmost edges of the component support stay when viewed in the up-down direction of the saddle-riding vehicle.

With the above-mentioned configuration, when viewed in the vertical direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle, at least a part of the steering motor is positioned between the rightmost and leftmost edges of the component support stay, so the width in the left-right direction of the space occupied by the steering motor and the component support stay is reduced. Therefore, in the left-right direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle, a space can be secured that extends vertically to the left and right of the component support stay and the steering motor.

As a result, even if a steering motor is provided, the design freedom of the storage box and other components can be increased, and space can be secured for arranging internal components inside the exterior components.

This allows for greater freedom in designing the accessories that are mounted on the front of the saddle-type vehicle.

The terminology used in this specification is intended to define specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention.

As used herein, "and/or" includes all combinations of one or more of the associated listed components.

In this specification, the use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof identifies the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or equivalents thereof, but may include one or more of the steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the terms "attached," "connected," "coupled," and/or their equivalents are used broadly to encompass both "direct and indirect" attachments, connections, and couplings. Additionally, "connected" and "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, but can include direct or indirect electrical connections or couplings.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed to have a meaning consistent with the relevant art and meaning in the context of this disclosure, and not to be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

It is understood that a number of techniques and processes are disclosed in the description of the present invention, each of which has distinct advantages and may be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques.

　Thus, for the sake of clarity, the description of the present invention refrains from unnecessarily repeating every possible combination of the individual steps. However, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that all such combinations are within the scope of the present invention.

This specification describes an embodiment of a saddle-type vehicle according to the present invention.

In the following description, numerous specific examples are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without these specific examples.

The following disclosure should therefore be considered as illustrative of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments illustrated in the following drawings or description.

[Saddle-type vehicle]
In this specification, a saddle-type vehicle means a vehicle in which a rider sits on the seat while straddling the seat. The saddle-type vehicle includes vehicles such as motorcycles, three-wheeled vehicles, and four-wheeled vehicles. Therefore, the saddle-type vehicle includes lean vehicles. The saddle-type vehicle may be a vehicle for one person or a vehicle that can accommodate multiple people.

[Lean vehicle]
In this specification, a lean vehicle is a vehicle that turns in a leaning position. Specifically, a lean vehicle means a vehicle that, in the left-right direction of the vehicle, leans to the left when turning left and leans to the right when turning right. Lean vehicles are not limited by the number of wheels or the presence or absence of wheels, and include all vehicles that turn in a leaning position. Lean vehicles also include scooters and the like.

[Pine-needle shaped fork]
In this specification, the pine-needle fork means a front fork having a structure in which a fork supporting the left and right axles is branched into two at the lower end of a steering shaft. That is, the pine-needle fork is composed of a left shock absorber supporting the left end of the front wheel axle, a right shock absorber supporting the right end of the front wheel axle, a bracket connecting the upper end of the left shock absorber and the upper end of the right shock absorber and positioned lower than the head pipe in the vertical direction of the saddle-type vehicle, and a steering shaft extending upward from the bracket and connected at its upper end to a handlebar. Note that the pine-needle fork may or may not have a coil spring and a damper.

[Torque transmission mechanism]
In this specification, the torque transmission mechanism refers to a configuration that transmits the torque of a steering motor to a steering shaft. The torque transmission mechanism may be configured to transmit the input torque by changing the magnitude, direction, etc. of the torque. The torque transmission mechanism includes, for example, a gear, a belt, a chain, a link, or the like.

[Exterior components]
In this specification, an exterior component part means a part that covers the front side of the head pipe when viewed from the front of the saddle-type vehicle, covers the rear side of the head pipe when viewed from the rear, covers the right side of the head pipe when viewed from the right, or covers the left side of the head pipe when viewed from the left.

The exterior components include parts such as exterior covers including a front cover and a rear cover, meters, switches, brake hoses, and lighting devices including headlights and indicators. In other words, the exterior components include parts that are located in positions that allow the saddle-type vehicle to be seen from any of the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom directions of the saddle-type vehicle. The exterior components also include parts that are supported on the head pipe by part support stays.

[Internal placement parts]
In this specification, an internally disposed part means a part that is disposed in part or in whole between the inner surface of an exterior component part and a head pipe of a saddle-ride type vehicle. The internally disposed part includes parts such as wire-like wiring materials such as brake hoses, electrical harnesses, hydraulic units of an anti-lock brake system (ABS), batteries, electrical equipment, horns, rectifiers/regulators, steering lock mechanisms, and control devices including computing devices. The internally disposed part also includes parts that are supported on the head pipe by component support stays. The internally disposed part also includes a storage box having a storage section provided within or along an exterior cover of the exterior component part.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a saddle-type vehicle that can secure space for arranging internal components and increase the vertical rigidity of the component support stays, even if the steering motor is located within a space covered by external components.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of the overall configuration of a lean vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the pine-needle type fork of the lean vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the head pipe and its surroundings in a lean vehicle. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a lean vehicle according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lean vehicle according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a case where the steering wheel is steered to the right in the lean vehicle according to the first modified example. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a case where the steering wheel is steered to the left in the lean vehicle according to the first modified example. FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a lean vehicle according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lean vehicle according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lean vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the external appearance and internal structure of the lean vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Each embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and the description of the same parts will not be repeated. Note that the dimensions of the components in each drawing do not faithfully represent the actual dimensions of the components and the dimensional ratios of each component.

In the following, the arrow FR in the figures indicates the forward direction of the lean vehicles 1, 1A, 1B, 2 as saddle-ride vehicles. The arrow UP in the figures indicates the upward direction of the lean vehicles 1, 1A, 1B, 2. The arrow LF in the figures indicates the left direction of the lean vehicles 1, 1A, 1B, 2. The arrow RG in the figures indicates the right direction of the lean vehicles 1, 1A, 1B, 2. In addition, in the following explanation, the front-rear, front-rear, left-right directions respectively refer to the front-rear, front-rear, left-right directions as seen by the occupant driving the lean vehicles 1, 1A, 1B, 2.

<Embodiment 1>
(Overall configuration of lean vehicle)
A lean vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 12. Fig. 1 is a side view showing an outline of the overall configuration of the lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a schematic view showing an outline of the appearance and internal structure of the lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The lean vehicle 1 as a saddle-type vehicle is, for example, a scooter-type motorcycle. In the lean vehicle 1, a rider sits on a seat in a straddling state. The lean vehicle 1 also turns in a tilted posture. That is, the lean vehicle 1 tilts leftward when turning leftward, and tilts rightward when turning rightward. The lean vehicle 1 has a front wheel 81, a rear wheel 82, a body frame 10, a pine-needle fork 20, an exterior component 30, an internally disposed component 40 (see Fig. 12), a component support stay 50, a steering assist device 60 including a steering assist motor 61 as a steering motor, and a torque sensor 71.

The body frame 10 has a head pipe 11, a front frame 12, a lower frame 13, a rear frame 14, and a rear arm 15.

The head pipe 11 is located at the front of the body frame 10. The head pipe 11 supports the steering shaft 24 (described later) so that it can rotate around a rotation axis P. The head pipe 11 and the steering shaft 24 extend in the up-down direction of the lean vehicle 1 along the rotation axis direction in which the rotation axis P extends.

The head pipe 11 is connected to the front of the front frame 12. The front frame 12 extends from the head pipe 11 toward the rear and downward of the lean vehicle 1.

The lower frame 13 is connected to the lower end of the front frame 12. The lower frame 13 extends from the lower end of the front frame 12 toward the rear of the lean-to vehicle 1. A footboard 83 is disposed above the lower frame 13. The footboard 83 is a flat floor type that is flat from one end of the lean-to vehicle 1 to the other end in the left-right direction.

The rear frame 14 is connected to the rear end of the lower frame 13. The rear frame 14 extends from the rear end of the lower frame 13 toward the rear and upward of the lean vehicle 1. A seat 84 on which passengers, including the driver, are seated is located above the rear frame 14.

The rear arm 15 is connected to the lower part of the rear frame 14. A power unit 85 that drives the rear wheel 82 is supported on the rear of the rear arm 15. The power unit 85 can be, for example, an electric drive motor powered by a battery (not shown).

(pine needle-shaped fork)
The configuration of the pine-needle type fork 20 of the lean vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the pine-needle type fork 20 of the lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pine-needle fork 20 has a left shock absorber 21, a right shock absorber 22, a bracket 23, and a steering shaft 24.

The left shock absorber 21 supports the left end of the axle 811 of the front wheel 81. The right shock absorber 22 supports the right end of the axle 811 of the front wheel 81. The bracket 23 connects the upper end of the left shock absorber 21 to the upper end of the right shock absorber 22, and is located lower than the head pipe 11 in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1 or in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24. The steering shaft 24 extends upward from the bracket 23 in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24. The upper end of the steering shaft 24 is connected to the handlebars 86. The steering shaft 24 is supported by the head pipe 11 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis P of the steering shaft 24.

(Head pipe surrounding structure)
The configuration of the head pipe 11 and its surroundings of the lean vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the head pipe 11 and its surroundings of the lean vehicle 1. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of line IV-IV shown in Figure 1. Note that, for ease of viewing, part of the configuration of the lean vehicle 1 is omitted in Figure 4.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the exterior component parts 30 cover the front side of the head pipe 11 when the lean vehicle 1 is viewed from the front, cover the rear side of the head pipe 11 when viewed from the rear, cover the right side of the head pipe 11 when viewed from the right, or cover the left side of the head pipe 11 when viewed from the left. The exterior component parts 30 include, for example, a front cover 31, a rear cover 32, and a headlight 33. Furthermore, the exterior component parts 30 may include parts such as meters, switches, brake hoses, and lighting devices including indicators, which are not shown.

The internally arranged components 40 are components that are arranged in part or in whole between the inner surface of the exterior component 30 and the head pipe 11. The internally arranged components 40 include wiring materials 41 such as brake hoses, part of which is arranged between the inner surface of the exterior component 30 and the head pipe 11. The internally arranged components 40 may also include components such as an electrical harness, an ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) hydraulic unit, a battery, electrical equipment, a rectifier/regulator, a steering lock mechanism, and a control device including a computing device, all of which are not shown.

The component support stay 50 is located between the exterior component 30 and the head pipe 11. The component support stay 50 extends forward in the fore-and-aft direction of the lean vehicle 1 from the head pipe 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the component support stay 50 has a left portion 551, a right portion 552, and a front portion 553.

The left portion 551 extends in the front-rear direction of the lean vehicle 1 to the left of the center line CL in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1. The right portion 552 extends in the front-rear direction of the lean vehicle 1 to the right of the center line CL in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1. The center line CL passes through the rotation axis P when viewed in the up-down direction of the lean vehicle 1 or in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24, and extends in the front-rear direction of the lean vehicle 1.

The left section 551 and the right section 552 are connected by the front section 553 at the front of the lean vehicle 1 in the fore-and-aft direction.

The component support stay 50 supports at least one of the exterior component 30 or the internal component 40 relative to the head pipe 11.

The front portion 553 has a first fixing portion 511 and a second fixing portion 512. For example, the front cover 31 is fixed to the first fixing portion 511 of the component support stay 50. The headlight 33 is fixed to the second fixing portion 512 of the component support stay 50. As a result, the front cover 31 and headlight 33 as the exterior component 30 are supported by the component support stay 50 relative to the head pipe 11.

In addition, a wiring material 41 is attached to the mounting portion 52 of the component support stay 50. As a result, the wiring material 41 as the internally disposed component 40 is supported relative to the head pipe 11 by the component support stay 50. The wiring material 41 is positioned so as to overlap with the component support stay 50 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1.

The lean vehicle 1 may have other support stays in addition to the component support stay 50. Although not specifically shown, the rear cover 32 may be fixed to the component support stay 50, the front cover 31, or the other support stay.

The steering assist device 60 is an electric power steering drive device that assists the driver of the lean vehicle 1 in steering the vehicle. The steering assist device 60 includes a steering assist motor 61 and a torque transmission mechanism 62.

The steering assist motor 61 has a rotation axis Q that extends along the rotation axis P of the steering shaft 24. The steering assist motor 61 is a motor that outputs torque about the rotation axis Q. The steering assist motor 61 is located between the exterior component 30 and the head pipe 11. The steering assist motor 61 outputs torque to the steering shaft 24 via a torque transmission mechanism 62, which will be described later. The steering assist motor 61 also receives torque from the steering shaft 24 via the torque transmission mechanism 62, which will be described later.

The torque transmission mechanism 62 transmits the torque output by the steering assist motor 61 to the steering shaft 24. The torque transmission mechanism 62 may be any configuration capable of transmitting the torque of the steering assist motor 61 to the steering shaft 24, such as a gear, a link, a belt, or a chain. The torque transmission mechanism 62 is connected to the steering assist motor 61 and the steering shaft 24. The torque transmission mechanism 62 is also configured to rotate the steering shaft 24, for example, by transmitting the torque from the steering assist motor 61 to the upper end of the steering shaft 24. The steering assist motor 61 is supported relative to the steering shaft 24 by the torque transmission mechanism 62. The steering assist motor 61 is located in a range above the bracket 23 of the pine-needle fork 20 and below the lowest end of the handle 86 in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1. The steering assist motor 61 is located in a range RW1 that overlaps with the upper ends of both shock absorbers 21, 22 or with a portion of the bracket 23 when viewed in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the torque sensor 71 is located above the steering shaft 24 in the direction of the rotation axis, and detects the torque between the steering wheel 86 and the steering shaft 24. The steering assist device 60 controls the steering assist motor 61 based on the torque detection result. The lean vehicle 1 may also have a steering angle sensor (not shown). For example, the steering angle of the steering wheel 86 may be detected by the steering angle sensor, and the torque of the steering wheel 86 may be detected by the torque sensor 71, and the steering assist device 60 may control the steering assist motor 61 based on the detected steering angle and torque.

(Positional relationship between steering assist motor and component support stay)
3, 4 and 12, the positional relationship between the steering assist motor 61 and the component support stay 50 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the steering assist motor 61 is disposed such that at least a portion of the component support stay 50 and at least a portion of the steering assist motor 61 overlap when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1. In addition, the steering assist motor 61 is located in a range rearward of the front end edge of the component support stay 50 and forward of the rear end edge of the head pipe 11 in the front-rear direction of the lean vehicle 1.

When the handlebars 86 are operated, the bracket 23, which is located below the head pipe 11 in the pine-needle-shaped fork 20, and the left shock absorber 21 and right shock absorber 22 connected by the bracket 23, swing around the rotation axis P of the steering shaft 24. As a result, the pine-needle-shaped fork 20 can avoid interference with the component support stay 50 supported by the head pipe 11 when swinging.

The steering assist motor 61 is arranged in a position overlapping with the upper ends of both shock absorbers 21, 22 or a part of the bracket 23 when viewed in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1 so that the upper space located above the upper ends of both shock absorbers 21, 22 or above the bracket 23 of the pine-needle-shaped fork 20 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1 is utilized. Note that "above" may mean above in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1, or above in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24. Since the steering assist motor 61 is arranged using the above-mentioned upper space, interference between the pine-needle-shaped fork 20 and the steering assist motor 61 can be avoided even when the pine-needle-shaped fork 20 swings.

The steering assist motor 61 is also positioned so that it overlaps with a portion of the component support stay 50 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1, so that the left-right spaces to the left and right of the steering assist motor 61 are utilized. The component support stay 50 can have a large dimension in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1, as long as it does not interfere with the portion of the pine-needle fork 20 that swings around the rotation axis P. This makes it easy to ensure the vertical dimension required to increase the support rigidity of the component support stay 50 while ensuring the second moment of area of the component support stay 50.

Furthermore, by increasing the dimension of the steering assist motor 61 in the direction of the rotation axis so that a part of the steering assist motor 61 overlaps a part of the component support stay 50 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1, the size of the steering assist motor 61 in the left-right direction can be reduced while maintaining the required performance. Therefore, even if at least a part of the component support stay 50 and at least a part of the steering assist motor 61 are arranged so that they overlap when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1, the size of the space occupied by the component support stay 50 and the steering assist motor 61 in the left-right direction can be further reduced. Therefore, a space extending in the vertical direction can be secured to the left and right of the component support stay 50 and the steering assist motor 61 in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1.

In this way, in the above-mentioned configuration, the steering assist motor 61 is positioned in the upper space above the pine-needle-shaped fork 20 so as not to interfere with the swinging pine-needle-shaped fork 20, while the component support stay 50 is positioned in the left and right spaces to the left and right of the steering assist motor 61.

As a result, in a scooter-type lean vehicle 1 where the space between the inner surface of the exterior component 30 and the side of the head pipe 11 is restricted, even if the steering assist motor 61 is provided within the space covered by the exterior component 30, the design freedom of storage boxes and the like that utilize the above space can be increased. Moreover, space can be secured for the arrangement of the internally disposed components 40 that are disposed inward of the exterior component 30. In addition, the vertical rigidity of the component support stay 50 can be increased.

This allows for greater freedom in designing the front accessories that are installed at the front of the lean vehicle 1.

Also, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the steering assist motor 61 is configured so that its maximum width W1 in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1 is smaller than the dimension L1 in the rotational axis direction of the steering assist motor 61. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the maximum width W2 of the steering assist motor 61 in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1 is smaller than the spacing W3 of the component support stay 50 in the left-right direction. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the steering assist motor 61 is configured so that at least a portion of the steering assist motor 61 is located between the leftmost edge 5511 and the rightmost edge 5521 of the component support stay 50 when viewed in the rotational axis direction of the steering shaft 24.

The above-mentioned configuration reduces the width of the space occupied by the steering assist motor and the component support stay in the left-right direction.

As a result, a space can be secured in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1 that extends vertically to the left and right of the component support stay 50 and the steering assist motor 61.

As a result, even if a steering assist motor 61 is provided, the design freedom of the storage box and the like is increased, and space can be secured for arranging the internal components 40 that are placed inside the exterior components 30.

This allows for greater freedom in designing the front accessories that are installed at the front of the lean vehicle 1.

Note that the steering assist motor 61 does not have to be positioned so that at least a portion of the steering assist motor 61 is located between the leftmost edge 5511 and the rightmost edge 5521 of the component support stay 50 when viewed in the rotational axis direction of the steering shaft 24. Furthermore, the steering assist motor 61 does not have to overlap with the component support stay 50 when viewed in the up-down direction of the lean vehicle 1.

The maximum width W1 of the steering assist motor 61 may be greater than or equal to the dimension L1 in the direction of the rotation axis. The maximum width W1 of the steering assist motor 61 may be greater than or equal to the distance W3 in the left-right direction of the component support stay 50.

In the above-described configuration, the internally disposed components 40 include a wiring material 41. The wiring material 41 is arranged in a position overlapping with the component support stay 50 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1. This allows the wiring material 41 to be arranged together with the component support stay 50, utilizing the space to the left or right of the steering assist motor 61. This improves the spatial efficiency of the arrangement of the internally disposed components 40.

<First Modification of First Embodiment>
A lean vehicle 1A according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lean vehicle 1A according to the first modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lean vehicle 1A according to the first modified example, and corresponds to Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a view of the lean vehicle 1A according to the first modified example when the steering wheel 86 is steered to the right. Fig. 8 is a view of the lean vehicle 1A according to the first modified example when the steering wheel 86 is steered to the left. The lean vehicle 1A according to the first modified example differs from the lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment in that it has a storage box 87 as an internally arranged part 40. In the following description of the first modified example, the same reference numerals are used for the parts common to the lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lean vehicle 1A has storage boxes 87 to the left and right of the head pipe 11 and steering shaft 24 when viewed in the top-bottom direction of the lean vehicle 1A. The storage boxes 87 include a left storage box 871 located to the left of the steering shaft 24 and a right storage box 872 located to the right of the steering shaft 24 in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1A.

When viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24, the front edge 8701 of the storage box 87 is located forward of the rear edge 612 of the steering assist motor 61 in the fore-and-aft direction of the lean vehicle 1A. Also, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24, the storage box 87 is located at a position overlapping at least a portion of the bracket 23. Furthermore, the left storage box 871 is located at a position overlapping with the upper end of the left shock absorber 21 and a portion of the bracket 23. The right storage box 872 is located at a position overlapping with the upper end of the right shock absorber 22 and a portion of the bracket 23.

Also, referring to FIG. 7, when the handlebars 86 (see FIG. 1, etc.) are steered to the right to rotate the front wheel 81 together with the pine-needle fork 20 in one direction RT1 around the rotation axis P of the steering shaft, the left storage box 871 may be located in a position overlapping with a part of the bracket 23 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24. Also, the right storage box 872 may be located in a position overlapping with the upper end of the right shock absorber 22 and a part of the bracket 23.

Also, referring to FIG. 8, when the handlebars 86 (see FIG. 1, etc.) are steered to the left to rotate the front wheel 81 together with the pine-needle fork 20 to the other side RT2 around the rotation axis P of the steering shaft, the left storage box 871 may be located in a position overlapping the upper end of the left shock absorber 21 and part of the bracket 23 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24. Also, the right storage box 872 may be located in a position overlapping part of the bracket 23.

As shown in FIG. 5, when viewed in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1A, the front edge 8701 of the storage box 87 may be located forward of the rear edge 612 of the steering assist motor 61 in the longitudinal direction of the lean vehicle 1A.

The storage box 87 is positioned so as to overlap the steering assist motor 61 when viewed from the left to right of the lean vehicle 1A.

In the above-described configuration, the storage box 87 can be arranged in a space covered by the exterior component parts 30, for example, in a positional relationship overlapping with the steering assist motor 61 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1A. As a result, at least one of the left and right sides of the steering shaft 24 can be secured in the space covered by the exterior component parts 30, located to the left or right of the steering assist motor 61, and extending forward and backward in the fore-and-aft direction of the lean vehicle 1A. Therefore, the design freedom of the storage box 87 can be improved by using the space located to the left or right of the steering assist motor 61. This allows the storage capacity of the storage box 87 to be improved.

The storage box 87 is arranged such that, when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1A, the lower edge 8702 of the storage box 87 is located lower than the upper edge 613 of the steering assist motor 61 in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24. Note that, when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1A, the lower edge 8702 of the storage box 87 may be located lower than the upper edge 613 of the steering assist motor 61 in the up-down direction of the lean vehicle 1A.

In the above-described configuration, the storage box 87 can be arranged in the space covered by the exterior component parts 30, for example, in a positional relationship where it overlaps with the steering assist motor 61 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1A. As a result, on at least one of the left and right sides of the steering shaft 24, in the space covered by the exterior component parts 30, a space extending up and down in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1A can be secured without being restricted by the steering assist motor 61. This improves the design freedom of the storage box 87. This allows the storage capacity of the storage box 87 to be improved.

Also, as explained with reference to Figures 7 and 8, whether the handlebars 86 are steered to the right or left, the storage box 87 can be positioned using the space that does not allow the left shock absorber 21, the right shock absorber 22, and the bracket 23 to interfere with the storage box 87. In other words, the storage box 87 can be positioned using the space located above the left shock absorber 21, the right shock absorber 22, and the bracket 23.

<Modification 2 of First Embodiment>
A lean vehicle 1B according to a modified example 2 of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lean vehicle 1B according to the modified example 2 of the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to Fig. 5. Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lean vehicle 1B according to the modified example 2 of the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to Fig. 6. The lean vehicle 1B according to the modified example 2 is different from the lean vehicle 1A according to the modified example 1 in that the storage box 87 has a connection portion 873 and the component support stay 50 has a left and right connecting portion 555. In the following description of the modified example 2, the same reference numerals are used for the parts common to the lean vehicle 1A according to the modified example 1, and detailed description thereof will not be repeated. In addition, for ease of viewing the figure, the front wheels 81, both shock absorbers 21 and 22, the bracket 23, and the wiring material 41 are omitted in Fig. 10.

The storage box 87 includes a left storage box 871, a right storage box 872, and a connection portion 873. The connection portion 873 extends in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1B. The connection portion 873 connects the left storage box 871 and the right storage box 872 to each other.

The connection portion 873 is located below the lower end edge of the steering assist motor 61 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1B. A portion of the connection portion 873 overlaps with the steering assist motor 61 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24.

In the above-described configuration, the storage box 87 is located to the left or right of the steering assist motor 61 within the space covered by the exterior component 30, and can utilize the space extending vertically in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1B.

In addition, the connection portion 873, which is part of the storage box 87, is located below the lower edge of the steering assist motor 61 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1B. This allows the space below the steering assist motor 61 to be used.

This allows for even greater freedom in designing the storage box 87. This allows for even greater storage capacity for the storage box 87.

The component support stay 50 has a left portion 551, a right portion 552, a front portion 553, and left and right connecting portions 555.

The left/right connecting portion 555 connects the left portion 551 and the right portion 552 in the left/right direction of the lean vehicle 1B.

The left and right connecting parts 555 are located below the lower end of the steering assist motor 61 when viewed in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 1B. The left and right connecting parts 555 overlap with the steering assist motor 61 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft 24.

The component support stay 50 is positioned using not only the space to the left or right of the steering assist motor 61, but also the space below it. This improves the rigidity of the component support stay 50.

<Embodiment 2>
A lean vehicle 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lean vehicle 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a view corresponding to Fig. 4. The lean vehicle 2 according to the second embodiment differs from the lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment in that it has a steering lock mechanism 73. In the following description of the second embodiment, the parts common to the lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 11, the component support stay 55 does not branch out to the left or right, but has a single extension portion 500 that extends forward from the head pipe 11 in the fore-and-aft direction of the lean vehicle 2. The front portion 503 is located in front of the extension portion 500 in the fore-and-aft direction of the lean vehicle 2. The front portion 503 has a first fixing portion 511 and a second fixing portion 512.

The steering lock mechanism 73 is located to the right of the head pipe 11 in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 2. The steering lock mechanism 73 is located to the right of the center line CL in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 2. When viewed in the up-down direction of the lean vehicle 2, the center line CL passes through the rotation axis P and extends in the front-rear direction of the lean vehicle 2. The steering lock mechanism 73 is operated by a switch or the like (not shown). The steering lock mechanism 73 restricts the rotation of the steering shaft 24 when the switch is in the on state. The steering lock mechanism 73 releases the restriction on the rotation of the steering shaft 24 when the switch is in the off state. The steering lock mechanism 73 is also located to the right of the rightmost edge 502 of the component support stay 50.

The steering assist motor 61 and the rotation axis Q are located to the left of the center line CL in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 2 when viewed in the up-down direction of the lean vehicle 2. In addition, the right end edge 614 of the steering assist motor 61 is located to the left of the leftmost edge 501 of the component support stay 50 when viewed in the up-down direction of the lean vehicle 2. In other words, the steering assist motor 61 is located on the opposite side of the steering lock mechanism 73 with respect to the center line CL in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 2. With the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to secure space forward of the front end edge 611 of the steering assist motor 61. In addition, by arranging the steering assist motor 61 to the left of the center line CL in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle 2, it is also possible to increase the dimensions of the right storage box 872, for example. In addition, the design freedom of the driver's leg space is also improved.

The right storage box 872 is located to the right and in front of the steering lock mechanism 73 in the space within the front cover 31 and the rear cover 32.

In addition, when viewed in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 2, the left storage box 871 is located rearward of the rear end edge 612 of the steering assist motor 61.

<Other embodiments>
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above-mentioned embodiment is merely an example for carrying out the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the above-mentioned embodiment can be appropriately modified and carried out without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the saddle-type vehicle is a lean vehicle 1, 1A, 1B, or 2. However, the saddle-type vehicle does not have to be a lean vehicle. The saddle-type vehicle may be, for example, an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) having a saddle-type seat.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the steering motor is a steering assist motor 61. However, the steering motor may be a motor that performs steering without the occupant operating the steering wheel, rather than a motor that outputs torque to assist the occupant in operating the steering wheel. In other words, the saddle-type vehicle may have a steering device that performs steering using the steering motor.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the steering assist motor 61 is located in a range RW1 that overlaps with the upper ends of both shock absorbers 21, 22 or part of the bracket 23 when viewed in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 1. However, the steering assist motor may be located in a position that overlaps with the upper ends of the shock absorbers or part of the bracket when viewed in the direction of the rotational axis of the steering shaft. In addition, the steering assist motor may be located in a position that overlaps with the upper end of the shock absorber or part of the bracket when viewed in either the vertical direction of the lean vehicle or the direction of the rotational axis of the steering shaft.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the maximum width W1 in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle is configured to be smaller than the dimension L1 in the rotational axis direction of the steering assist motor 61. However, in each of the above-described embodiments, the dimension in the rotational axis direction of the steering assist motor and the maximum width in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle can be set arbitrarily according to the performance required of the steering assist motor. For example, the maximum width in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle may be configured to be larger than the dimension in the rotational axis direction of the steering assist motor. Also, the dimension in the rotational axis direction of the steering assist motor and the maximum width in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle may be the same.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the maximum width W1 in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle is configured to be smaller than the dimension L1 in the rotational axis direction of the steering assist motor 61. However, the maximum width in the front-rear direction of the lean vehicle may be configured to be smaller than the dimension in the rotational axis direction of the steering assist motor. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the steering assist motor in the front-rear direction while maintaining the required performance. Furthermore, if the size of the steering assist motor in the front-rear direction is reduced, it becomes possible to position the steering assist motor closer to the head pipe. This makes it possible to reduce the moment of the steering assist device in the direction of gravity, thereby improving the support rigidity of the steering assist device.

In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the meter may be fixed as an exterior component in a position that is easily visible to the driver in the lean vehicle, such as the top of the head pipe.

Although not specifically explained in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, in the longitudinal direction of the lean vehicle, the distance between the front end edge of the steering assist motor and the inner surface of the exterior component may be smaller or larger than the distance between the rear end edge of the steering assist motor and the rear end edge of the head pipe. Also, in the longitudinal direction of the lean vehicle, the distance between the front end edge of the steering assist motor and the inner surface of the exterior component may be the same as the distance between the rear end edge of the steering assist motor and the rear end edge of the head pipe.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the power unit 85 drives the rear wheels 82. However, the power unit may also drive the front wheels. Furthermore, the power unit may be powered by an internal combustion engine rather than an electric drive motor. Furthermore, the power unit may not be supported by the rear arm, but may be supported by a part of the body frame other than the rear arm.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the body frame 10 has a head pipe 11, a front frame 12, a lower frame 13, a rear frame 14, and a rear arm 15. However, the body frame may have a structure such as a single cradle or double cradle frame.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the footboard 83 of the lean vehicles 1, 1A, 1B, and 2 is a flat floor type that is flat from one end to the other end in the left-right direction of the lean vehicle. However, in a lean vehicle, a center tunnel may be disposed in the center of the lean vehicle in the left-right direction. In other words, the footboard may be divided into two parts, one on the left side and one on the right side of the center tunnel.

In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the right end edge 614 of the steering assist motor 61 is located to the left of the leftmost edge 501 of the component support stay 50 when viewed in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle 2. However, if the steering lock mechanism is located to the left of the head pipe in the horizontal direction of the lean vehicle, or if the lean vehicle does not have a steering lock mechanism, the left end edge of the steering assist motor may be located to the right of the rightmost edge of the component support stay when viewed in the vertical direction of the lean vehicle.

1, 1A, 1B, 2 Lean vehicle 10 Vehicle body frame 11 Head pipe 12 Front frame 13 Lower frame 14 Rear frame 15 Rear arm 20 Pine-needle fork 21 Left shock absorber 22 Right shock absorber 23 Bracket 24 Steering shaft 30 Exterior component 31 Front cover 32 Rear cover 33 Headlight 40 Internally disposed component 41 Routing material 50, 55 Component support stay 500 Extension portion 501 Leftmost edge 502 Rightmost edge 503 Front portion 511 First fixing portion 512 Second fixing portion 52 Mounting portion 551 Left portion 5511 Leftmost edge 552 Right portion 5521 Rightmost edge 553 Front portion 555 Left and right connecting portion 60 Steering assist device 61 Steering assist motor 611 Front end edge 612 Rear end edge 613 Upper end edge 614 Right end edge 62 Torque transmission mechanism 62
71 Torque sensor 73 Steering lock mechanism 81 Front wheel 82 Rear wheel 83 Footboard 84 Seat 85 Power unit 86 Handle 87 Storage box 871 Left storage box 872 Right storage box 873 Connection portion 8701 Front edge 8702 Lower edge P, Q Rotation axis

Claims (6)

A body frame having a head pipe at a front portion;
A front wheel having an axle extending in the left-right direction of the saddle-type vehicle;
a pine-needle-shaped fork including a left shock absorber supporting a left end of an axle of the front wheel, a right shock absorber supporting a right end of the axle of the front wheel, a bracket connecting an upper end of the left shock absorber and an upper end of the right shock absorber and positioned lower than the head pipe in the vertical direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle, and a steering shaft extending upward from the bracket, connected at its upper end to a handlebar, and supported by the head pipe to be rotatable about a rotation axis;
an exterior component that covers a front side surface of the head pipe when viewed from the front, a rear side surface of the head pipe when viewed from the rear, a right side surface of the head pipe when viewed from the right, or a left side surface of the head pipe when viewed from the left;
an internally disposed component, at least a portion of which is disposed between an inner surface of the exterior component and a side surface of the head pipe;
a component support stay that is located between the exterior component and the head pipe, extends forward from the head pipe in a front-to-rear direction of the saddle riding type vehicle, and supports at least one of the exterior component and the internally disposed component with respect to the head pipe;
a steering motor that is located between the exterior component and the head pipe and outputs torque to the steering shaft via a torque transmission mechanism that is capable of transmitting torque to the steering shaft;
having
The steering motor is
The suspension is disposed at a position that overlaps with the upper end of the left shock absorber, the upper end of the right shock absorber, or a part of the bracket when viewed in the vertical direction of the saddle-type vehicle or in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft, utilizing an upper space located above the upper end of the left shock absorber, the upper end of the right shock absorber, or the bracket of the pine-needle fork, and
The steering motor is disposed in a position overlapping with a portion of the component support stay when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle-ride type vehicle so that left and right spaces located on the left and right of the steering motor are utilized. The saddle type vehicle according to claim 1,
The internal components include a storage box,
the storage box is located at least one of the left and right of the steering shaft in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle,
The storage box is arranged by utilizing a space located above the left shock absorber, the right shock absorber, and the bracket, which swing in accordance with the rotation of the steering shaft, and to the right or left of the steering motor.
When viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the steering shaft, the bracket is positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the bracket, and
Located at a position overlapping with the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle.
Saddle-type vehicle. The saddle type vehicle according to claim 2,
The internal components include a storage box,
the storage box is located at least one of the left and right of the steering shaft in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle,
At least a portion of the storage box is located below a lower end edge of the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle.
Saddle-type vehicle. 2. The lean vehicle according to claim 1,
At least a portion of the component support stay is located below a lower end of the steering motor when viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle.
Saddle-type vehicle. 5. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1,
The internally disposed component includes a wiring material,
When viewed in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle, the wiring material is disposed at a position overlapping with the component support stay.
Saddle-type vehicle. The saddle type vehicle according to claim 1,
The steering motor is
A maximum width in the left-right direction of the saddle riding type vehicle is smaller than a dimension in the direction of a rotation axis of the steering motor,
At least a part of the steering motor is positioned between a rightmost edge and a leftmost edge of the component support stay when viewed in a vertical direction of the saddle riding type vehicle.
Saddle-type vehicle.

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