BUELL MOTORCYCLE COMPANY Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20100270098 | MOTORCYCLE WITH MOVABLE EXHAUST SYSTEM - A motorcycle including a swingarm that movably mounts a rear wheel to a main frame of the motorcycle and defines a hollow portion through which exhaust gases are passed before being expelled from an outlet of the swingarm. A movable joint may be provided between a header and the swingarm, including a first portion fixed relative to the main frame, a second portion movable relative to the main frame, and a flexible conduit between the first and second portions. The movable joint may be coincident with the pivot axis. In some constructions, the hollow portion of the swingarm is divided into at least three chambers, and a plurality of pipes is configured to provide at least two flow direction reversals within the swingarm between an inlet and an outlet, with multiple volumetric expansions between the inlet and the outlet. | 10-28-2010 |
20100230200 | RADIATOR MOUNTING FOR A MOTORCYCLE - A motorcycle including at least two wheels. The at least two wheels include a front wheel and a rear wheel, the rear wheel defining a rotational axis. The motorcycle includes an engine for driving at least one of the wheels. A radiator assembly includes a radiator configured to receive coolant from the engine and dissipate heat from the coolant. The radiator assembly further includes an inlet guide configured to direct air toward the radiator. The inlet guide has an inlet opening positioned closer to the rear wheel than the front wheel. At least a portion of the inlet opening is positioned below the rotational axis of the rear wheel. | 09-16-2010 |
20100096208 | RADIATOR COIL MOUNTED ON A MOTORCYCLE - A motorcycle includes a frame having a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, and a centrally-located longitudinal axis extending through the front and the rear. The longitudinal axis defines a vertical plane. An engine is supported by the frame. A radiator coil is coupled to the frame and spaced apart from the vertical plane. A shroud is coupled to the frame and at least partially surrounds the radiator coil. The shroud directs an airflow through the radiator coil and toward the vertical plane as the airflow passes in the rearward direction. The shroud directs the airflow downwardly as the airflow passes through the radiator coil in the rearward direction. | 04-22-2010 |
20090255365 | PIEZOELECTRIC VIBRATION ABSORPTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - Piezoelectric vibration absorption system and method. In one embodiment, the invention provides a rider interface that includes a surface. A vibration dampening assembly is affixed to the surface. The vibration dampening assembly includes a piezoelectric element. A load element is electrically connected to the vibration dampening assembly such that the vibration dampening assembly dampens vibrations of the rider interface. | 10-15-2009 |
20090160343 | ALTERNATING HEADLIGHTS AND METHOD OF OPERATING - A multi-headlight assembly of a motorcycle includes a pair of headlights. A first one of the pair of headlights includes a low power main lamp and a second one of the pair of headlights includes a high power main lamp, the low power main lamp being configured to illuminate in a first operating condition and the high power main lamp being configured to illuminate in a second operating condition. A secondary lamp is associated with one of the pair of headlights and is configured to illuminate when the main lamp of the other one of the pair of headlights is illuminated. The secondary lamp is of a lower power than the low power main lamp. | 06-25-2009 |
20090000862 | MOTORCYCLE EXHAUST SYSTEM - An exhaust system for a motorcycle engine includes a muffler assembly. The muffler assembly includes a downstream attenuation portion adapted to be positioned substantially rearward of the motorcycle engine and having a first height, an upstream portion adapted to be positioned substantially forward of the motorcycle engine and having a second height, and an intermediate attenuation portion between the upstream portion and the downstream attenuation portion. The intermediate attenuation portion is adapted to be positioned substantially below the motorcycle engine and has a third height less than half the first height. In some embodiments, a motorcycle is provided, in which the motorcycle engine is positioned substantially within a recess of the muffler assembly to a depth greater than the third height. | 01-01-2009 |
20080314671 | RADIATOR MOUNTING FOR A MOTORCYCLE - A motorcycle having at least one front wheel, at least one rear wheel, an engine for driving at least one of the weeks, coolant positioned at least partially in the engine, and a radiator assembly containing at least a portion of the coolant. In one aspect of the invention, the radiator assembly includes a radiator having an upper portion that is positioned forward of a lower portion (e.g., by at least about 15 degrees relative to a vertical axis). In a different aspect, the radiator has an inlet surface into which air is received and an outlet surface through which air is expelled. In this aspect, the inlet surface faces downward (e.g., by at least about 15 degrees relative to a horizontal axis). In another aspect, the radiator assembly further includes an inlet guide positioned near the inlet surface and having an inlet opening. In this aspect, at least a portion of the inlet opening is positioned at an elevation lower than the outlet surface. Preferably, the inlet opening is positioned at an elevation below the top surface of the front wheel, and most preferably below the rotational axis of the front wheel. In one embodiment, the inlet opening is positioned below the seat. In yet another aspect, the radiator assembly further includes both an inlet guide positioned near the inlet surface and having an inlet opening, and an outlet guide positioned near the outlet surface and having an outlet opening. In this aspect, at least a portion of the outlet opening is positioned at an elevation higher than the inlet opening. | 12-25-2008 |
20080314670 | FUEL PUMP MOUNTING FOR A MOTORCYCLE - A motorcycle having at least two wheels, a fuel tank for storing fuel, a fuel pump positioned in an opening in the fuel tank, and a retaining clip (e.g., a snap ring, circlip, a cotter pin, a hair pin, a clevis pin, a roll pin, an e-clip, a c-clip, a retainer spring, or a toothed washer) securing the fuel pump in the opening. In one embodiment, the opening is adapted to receive the fuel pump in an axial direction, and the opening is formed by a seal surface (e.g., substantially cylindrical in shape) that is substantially parallel to the axial direction. In this embodiment, the fuel pump includes a pump housing and a gasket (e.g., an O-ring) positioned between the pump housing and the seal surface. | 12-25-2008 |
20080314669 | MOTORCYCLE AIRBOX WITH FLOW-ENHANCING SHAPE - A motorcycle having a frame, at least two wheels mounted for rotation relative to the frame, an engine coupled to the frame, and an air intake system coupled to the engine. The air intake system includes an intake port having an intake axis along which air enters the intake port, and an airbox having an inlet opening in communication with the atmosphere and an outlet opening in communication with the intake port. The airbox further includes a contoured baffle positioned adjacent the intake port and adapted to guide air from the inlet opening toward and into the intake port. The contoured baffle preferably includes a guide surface (e.g., a three-dimensionally contoured surface that approximates a tractroid) positioned substantially in alignment with the intake axis. For example, a least one tangent line of the guide surface can pass through the intake port. | 12-25-2008 |