Motorcycle steering using compound leverage

Abstract

A compound lever motorcycle steering mechanism comprised of an upper and lower lever parallel and adjacent to one another. With one lever being attached at a right angle to a shaft inside a collar or bearing to form a second axis adjacent to, and parallel with the axis where the front forks of the motorcycle are attached by another shaft to the main frame of the motorcycle. Said lever also having an attachment for a handlebar or set of handlebars, as well as a second shaft, pin, or bolt protruding at a right angle from the lever, and into a longitudinal slot, opening, or channel in the second lever, of a width only minimally larger than the diameter of said protruding shaft to sufficiently allow fore and aft movement of same through the slotted second shaft, which is rigidly attached or affixed to the front forks.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention is related to a means of steering a motorcycle, and more specifically a means of improving the prior art of existing motorcycles, using fork-mounted handlebars attached to the main frame of the motorcycle at a vertical axis, by adding a variable leverage advantage system requiring less physical effort from the rider to steer the motorcycle, while also reducing the necessary width of the handlebars.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The existing art for the turning or steering of motorcycles has for the most part, changed very little since the advent of the first commercially available motorcycles nearly a century ago. Today, nearly all motorcycles still employ the same means of steering or turning as was first used not only on those early motorcycles, but also the common bicycle. In this common, or bicycle style of forks, the front wheel of the motorcycle is attached to the front forks by a horizontal axle, with the forks then attached to the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The device is a steering system for motorcycles that allows for the use of narrower handlebars. It includes a second, vertical axis rotatably coupled to the frame of the motorcycle and two horizontal levers that are engaged with each other through a fixed pin. The device also includes a lower lever that is rigidly attached to the front forks and a channel or opening through which a pin may pass to connect with the upper lever. The technical effect of this device is to provide a more compact and streamlined motorcycle steering system."

Problems solved by technology

However, there is one characteristic to this method of steering the motorcycle that is disadvantageous.

The disadvantage of the handlebar width is that it tends to increase the amount of wind resistance the motorcycle encounters while traveling forward in two ways.

These openings in the fairing necessitated by the width of the handlebar result in the interruption of the aerodynamic surface of the fairing, therefore resulting in a cessation of laminar or smooth airflow over the fairing surface, and thus increase wind resistance and aerodynamic drag.

Although there are a few other existing prior art variations to the means of steering a motorcycle other than the common, or bicycle style handlebars and forks as described above, the subject device is not intended to be applied, implemented or used with those variations.

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