Motorcycle

A motorcycle includes front and rear brakes that respectively brake a front wheel and a rear wheel, an ABS unit that controls braking force of the brakes, pipes connecting each of the brakes and the ABS unit, a swing arm swingably supported on a body frame, and a rear cushion unit connecting the swing arm to the body frame and located in front of the rear wheel which is supported on a rear end portion of the swing arm. Further, the rear cushion unit is located on a body centerline, extending longitudinally while passing through the center in a vehicle width direction. Additionally, the ABS unit is located rearward of the rear cushion unit and on the body centerline.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improvement in a motorcycle. The present invention is suitable for a motorcycle including an ABS and a front and rear wheel interlocking brake device.

According to the related art, a motorcycle is known including an ABS unit that controls the lock of the front and rear wheels to prevent a skid, and a rear cushion unit passed between the body frame and the swing arm to mitigate impact from the rear wheel. More specifically, according to FIG. 4 of JP-A No. 2006-192980, a rear cushion unit 38 is located on a body centerline 91, and an ABS unit 64 is located so as to be offset in the vehicle width direction with respect to the rear cushion unit 38.

When the ABS unit 64 that is a relatively heavy object is located so as to be offset in the vehicle width direction, it is difficult to optimize the left-right weight distribution of the motorcycle.

In addition, since the piping length becomes long unless piping to the brake is installed along the side to which the ABS unit 64 is offset in the body of the motorcycle, improved freedom of piping is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A motorcycle is described which facilitates optimization of the left-right weight distribution of the body, and also makes it possible to increase the freedom of brake piping.

In an aspect of the invention, a motorcycle includes, front and rear brakes that respectively brake a front wheel and a rear wheel; an ABS unit that controls braking force of the brakes; pipes connecting each of the brakes and the ABS unit; a swing arm swingably supported on a body frame; and a rear cushion unit connecting the swing arm to the body frame and located in front of the rear wheel supported on a rear end portion of the swing arm, in which the rear cushion unit is located on a body centerline extending longitudinally while passing through the center in a vehicle width direction, and wherein the ABS unit is located rearward of the rear cushion unit and on the body centerline.

In another aspect of the invention, a lower end of the rear cushion unit is linked to the swing arm via a linking member, and an axis of the rear cushion unit extends in a generally vertical direction.

In another aspect of the invention, the swing arm includes a pair of arm portions extending longitudinally on the left and right sides of the rear wheel, and a swing arm cross member linking between the pair of arm portions in front of the rear wheel, and the ABS unit is located above the swing arm cross member.

In an aspect of the invention, the body frame includes a pair of left and right seat rails extending rearward from a central portion thereof to support a seat, and a cushion unit cross member laterally linking the left and right seat rails to one another and supporting an upper end portion of the rear cushion unit, and the ABS unit is secured to the upper cross member and the left and right seat rails.

In an aspect of the invention, the rear brake includes a rear brake disc attached to the rear wheel, a rear brake caliper that pinches the rear brake disc to apply braking, and a rear master cylinder that supplies brake fluid pressure to the brake caliper, and the master cylinder and the ABS unit are located so as to overlap in vehicle side view.

In still another aspect of the invention, braking force is distributed to the front wheel and the rear wheel by an interlocking brake control unit, and the interlocking brake control unit is located between the rear cushion unit and the body frame in the vehicle width direction.

In another aspect of the invention, the ABS unit is formed with a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and wherein, input pipes, to which brake fluid pressure is inputted from operating members provided to respective front wheel and rear wheel brakes, are connected to a rear back surface of the ABS unit, and output pipes, from which control brake fluid pressure is outputted in the ABS unit, are connected to an upper surface of the ABS unit.

In an above aspect of the invention, the rear cushion unit is located on a body centerline extending longitudinally while passing through the center in a vehicle width direction, and the ABS unit is located in rearward of the rear cushion unit and on the body centerline. Since the rear cushion unit and the ABS unit are relatively heavy objects and are located on the body centerline, the left-right weight distribution can be optimized, and the maneuverability of the motorcycle can be improved.

In addition, since the freedom of piping of the brake pipes connected to the respective brakes along the side portion of the body from the ABS unit located on the body centerline increases, and the piping length can be shortened, the resulting weight reduction and fluid loss reduction allow for improved feel when braking.

In another above described aspect of the invention, a lower end of the rear cushion unit is linked to the swing arm via a linking member, and an axis of the rear cushion unit extends in a generally vertical direction. Thus, by linking the rear cushion unit to the swing arm via the linking member, and causing the axis of the rear cushion unit to extend in a generally vertical direction, when the rear cushion unit is located in the center portion in the longitudinal direction of the body, the ABS unit can be located in close proximity rearward of the rear cushion unit. Thus, concentration of mass can be facilitated, and improved maneuverability and compactness of the motorcycle can be achieved.

In another one of the above aspects of the invention, the swing arm includes a pair of arm portions extending longitudinally on the left and right of the rear wheel, and a swing arm cross member linking between the arm portions in front of the rear wheel, and the ABS unit is located above the swing arm cross member. Since the portion of the ABS unit on the lower side of the body can be thus protected by the swing arm cross member, the number of members for performing protection can be reduced. In addition, there is no need for improved strength, allowing the ABS unit to be protected by means of a lightweight structure.

In another one of the above aspects of the invention, the body frame includes a pair of left and right seat rails extending rearward from a central portion thereof to support a seat, and a cushion unit cross member laterally linking the left and right seat rails to one another and supporting an upper end portion of the rear cushion unit, and the ABS unit is secured to the cushion unit cross member and the left and right seat rails. Thus, by securing the ABS unit to members on three sides, namely the cushion unit cross member and the left and right seat rails, it is possible to firmly secure the ABS unit in place to reduce vibration while making the fastening member for the ABS unit compact for weight reduction.

In another one of the above aspects of the invention, the rear brake includes a rear brake disc attached to the rear wheel, a rear brake caliper that pinches the rear brake disc to apply braking, and a rear master cylinder that supplies brake fluid pressure to the rear brake caliper, and the rear master cylinder and the ABS unit are located so as to overlap in vehicle side view. Thus, since the ABS unit and the rear master cylinder can be located in close proximity to each other in the vehicle width direction, and the piping length between the ABS unit and the rear master cylinder can be shortened, fluid loss decreases, thereby making it possible to attain a direct operational feel when braking.

In another one of the above aspects of the invention, braking force is distributed to the front wheel and the rear wheel by an interlocking brake control unit, and the interlocking brake control unit is located between the rear cushion unit and the body frame in the vehicle width direction. Thus, since the interlocking brake control unit can be located in close proximity to the ABS unit by making effective use of the dead space in the body, the piping length between the ABS unit and the interlocking brake control unit can be shortened to achieve fluid loss reduction and weight reduction, and it is possible to attain a direct operational feel when braking. In addition, the rear cushion unit, the ABS unit, and the interlocking brake control unit can be brought into close proximity to each other to achieve concentration of mass.

In another one of the above aspects of the invention, the ABS unit has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and wherein, input pipes, to which brake fluid pressure is inputted from operating members provided to the respective front wheel and rear wheel brakes, are connected to a rear surface of the ABS unit, and output pipes, from which control brake fluid pressure is outputted from the ABS unit, are connected to an upper surface of the ABS unit. Thus, by providing the pipe connecting portions in the upper surface and back surface of the ABS unit, interference between the input pipes and output pipes, and the swing arm located below the ABS unit, can be avoided to increase the freedom of arrangement of the ABS unit. In addition, since the output pipes connected to the upper surface of the ABS unit can be easily routed along the side portion of the body, the output pipes can be shortened, and fluid loss reduction and weight reduction can be achieved.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that the terms left, right, front, and rear in the following description indicate directions relative to the rider riding on a vehicle. Also, the drawings are to be viewed in the directions of reference numerals and characters.

An example of the present invention will be described. The arrow (FRONT) in the drawings indicates the front side of the vehicle.

As shown inFIG. 1, a body frame11of a motorcycle10mainly includes a pair of left and right main frames13,14(only reference numeral14on the foreground side is shown) extending obliquely downwards to the rear from a head pipe, a pair of left and right pivot plates16,17(only reference numeral17on the foreground side is shown) attached to the rear ends of the main frames13,14, a pair of left and right seat rails18,19(only reference numeral19on the foreground side is shown) attached to the main frames13,14and the pivot plates16,17, a pair of left and right down frames21,22(only reference numeral22on the foreground side is shown) extending below the main frames13,14from the head pipe obliquely downwards to the rear, and an upper cross member23as a cushion unit cross member passed between the left and right seat rails18,19.

A plurality of reinforcing pipes25are passed between the main frames13,14and the down frames21,22so as to form a plurality of triangles. Therefore, the body frame11becomes lightweight, and also its rigidity can be enhanced.

The seat rails18,19each include an upper rail27and a lower rail28. A plurality of reinforcing pipes31are passed between the upper rail27and the lower rail28.

In addition, the motorcycle10includes an engine33attached to the pivot plates16,17and the down frames21,22, a swing arm36attached to the pivot plates16,17via a pivot shaft34so as to be vertically swingable, a rear wheel37attached to the rear end portion of the swing arm36, a link mechanism38as a linking member passed to each of the pivot plates16,17and the swing arm36, a rear cushion unit41passed to each of the upper cross member23and the link mechanism38, a modulator42as an ABS unit, which is located in rear of the rear cushion unit41and attached to the seat rails18,19and the upper cross member23to form a part of an ABS (Anti-lock Brake System), and a rear wheel disc brake43as a brake that brakes the rear wheel37.

A brake device including the modulator42and the rear wheel disc brake43will be described with reference to the next drawing.

In the drawings, reference numerals51to53each denote an engine support member for attaching the engine33to the body frame11, reference numeral54denotes a first step bracket attached to the pivot plates16,17, reference numeral56denotes a rider's step attached to the first step bracket54, reference numeral57denotes a brake pedal for the rear wheel which serves as an operating member, reference numeral58denotes a second step bracket attached to the seat rails18,19, reference numeral61denotes a pillion's step attached to the second step bracket58, and reference numeral62denotes a rear fender that covers the top of the rear wheel37.

As shown inFIG. 2, a brake device80includes a brake lever81as an operating member attached to a bar handle, a lever-side master cylinder82that generates brake fluid pressure through operation of the brake lever81, the above-described brake pedal57, a pedal-side master cylinder84as a master cylinder that generates brake fluid pressure through operation of the brake pedal57, the modulator42connected to the lever-side master cylinder82and the pedal-side master cylinder84by pipes86,87serving as input pipes, respectively, front wheel disc brakes101,101each serving as a brake connected to the modulator42by pipes91to96serving as output pipes, the rear wheel disc brake43connected to the modulator42by pipes103to105, a pressure control valve106(hereinafter, simply written as “PCV106”) constituting an interlocking brake control unit provided at a point along the pipe103serving as an output pipe, a delay valve (DV)108that is provided at a point along a pipe107, which serves as an output pipe connecting between the front wheel disc brake101on one side and the modulator42, in order to distribute the fluid pressure of brake fluid for actuating the rear wheel disc brake43upon operation of the brake pedal57also to the front wheel disc brake101and to delay the supply of brake fluid pressure to the front wheel disc brake101side relative to the rear wheel disc brake43side, a front wheel speed sensor113that detects the rotating speed of a front wheel111(i.e., the wheel speed), a rear wheel speed sensor116that detects the rotating speed of the rear wheel37, and a controller118that controls the modulator42on the basis of signals from the front wheel speed sensor113and the rear wheel speed sensor116mentioned above.

The modulator42is a braking force controller that controls brake fluid pressure on the front wheel111and the rear wheel37to prevent the front wheel111and the rear wheel37from locking up. The modulator42includes an electric motor, a pump driven by this electric motor, a plurality of brake fluid passages connected to this pump, a plurality of solenoid valves provided at points along these brake fluid passages, and the like.

The front wheel disc brake101includes a brake disc121attached to the front wheel111, and a brake caliper122that pinches the brake disc121to apply braking. Inside the brake caliper122, there are provided cylinders122a,122b,122cin each of which a piston that presses on the brake disc121via a pad is inserted so as to be movable.

The rear wheel disc brake43includes a brake disc124attached to the rear wheel37, and a brake caliper125that pinches the brake disc124to apply braking. Inside the brake caliper125, there are provided cylinders125a,125bin each of which a piston that presses on the brake disc124via a pad is inserted so as to be movable.

The PCV106and the delay valve108mentioned above constitute a front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127as an interlocking brake control unit. The front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127makes it possible to actuate the front wheel disc brake101on one side in a manner interlocking with actuation of the rear wheel disc brake43when the brake pedal57is operated.

The modulator42, the front wheel speed sensor113, the rear wheel speed sensor116, and the controller118mentioned above constitute an ABS128. It should be noted that reference numerals131to133are wires connecting the front wheel speed sensor113, the rear wheel speed sensor116, the modulator42, and the controller118to each other.

As shown inFIG. 3, the rear cushion unit41is located so as to extend generally vertically, with an upper end portion41aswingably attached to the upper cross member23by a bolt141, and a lower end portion41bswingably linked to the link mechanism38by a linking pin142. More specifically, the upper end portion41ais located so as to be located slightly toward the front relative to the lower end portion41b. It should be noted that reference numeral144denotes the axis of the rear cushion unit41, which extends generally vertically.

The link mechanism38includes a first link38A whose one end is linked by a linking pin146to link attaching portions16a,17aprovided at the rear portions of the pivot plates16,17, and a second link38B whose intermediate portion is linked to the other end of the first link38A by a linking pin143, and whose one end is linked by a linking pin147to a lower bracket36aprovided at the lower portion of the swing arm36and whose other end is linked to the lower end portion41bof the rear cushion unit41by the linking pin142.

The modulator42is attached to the seal rails18,19and the upper cross member23via a support bracket151, and located close to the rear side of the upper portion of the rear cushion unit41.

Both lateral sides of the lower portion of the modulator42are covered by a pair of left and right first step brackets54,54(only reference numeral54on the foreground side is shown), thereby making it possible to protect the modulator42from flying stones or the like from both lateral sides of the body.

The PCV106is attached to the front portion of the support bracket151via a support stay152, and is located in front of the modulator42and between the pivot plate17on the right side and the rear cushion unit41in the vehicle width direction.

The pedal-side master cylinder84is located on the outer lateral side of the swing arm36and the modulator42, and the outer lateral side of a part of the pedal-side master cylinder84is covered by the first step bracket54. Thus, the pedal-side master cylinder84can be protected by the first step bracket54.

Reference numeral154in the drawing denotes a joint for connecting brake pipes, and is attached to the side portion of the support bracket151.

As shown inFIG. 4, the swing arm36includes a tube portion161supported on the pivot plate16,17(seeFIG. 3) side via the pivot shaft34, a pair of left and right arm portions162,163extending rearwards from the tube portion161, and a linking portion164as a swing arm cross member extending and linking between the arm portions162,163in the vehicle width direction. The rear cushion unit41is located in a space166surrounded by the arm portions162,163and the linking portion164so as to vertically extend therethrough.

The modulator42is located above the linking portion164of the swing arm36. Of a pair of left and right rearward projections42a,42bprovided so as to project rearwards on a back surface42f(seeFIG. 5) of the modulator42formed substantially in the shape of a generally rectangular parallelepiped, the pipe86extending from the lever-side master cylinder82(seeFIG. 2) is connected to the rearward projection42aon the left side, and the pipe87extending from the pedal-side master cylinder84(seeFIG. 2) is connected to the rearward projection42bon the right side.

In addition, the pipes91,107extending to the front wheel disc brake101(seeFIG. 2), and the pipe103extending to the rear wheel disc brake43(seeFIG. 2) via the PCV106are connected to an upper surface42dof the modulator42.

As shown inFIGS. 4 and 6mentioned above, since the lower side of the modulator42is covered by the linking portion164of the swing arm36, the modulator42, the pipes86,87connected to the modulator42, and the connecting portions of the pipes86,87can be protected by the linking portion164from stones or the like flying from below.

As shown inFIG. 5, the support bracket151is attached to the modulator42, and a protective cover168made of resin is attached to the support bracket151so as to cover the periphery of the modulator42(more specifically, the lower, front, rear, left, and right sides of the modulator42).

The rearward projections42a,42band an electric motor169project from the back or rear surface42fof the modulator42.

The support bracket151includes an upper C-shaped member171that is C-shaped in plan view, a front-side fastening portion172attached to the front portion of the upper C-shaped member171, a left-side fastening portion173attached to the left end portion of the upper C-shaped member171, a right-side fastening portion174attached to the right end portion of the upper C-shaped member171, a forwardly extending member176attached to the intermediate portion of the right-side fastening portion174so as to extend forward, and a small bracket piece177attached above the forwardly extending member176in the right-side fastening portion174.

In the upper C-shaped member171, the protective cover168is attached to each of a front portion171a, one end portion171b, and the small bracket piece177thereof with a screw181.

The front-side fastening portion172is attached to the upper cross member23(seeFIG. 3) with a bolt183via a mount rubber182. The left-side fastening portion173and the right-side fastening portion174are attached to the seat rail16(seeFIG. 6) on the left side and the seat rail17(seeFIG. 6) on the right side, respectively, each with the bolt183(only one bolt183is shown) via the mount rubber182.

The right-side fastening portion174extends vertically, and its lower portion is bent and attached to the lower surface of the modulator42. It should be noted that reference numeral185denotes a bolt for attaching the right-side fastening portion174to the side surface of the modulator42.

The forwardly extending member176includes a bolt passage hole176athrough which a bolt for attaching the joint154(seeFIG. 4) is passed, and two protrusions176b,176ceach serving as a detect for the joint154.

The support stay152is attached to the front-side fastening portion172that extends vertically, and includes two passage holes152athrough which bolts for attaching the PCV106(seeFIG. 4) are passed.

As shown inFIG. 6, the PCV106is located between the rear cushion unit41and the pivot plate16on the left side.

In addition, the lateral side of the pedal-side master cylinder84is covered by the first step bracket54.

Assuming that the centerline extending longitudinally while passing through the center in the vehicle width direction of the motorcycle10(seeFIG. 1) is a body centerline190, the rear cushion unit41and the modulator42are located on the body centerline190.

More specifically, the axis144(seeFIG. 3) of the rear cushion unit41coincides with the body centerline190in plan view. In addition, a modulator centerline191, which extends longitudinally while passing through the center in the vehicle width direction of the modulator42, is offset to the right by a distance61with respect to the body centerline190, and an axis192of the rotating shaft of the electric motor169provided to the modulator42is further offset to the right by a distance62with respect to the modulator centerline191.

In this way, by arranging both the members that are relatively heavy objects, namely the rear cushion unit41and the modulator42, on the body centerline190, the left-right balance of the motorcycle10can be improved, and the maneuverability of the motorcycle10such as turning can be enhanced.

In addition, since the rear cushion unit41and the modulator42are located at the center in the vehicle width direction, are in close proximity to each other longitudinally, and further are in close proximity to the pivot plates16,17, the engine33, and the like provided at positions near the center in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (for example, the center of the line segment connecting between the front wheel axle and the rear wheel axle), mass can be concentrated at the center of the motorcycle10, which also makes it possible to enhance maneuverability.

In addition, since the above-mentioned axis192passes through the center of the lateral width of the upper surface42dof the modulator42, the pipes91,107,103connected to the upper surface42dare in proximity or offset to the right side with respect to the body centerline190. Thus, the pipes91,107,103can be easily located so as to extend longitudinally along the right end of the body from the modulator42, thereby making it possible to shorten the piping length.

Therefore, the pipes91,107,103can be made lightweight, and the reduction in pressure loss of the pipes91,107,103allows for improved operational feel (direct feel) of the brake pedal57(seeFIG. 2) and the brake lever81(seeFIG. 2).

As shown inFIGS. 1,2, and6above, in the motorcycle10including: the front wheel disc brake101and the rear wheel disc brake43as brakes that respectively brake the front wheel111and the rear wheel37; the modulator42as an ABS unit that controls the braking force of the front wheel disc brake101and the rear wheel disc brake43; the pipes91to96, and103to105connecting the modulator42to the front wheel disc brake101and the rear wheel disc brake43; the swing arm36swingably supported on the body frame11; and the rear cushion unit41passed to each of the swing arm36and the body frame11and located in front of the rear wheel37that is supported on the rear end portion of the swing arm36, the rear cushion unit41is located on the body centerline190extending longitudinally while passing through the center in the vehicle width direction, and the modulator42is located rearward of the rear cushion unit41and on the body centerline190.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, since the rear cushion unit41and the modulator42that are relatively heavy objects are located on the body centerline190, the left-right weight distribution of the motorcycle10can be optimized, and the maneuverability of the motorcycle10can be improved.

In addition, since the freedom of piping of the pipes91to96, and103to105connected to the front wheel disc brake101and the rear wheel disc brake43along the side portion of the body from the modulator42located on the body centerline190increases, and the piping length can be shortened, the resulting weight reduction and fluid loss reduction allow for improved feel when braking.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 3above, the lower end of the rear cushion unit41is linked to the swing arm36via the link mechanism38as a linking member, and the axis144of the rear cushion unit41extends in the vertical direction. Thus, by linking the rear cushion unit41to the swing arm36via the link mechanism38, and causing the axis of the rear cushion unit41to extend in a generally vertical direction, when the rear cushion unit41is located in the center portion in the longitudinal direction of the body or in its vicinity, the modulator42can be located in close proximity rearward of the rear cushion unit41. Thus, concentration of mass can be facilitated, and improved maneuverability and compactness of the motorcycle10can be achieved.

As shown inFIG. 6above, the swing arm36includes the pair of arm portions162,163extending longitudinally on the left and right of the rear wheel37, and the linking portion164as a swing arm cross member linking between the arm portions162,163in front of the rear wheel37, and the modulator42is located above the linking portion164. Since the portion of the modulator42on the lower side of the body can be thus protected by the linking portion164, the number of members for performing protection can be reduced. In addition, there is no need to improve the strength of the protective cover168, allowing the modulator42to be protected by means of a lightweight structure.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 6above, the body frame11includes the pair of left and right seat rails18,19extending rearward from the body's central portion to support a seat, and the upper cross member23as a cushion unit cross member laterally linking the seat rails18,19to each other and supporting the upper end portion of the rear cushion unit41, and the modulator42is secured to the upper cross member23and the left and right seat rails18,19. Thus, by securing the modulator42to members on three sides, namely the upper cross member23and the left and right seat rails18,19, it is possible to firmly secure the modulator42in place to reduce vibration while making the fastening member for the modulator42compact for weight reduction.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 3above, the rear wheel disc brake43on the rear wheel37side includes the brake disc124attached to the rear wheel37, the brake caliper125that pinches the brake disc124to apply braking, and the pedal-side master cylinder84as a master cylinder that supplies brake fluid pressure to the brake caliper125, and the pedal-side master cylinder84and the modulator42are located so as to overlap in side view of the vehicle. Thus, since the modulator42and the pedal-side master cylinder84can be located in close proximity to each other in the vehicle width direction, and the piping length between the modulator42and the pedal-side master cylinder84can be shortened, fluid loss decreases, thereby making it possible to attain a direct operational feel when braking.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3above, braking force is distributed to the front wheel111and the rear wheel37by the front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127as an interlocking brake control unit, and the front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127, more specifically the PCV106constituting the front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127, is located between the rear cushion unit41and the pivot plate17on the right side of the body frame11in the vehicle width direction. Thus, since the front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127can be located in close proximity to the modulator42by making effective use of the dead space in the body, the piping length between the modulator42and the front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127can be shortened to achieve fluid loss reduction and weight reduction, and it is possible to attain a direct operational feel when braking. In addition, the rear cushion unit41, the modulator42, and the front and rear wheel interlocking brake device127can be brought into close proximity to each other to achieve concentration of mass.

As shown inFIGS. 3 to 5above, the modulator42is formed with an outer shape close to a rectangular parallelepiped, the pipes86,87as input pipes to which brake fluid pressure is inputted from the brake lever81and the brake pedal57that are operating members provided to the front wheel disc brake101and the rear wheel disc brake43on the front wheel111and the rear wheel37, respectively, are connected to the back surface42fof the modulator42, and the pipes91,103,107as output pipes from which control brake fluid pressure is outputted in the modulator42are connected to the upper surface42dof the modulator42. Thus, by providing the pipe connecting portions in the upper surface42dand the back surface42fof the modulator42, interference between the pipes86,87and the pipes91,103,107, and the swing arm36located below the modulator42can be avoided to increase the freedom of location of the modulator42. In addition, since the pipes91,103,107connected to the upper surface42dof the modulator42can be easily rounted along the side portion of the body, the pipes91,103,107can be shortened, and fluid loss reduction and weight reduction can be achieved.

It should be noted that while in this example the modulator42is located on the body centerline190as shown inFIG. 6, further, the center of gravity of the modulator42may be located on the body centerline190. When the center of gravity of the modulator42that is a relatively heavy object is located at the center in the vehicle width direction in this way, it is possible to achieve a further improvement in the left-right balance of the body.

Although a specific form of embodiment of the instant invention has been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in order to be more clearly understood, the above description is made by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the instant invention. It is contemplated that various modifications apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art could be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is to be determined by the following claims.