Patent ID: 8235160

Claim:
A power unit for a small type vehicle comprising: an engine having a valve-operating device provided additionally with valve operation mode change mechanisms capable of changing operation modes of engine valves; a crankshaft having an axis set along the vehicle width direction, said crankshaft rotatably borne on a crankcase of said engine; a speed change mechanism provided in the course of a power transmission path for transmitting rotational power of said crankshaft to a drive wheel, said speed change mechanism being contained in said crankcase; a clutch device for switching the making/breaking of power transmission between said crankshaft and said speed change mechanism, said clutch device disposed on a lateral side of said crankcase on the side of one end of said crankshaft; a valve operation controller for controlling the operations of said valve operation mode change mechanisms; and a speed change controller for controlling a speed change operation of said speed change mechanism, said valve operation controller and said speed change controller being directly attached to an engine body inclusive of said crankcase, wherein said valve operation controller and said speed change controller are attached to said engine body on the opposite side of said clutch device with respect to a vehicle body center line in a direction along the axis of said crankshaft, wherein said valve operation controller and said speed change controller are attached to a side surface, along said vehicle body center line, of said engine body, wherein a shift drum is rotatably borne on said crankcase parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, wherein said speed change controller includes an electric motor for producing rotation power, and a power transmission device for transmitting the rotation power of said electric motor to said shift drum, and wherein an axis of rotation of said electric motor is orthogonal to an axis of turning of the shift drum.