Patent ID: 7845329

Claim:
An engine arrangement for a motorcycle, comprising: a crank case; a crank shaft rotatably supported in said crank case, said crank shaft having first and second opposite axial ends; a piston movably mounted in said crank case for reciprocating movement within a cylinder, and a piston connecting rod coupling said piston to said crank shaft in such a manner as to cause conversion between rotary motion of said crank shaft and reciprocating movement of said piston connecting rod and said piston; a starter rotary element coupled at said first axial end of said crank shaft and configured for coupling to a starter motor, said starter rotary element being constituted by one of a starter gear and a starter sprocket; a one-way clutch, provided at said first axial end of said crank shaft, operably coupled between said crank shaft and said starter rotary element, so as to transmit rotary motion between said starter rotary element and said crank shaft in a first rotary direction but not in a second rotary direction opposite said first rotary direction; wherein said one-way clutch includes a clutch outer member, and an outer diameter of said starter rotary element is smaller than an outer diameter of said clutch outer member; wherein said piston connecting rod is coupled to said crank shaft at a location disposed in an axially inward direction from said first end of said crank shaft; and wherein said starter rotary element is disposed axially outwardly of said clutch outer member on an axial side of said clutch outer member opposite said location at which said piston connecting rod is coupled to said crank shaft.