Patent ID: 6997073

Claim:
A vehicle power unit comprising: a transmission having a single removable transmission cover having a peripheral edge portion and a bearing holding portion integrally formed within said transmission cover to support bearings secured within said bearing holding portion; an engine having a crankcase; an opening being formed on a wall of the crankcase, said wall of the crankcase partially forming a storage member for storing the transmission, wherein power of the engine is transmitted to the transmission and said opening includes a peripheral edge portion formed along a periphery of said opening and axially aligned and operatively engaged with the peripheral edge portion of said transmission cover, said single removable transmission cover covering the opening formed on the wall of the crankcase; a main shaft and a counter shaft of said transmission that is capable of being taken out and placed in through the opening, said main shaft and said counter shaft being secured on said storage member and rotatably supported by the single transmission cover for covering said opening; a final drive output shaft being connected to said counter shaft, wherein said final drive output shaft, said main shaft and said counter shaft are rotatably held by said bearings within the bearing holding portion formed on said transmission cover; an output gear being provided on said counter shaft; an input gear being provided on said final drive output shaft, said output gear operatively engaging said input gear, wherein said counter shaft, said main shaft and said output gear are integrally mounted on said transmission cover; and a multi-plate friction speed change clutch, wherein said clutch includes a clutch output shaft and said main shaft is spline-connected to the clutch output shaft.