Patent ID: 8905435

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a frame; a straddle type seat mounted to the frame for a driver; a passenger seat positioned rearward of the straddle type seat, the passenger seat being comprised of a seat back portion, a seat bottom portion, and a seat frame member having a seat back frame, a seat bottom frame, and a transition portion, the transition portion connecting the seat bottom frame and the seat back frame; a latch assembly cooperatively supported between the frame and the passenger seat, the latch assembly including a fixed latch portion and a movable latch portion, the fixed latch portion being directly attached to the frame, and the movable latch portion being attached to an exterior of the seat bottom frame of the passenger seat, where the latch assembly provides attached and detached conditions for the passenger seat; and a release mechanism attached to the passenger seat and comprised of a lanyard extending to a position adjacent a rear of the seat back portion and along the transition portion of the seat frame member, wherein a force on the release mechanism necessary to release the moveable latch portion from the fixed latch portion has a directional component substantially in the same direction as required for removing the passenger seat from the vehicle.