Traditional motorcycle controls utilize a right handlebar throttle, a right handlebar front brake control, a right foot rear brake control, a left handlebar clutch control, and a left foot shift control.
A physically challenged rider without a functional left foot or right foot cannot control at least one essential element of a traditional motorcycle. Paralysis victims suffering from a loss of use of the legs cannot shift or brake the rear wheel of a traditional motorcycle. Additionally, they require a sidecar to balance the motorcycle when stopped.
Known in the art is a suicide shift. In place of a left foot shift lever, a shift lever is mounted adjacent the gas tank. A similar embodiment is a shift lever directly attached to the transmission and pointing upwards adjacent the left leg. While these controls allow shifting a motorcycle by a physically challenged rider, they force the left hand off the handlebar for every shift. This is dangerous, and can cause a loss of control of the motorcycle. Additionally, no known proportioning front, rear and sidecar handbrake system for motorcycles is known in the art.
One other shift mechanism is used by drag racers. The motorcycle is equipped with a small compressed air tank. The tank is switchably connected to a pneumatic actuator rod which is affixed to the shifting lever. A pneumatic engine kill switch is hooked up to the air connection to the pneumatic actuator rod.
In operation during a motorcycle drag race, the racer opens the throttle all the way and keeps it there. For shifting, the racer touches (preferably with his right thumb) the pneumatic actuator switch. The quick bursts of air from the compressed air tank move the actuator rod up the range of gears. During the shift operation, the pneumatic kill switch briefly kills the engine in order to more synchronously merge the transmission gears up their range while the clutch is still engaged. This system provides the starting point for the present invention's adaptation for the physically challenged rider.
A downshift capability is added to the racer's upshift system. An on-board compressor is added to the air tank. Normal clutch operation allows push button up and down shifting of the motorcycle.
A proportional hydraulic single lever brake system is provided to apply braking pressure simultaneously to the front, rear and sidecar brakes with an adjustable proportion of 50% or more to the front brake.
Electronic controls prevent undue battery discharge. Finally, a wheelchair mount is affixed to the rear of the sidecar for the paralyzed rider. The present invention has proved totally functional for a paralyzed rider to safely drive a motorcycle with a sidecar without ever taking his hands off the handlebars.