1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle having side covers on both the right and left-hand side surfaces of a body thereof for covering a radiator and to vehicle main steps provided with footpeg surfaces on both sides of a vehicle at a location near a rear portion of a front wheel.
2. Description of Background Art
A vehicle is known, wherein a floor skirt is attached to a footpeg portion and a closed section is formed by vehicle body covers including the floor skirt. See, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3340637 (FIG. 8).
The arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3340637 will be described with reference to FIG. 10 which is an explanatory view showing the basic configuration of the prior art arrangement. A floor skirt 324 extends downwardly from an outer edge of a footpeg board 323. The right and left floor skirts 324 are connected with an undercover 325 to form a closed section 384.
Air Fc is admitted through a radiator wind admission portion provided on a front surface of a front cover and flows through the closed section 384 formed by the footpeg boards 323, the floor skirts 324, the undercover 325 and the like as follows. More specifically, the air Fc mainly flows from forward to rearward at a portion disposed downwardly of the footpeg boards 323 toward the radiator. A fuel tank 308 is provided together with a reservoir tank 309, a center cover 326, a main pipe 361, a down tube 362 and a cross pipe 364.
The recent trend in popular motorcycles is to provide a simple structure having a smaller number of vehicle body covers. There is a need for an even more ingenious idea for the introduction of a cooling air in a side cover if the motorcycle is built without any front cover or cowling.
Vehicle main steps have conventionally been disposed at many different locations. Some are located near a front wheel of the vehicle. Others are located near a rear wheel of the vehicle. Still others may be located at a mid-point between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle.
In the type of main steps disposed near the front wheel of the vehicle, a main step mounting structure taking into account assemblability to a vehicle body frame is known. See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-227659 (FIG. 4).
The structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-227659 (FIG. 4) will be described with reference to FIG. 25.
FIG. 25 is an explanatory view showing the basic construction of the conventional structure. A main step bracket 1344 includes a vehicle width direction extension portion 1344a and a vehicle body rearward extension portion 1344b. A center portion of the main step bracket 1344 is attached via a first fixing member 1319 to a down tube 1313. The vehicle width direction extension portion 1344a then extends crosswise relative to a fore-aft direction of the vehicle. The vehicle body rearward extension portion 1344b then extends rearwardly from both ends of the vehicle width direction extension portion 1344a. The vehicle body rearward extension portion 1344b is then attached to a main pipe 1312 via a second fixing member 1316.
Main steps 1303 are then attached by way of right and left step connecting members 1351, 1352 to the vehicle width direction extension portion 1344a of the main step bracket 1344.
The position at which the main steps 1303 are disposed is at the front and below an engine. In some types of vehicles, such as a scooter type vehicle, the distance in the vertical direction between a rider's seat and the main steps 1303 is short. In addition, the distance in the fore-aft direction between the rider's seat and the main steps 1303 is long. In such a type of vehicle, the back surface of the feet placed on the main steps 1303 tends to be inclined upwardly at its front. Consideration should therefore be given to timing, at which the rider plants his or her feet on the main steps 1303.
Thus, it is necessary to take into consideration the timing, at which the rider plants his or her feet on the main steps 1303 because of the inclination involved of the back surface of his or her feet tending to be upward at its front. At the same time, a comfortable riding position must be ensured. It is even more preferable to provide a disposition and structure of the main steps 1303 meeting these requirements.