A self-propelled, one-wheeled vehicle may include a suspension system configured to dampen up and down motion of a board relative to the axle of a central wheel assembly when the vehicle encounters obstacles and bumps on a riding surface. Illustrative suspension systems include a shock absorber, a rocker, a pushrod, bell cranks, and/or a swingarm that couple the axle to the board. The suspension system may be disposed completely below a foot deck of the vehicle.

A foldable structure of an electric vehicle is disclosed. In the foldable structure, a frame defines a stowing space, and includes a connection base and a rotatable seat. The connection base has a chute and the seat includes a link rod. The wheel part includes two wheel casings, a tire and a driving device, and a containing space is formed between the wheel casings for containing the tire and the driving device. The wheel casings has a rotator cap protruded at tops thereof, and the rotator cap has an axle hole longitudinally cut therethrough, and the rotator cap is pivotally connected with the rotatable seat by the axle hole, whereby the link rod can be slid into the chute, and the two wheel casings and the tire can be laterally rotated into the stowing space, such that the electric vehicle can just occupy smaller space.

A side-stand for a motorcycle enables both improvement in appearance and weight reduction by using a tapered pipe member. A side-stand for a motorcycle includes an elongate portion having a hollow structure, and a grounding portion. An outer shape of the elongate portion is tapered in appearance toward the grounding portion and, in a state in which the side-stand is unfolded, the elongate portion looks thinner as a whole in a side view than in a front view of a vehicle body. The elongate portion has a wall thickness on the distal end side equivalent to or smaller than a wall thickness on a proximal end side. The elongate portion is formed by increasing a diameter of a distal end side inner peripheral portion of a round pipe member by cutting, and then swaging an outer peripheral portion to reduce the diameter and obtain a tapered shape.

A side-stand for a motorcycle enables both improvement in appearance and weight reduction by using a tapered pipe member. A side-stand for a motorcycle includes an elongate portion having a hollow structure, and a grounding portion. An outer shape of the elongate portion is tapered in appearance toward the grounding portion and, in a state in which the side-stand is unfolded, the elongate portion looks thinner as a whole in a side view than in a front view of a vehicle body. The elongate portion has a wall thickness on the distal end side equivalent to or smaller than a wall thickness on a proximal end side. The elongate portion is formed by increasing a diameter of a distal end side inner peripheral portion of a round pipe member by cutting, and then swaging an outer peripheral portion to reduce the diameter and obtain a tapered shape.

A method for controlling a self-balancing vehicle to park is disclosed. The method is performed by the self-balancing vehicle and includes: sending a message of requesting for parking assistance to a surveillance camera device for controlling the self-balancing vehicle to park; receiving a first response message returned from the surveillance camera device according to the message of requesting for parking assistance, the first response message including parking instruction information for controlling the self-balancing vehicle to travel from a current location of the self-balancing vehicle to a target location; and controlling the self-balancing vehicle to travel from the current location to the target location and to park according to the parking instruction information.

An internal combustion engine 31 for a motorcycle includes a supercharger 63 arranged above a crankcase 81 positioned below a front cylinder head 92 of a front bank 31A and a rear cylinder head 97 of a rear bank 31B. In the internal combustion engine 31 for the motorcycle, the crankcase 81 is covered with a case cover 116 from the outside in a vehicle width direction, and the supercharger 63 is supported by a supercharger supporting portion 116a provided above the case cover 116.

A water shield structure for a transportation device and the transportation device having such a water shield structure. The transportation device is preferably a self-balancing device and may include a friction drive motor. The water shield structure helps reduce the entry of moisture from a riding surface into the wheel envelope or drive mechanism of the device. The water shield structure may extend laterally from a wheel and be enclosed, at least in part, in a housing.

A drive train abnormality determination device for a straddled vehicle that includes a drive train having a rotator. The drive train abnormality determination device includes an angle signal output unit that periodically outputs an angle signal in accordance with rotation of the rotator, a rotator rotation speed fluctuation physical quantity acquisition unit that acquires a quantity related to a fluctuation in a rotation speed of the rotator, based on the angle signal from the angle signal output unit, a rough road determination unit that determines whether a distribution state or pattern satisfies a predetermined rough road condition, a continuity determination unit that determines whether the rough road condition is continuously satisfied, and a drive train abnormality determination unit that determines, responsive to a determination by the continuity determination unit that the rough road condition is continuously satisfied, that the drive train has an abnormality in its functioning.

A calculation method and apparatus for calculating a starting point for acceleration/deceleration operation of a vehicle with high accuracy using more input values while at the same time keeping calculation cost and time to a minimum is disclosed herein. An ECU making up a system calculates a start point for acceleration/deceleration operation of a vehicle on the basis of traveling condition information that changes as the vehicle travels and vehicle information that changes only slightly as a result of the travel of the vehicle. As a result, if the driver maintains a throttle operator at a given opening angle or more at a point before the start point, an actuator applies a force in the direction of closing a throttle valve to the throttle operator, thereby notifying the driver that the vehicle is close to the start point.

An inverted vehicle and control method thereof are provided. The inverted vehicle may include a main body having two wheels rotatably supported by the main body and driven by a driver. A load distribution detector may detect a distribution of load received by the main body due to the rider's weight. A computer may compute a center position of the load's distribution. The inverted vehicle may also include an operating bar supported by the main body and operated so as to be inclined by the rider. A posture detector may be used to detect a posture of the operating bar. The inverted vehicle may further include a central processing unit that sets a target travel velocity on the basis of the center position and the posture of the operating bar. Furthermore, a drive controller may control the driver on the basis of the target travel velocity.