A knuckle assembly for use with a wheel suspension system of a vehicle having a vehicle longitudinal axis, a frame extending therealong, the suspension system comprising upper and lower suspension arms, each having a frame engaging end at which the arm is configured to be pivotally connected to the frame about a proximal suspension axis, and a knuckle engaging end at which the arm is configured to be pivotally connected to the knuckle assembly about a distal suspension axis parallel to the proximal suspension axis.

An automatic tilting vehicle is provided that includes left and right front wheels supported by knuckles, a steerable rear wheel, a vehicle tilting device, and a control unit. The vehicle tilting device includes a swing member, a tilt actuator for swing the swing member, and a pair of tie rods pivotally attached to the swing member and the knuckles. The control unit calculates a target lateral acceleration of the vehicle, estimates a lateral acceleration of the vehicle caused by the gyro moments of the wheels and calculates a target tilt angle of the vehicle based on a sum of the target lateral acceleration and the lateral acceleration caused by the gyro moments.

A leaning vehicle includes: a body frame; a right wheel and a left wheel; a linkage mechanism including arms rotatably supported on the body frame; a left-right tilt angle control mechanism configured to control a tilt angle of the body frame in a left direction or in the right direction by adjusting a rotation of the arms with respect to the body frame; and a control section. The control section controls the left-right tilt angle control mechanism to change the tilt angle of the body frame in the left direction or in the right direction in accordance with an input to the leaning vehicle from a rider while the leaning vehicle is stopped.

A leaning vehicle includes a body frame, a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel, a motor that applies a steering force to steer the steered wheel, a left-right-tilt-angle-detection-section that detects a left-right tilt angle of the body frame, and a control device that controls a motor that applies a steering force to the steered wheel. The control device causes the motor to output a steering force to steer the steered wheel in a direction that causes the leaning vehicle to turn rightward in a case where the body frame tilts rightward in accordance with the left-right tilt angle, and causes the motor to output a steering force to steer the steered wheel in a direction that causes the leaning vehicle to turn leftward in a case where the body frame tilts leftward in accordance with the left-right tilt angle. Alternatively, the control device causes the motor to output a steering force to steer the steered wheel in the direction that causes the leaning vehicle to turn leftward in the case where the body frame tilts rightward in accordance with the left-right tilt angle, and causes the motor to output a steering force to steer the steeried wheel in the direction that causes the leaning vehicle to turn rightward in the case where the body frame tilts leftward in accordance with the left-right tilt angle.

A vehicle with two front wheels includes an EPS that makes it difficult for a rider to feel a sensation of physical disorder while realizing a vertical angle suppression function. The EPS is configured to apply an assisting force to a steering effort transmission mechanism. The vehicle further includes an EPL configured to apply a turning effort to a cross member of a link mechanism to turn the cross member relative to a vehicle body frame, and a control unit configured to control the EPS and the EPL. The control unit determines an EPS command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPS and an EPL command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPL according to a physical quantity including at least a vehicle speed and a vertical angle, and controls a ratio of the EPL command value to the EPS command value.

A leaning vehicle has a frame; a shock tower pivotally connected to the frame; front left and right ground engaging members; front left and right suspension assemblies; portions of the front left suspension assembly, the front left ground engaging member and other components of the vehicle suspended by the front left suspension assembly have a first unsprung mass; portions of the front right suspension assembly, the front right ground engaging member and other components of the vehicle suspended by the front right suspension assembly have a second unsprung mass; a moment of inertia of the shock tower being at least twenty-five percent of a combined moment of inertia of the first and second unsprung masses; a steering assembly; a rear suspension assembly; at least one rear ground engaging; and a motor.

A laterally tiltable, multitrack vehicle suspension may include first and second steering knuckles. The suspension may also include a first set of control arms connected to the first steering knuckle and a second set of control arms connected to the second steering knuckle. Each of the first and second sets of control arms may include upper and lower control arms. The suspension may further include a spring/damper element acting between the first and second sets of control arms and a balancer system.

A leaning vehicle includes an actuator, a left steerable front wheel, a right steerable front wheel, a steering mechanism and a leaning mechanism. The steering mechanism includes a first center steering shaft, a second center steering shaft disposed at the front side of the first center steering shaft, and a center steering shaft rotation interlocking mechanism that interlocks rotation of the first center steering shaft with rotation of the second center steering shaft. The actuator is provided between a left end and a right end of a link member of the leaning mechanism in the left-right direction. At least one part of the actuator is provided at a position that overlaps with a movable range of the center steering shaft rotation interlocking mechanism as viewed from the up direction or the down direction.

Automatic tilting vehicle is provided that includes left and right front wheels supported by knuckles, a rear wheel steered by a steering actuator, a vehicle tilting device, and a control unit. The control unit calculates a target tilt angle of the vehicle and a target steered angle of the rear wheel based on a steering angle and a vehicle speed, controls the vehicle tilting device so that a tilt angle of the vehicle becomes the target tilt angle, and controls the steering actuator so that a steered angle of the rear wheel becomes the target steered angle. When the vehicle is turning and decelerating, a steered angle of the rear wheel is controlled not to be the target steered angle but to zero, and a tilt angle of the vehicle is reduced by a gyro moment of the rear wheel.

A two-wheel suspension mechanism includes a control frame having therein a left channel and a right channel; a control valve disposed at the control frame and connected between the left and right channels; a left retractable cylinder having a left external-cylinder and a left internal-cylinder, with the left external-cylinder pivotally connected to the control frame, and the left internal-cylinder retractable into the left external-cylinder, defining a left retractable space between the left external-cylinder and the left internal-cylinder, allowing the left retractable space to communicate with the left channel; a right retractable cylinder having a right external-cylinder and a right internal-cylinder, with the right external-cylinder pivotally connected to the control frame, and the right internal-cylinder retractable into the right external-cylinder, defining a right retractable space between the right external-cylinder and the right internal-cylinder, allowing the right retractable space to communicate with the right channel.