An off-highway recreational includes a frame, a prime mover, a transmission, an intermediate shaft and a main shaft. The transmission is mechanically coupled to receive power from the prime mover and to provide mechanical power at a transaxle output shaft. The intermediate drive shaft is mechanically coupled to the transaxle output shaft, wherein the intermediate drive shaft has a first diameter. The main drive shaft is mechanically coupled to the intermediate drive shaft, wherein the main drive shaft has a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.

A vehicle may include a CVT unit or a power source which requires ambient air. An air inlet for an air intake system coupled to the CVT unit or the power source which requires ambient air may be provided in a side of a cargo carrying portion of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a rear radius arm suspension.

An off-highway recreational includes a frame, a prime mover, a transmission, an intermediate shaft and a main shaft. The transmission is mechanically coupled to receive power from the prime mover and to provide mechanical power at a transaxle output shaft. The intermediate drive shaft is mechanically coupled to the transaxle output shaft, wherein the intermediate drive shaft has a first diameter. The main drive shaft is mechanically coupled to the intermediate drive shaft, wherein the main drive shaft has a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.

A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.

A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.

A multipurpose vehicle includes an engine, a travel transmission device, a continuously variable transmission device, and a spacer housing capable of becoming attached to and detached from the engine, the continuously variable transmission device, and the travel transmission device. The spacer housing contains an engine output shaft, a transmission device input shaft of the continuously variable transmission device, a first connecting portion connecting the engine output shaft with the transmission device input shaft in an interlocking manner, a transmission device output shaft of the continuously variable transmission device, a transmission input shaft of the travel transmission device, and a second connecting portion connecting the transmission device output shaft with the transmission input shaft in an interlocking manner.

A multipurpose vehicle includes a stepless speed changer which is provided at one of lateral sides of a vehicle body with respect to an engine and a traveling transmission, an engine output shaft projected from the engine toward the stepless speed changer along a lateral direction of the vehicle body, a speed changer input shaft projected from the stepless speed changer toward the engine along the lateral direction of the vehicle body, and a first gear transmission mechanism provided between and across the engine output shaft and the speed changer input shaft and transmitting power of the engine output shaft to the speed changer input shaft. The multipurpose vehicle further has a PTO section provided at the side of the stepless speed changer with respect to the engine and forwardly of the stepless speed changer, the PTO section being operably connected to the engine output shaft via a second gear transmission mechanism.

A vehicle may include a CVT unit or a power source which requires ambient air. An air inlet for an air intake system coupled to the CVT unit or the power source which requires ambient air may be provided in a side of a cargo carrying portion of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a rear radius arm suspension.

A vehicle configuration wherein the center of mass of the vehicle is approximately superimposed upon the passenger and driver centers of mass when seated within the vehicle. An occupant's center of mass can be approximated using a standard center of mass position approximation, or a combination of any number of standard center of mass position approximations. The vehicle's center of mass can be approximately superimposed upon the occupant's center of mass in at least the longitudinal and vertical directions.

A recreational off-highway vehicle includes side-by-side passenger and driver seats held within a chassis that is approximately 50 inches wide. The seats sit low in the chassis and are covered by a roll cage. Grab handles are positioned on the sides of the passenger seat. Select large round tubing protects the vehicle, while rectangular tubing frames the portions of the vehicle beneath body panels. The vehicle is powered by an engine rearward of the seats that is connected to a transaxle. The engine and transaxle are isolation mounted together with a portion of the air intake assembly. The vehicle is suited for rough terrain travel.