A vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a saddle-type seat mounted to the frame and having a forward portion and a rearward portion, a cargo area defining a storage compartment positioned at least partially rearward of the saddle-type seat, and a rider support assembly positioned rearward of the forward portion of the saddle-type seat and vertically above at least a portion of the saddle-type seat and the storage compartment.

An assembly composed of a saddle (10) and of a saddle compartment (12) for a motorcycle is described. The saddle (10) comprises an upper padded portion which constitutes the seat for the rider and/or passenger of the motorcycle, and a substantially rigid bottom portion (14) operatively connected to the relative saddle compartment (12) by hinge means (16). The saddle compartment (12) is made integral with a fixed portion of the motorcycle. The hinge means (16) enable the saddle (10) to pass from a closed position, in which said saddle (10) is positioned substantially horizontally above the saddle compartment (12) and permits the rider and any passenger of the motorcycle to sit on it, and an open position, in which said saddle (10) is positioned in a substantially vertical position and permits access to the saddle compartment (12). The assembly comprises at least one gas spring (18) attached to a fixed portion of the motorcycle and operatively connected, at its upper end, to the saddle (10). Between the upper end of the gas spring and the saddle (10) articulated connection means (20, 22) are interposed which permit said saddle (10) to maintain a stable open position.

An electric vehicle rechargeable via electric power transferred from a power outlet separate from the vehicle includes a seat movable between a first position for supporting a person and a second position. A caddy is positioned below the seat to define a cable storage volume. The cable storage volume is accessible when the seat is in the second position. A charging port is positioned outside of the caddy and accessible with the seat in the first position. A charging cable is positioned within the caddy, the charging cable having a first end engageable with the charging port of the vehicle and a second end engageable with the power outlet. The first and second ends of the charging cable are removable from the caddy when the seat is in the second position to enable charging the electric vehicle via the charging cable and the charging port.

A battery attaching/detaching structure for a saddle-type vehicle including: a plurality of substantially rectangular parallelepiped batteries for supplying electric power to a power source of the saddle-type vehicle; a battery case in which the batteries are stored; battery-side terminals provided on lower surfaces of the batteries; and case-side terminals engaged with the battery-side terminals, comprises terminal holders that support the case-side terminals such that the case-side terminals are movable between a connected position where the case-side terminals are connected to the battery-side terminals and a retracted position where the case-side terminals are separated from the battery-side terminals. Between the case-side terminals and the terminal holders, springs for urging the case-side terminals in a direction of pressing the battery-side terminals are disposed. Such battery attaching/detaching structure is capable of limiting the movement of a stored battery and maintaining good electrical connection between a battery-side terminal and a case-side terminal.

An electric drive motorcycle (100) is competed with a filter box in the rear portion thereof, without limiting the space available for the batteries, comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels and a handlebar; a rear portion comprising a saddle (101), a shell body arranged below said saddle (101), and a rear wheel arranged below said shell body; an intermediate portion extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit (8) connected to said rear wheel (105); and a hybrid supply unit supplying said electric drive unit (8), comprising at least a battery unit (115) and a combustion engine (116) actuating an electric generator (120), said combustion engine (116) comprising an exhaust duct (133) with an expansion chamber (134) and a filter box (135) for feeding air to the combustion engine (116), wherein said electric generator (120) is apt to supply said battery unit (115) and/or said electric drive unit, wherein, inside the shell body (107) and below the saddle (101), a housing space is provided extending from one side to the other one of the shell body (107) and which receives the hybrid supply unit, in a first portion thereof, and wherein said filter box (135) and said exhaust duct (133) are arranged on the same side of the motorcycle.

An electric drive motorcycle (100) is competed with a filter box in the rear portion thereof, without limiting the space available for the batteries, comprises: a front portion comprising one or more front wheels and a handlebar; a rear portion comprising a saddle (101), a shell body arranged below said saddle (101), and a rear wheel arranged below said shell body; an intermediate portion extending as a connection between said front portion and said rear portion; an electric drive unit (8) connected to said rear wheel (105); and a hybrid supply unit supplying said electric drive unit (8), comprising at least a battery unit (115) and a combustion engine (116) actuating an electric generator (120), said combustion engine (116) comprising an exhaust duct (133) with an expansion chamber (134) and a filter box (135) for feeding air to the combustion engine (116), wherein said electric generator (120) is apt to supply said battery unit (115) and/or said electric drive unit, wherein, inside the shell body (107) and below the saddle (101), a housing space is provided extending from one side to the other one of the shell body (107) and which receives the hybrid supply unit, in a first portion thereof, and wherein said filter box (135) and said exhaust duct (133) are arranged on the same side of the motorcycle.

A straddled vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a main seat, a tandem seat, an accommodation portion provided below the tandem seat, a seat lock mechanism attached to a bottom portion of the tandem seat, and a lock portion attached to the vehicle frame in a front portion of the accommodation portion. The seat lock mechanism includes: a key cylinder that has a main body having a key insertion hole, and an arm pivotable around the main body by a pivoting operation made by a key; and a hook member pivotable along with the pivoting of the arm. The hook member includes a first hook portion engageable with the arm, at least one second hook portion engageable with the lock portion, and a pivoting restriction portion configured to restrict the hook member from pivoting in a state where the key insertion hole does not have the key inserted therein.

A straddled vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a main seat, a tandem seat, an accommodation portion provided below the tandem seat, a seat lock mechanism attached to a bottom portion of the tandem seat, and a lock portion attached to the vehicle frame in a front portion of the accommodation portion. The seat lock mechanism includes: a key cylinder that has a main body having a key insertion hole, and an arm pivotable around the main body by a pivoting operation made by a key; and a hook member pivotable along with the pivoting of the arm. The hook member includes a first hook portion engageable with the arm, at least one second hook portion engageable with the lock portion, and a pivoting restriction portion configured to restrict the hook member from pivoting in a state where the key insertion hole does not have the key inserted therein.

A device includes a battery case (42) that stores a battery (62A or 62B), a lock mechanism (133) that is capable of fixing and holding the stored battery (62A or 62B) in the battery case (42), and an operation member (44) that is capable of performing switching operation of the lock mechanism (133) between a battery-fixed state and a non-battery-fixed state. The lock mechanism (133) includes a movable block (160) which is supported by the battery case (42) in a displaceable manner. The movable block (160) has a battery restriction portion (160b or 160c) which restricts displacement of the battery (62A or 62B) in a separation direction in a state of being displaced to a battery fixing position, and a holding force receiving portion (160d) which receives a holding force for maintaining the movable block (160) at the battery fixing position from the operation member (44) in a state where the operation member (44) is operated within a predetermined positional range.

A cargo-carrying wheeled vehicle comprising: at least a cargo hold chassis (10); at least a battery support chassis (30) configured to be operatively behind or operatively ahead or operatively underneath said cargo hold chassis (10); and at least a rider and pillion support chassis (20) configured to be operatively behind said battery support chassis (30) and operatively behind said cargo hold chassis (10), in that, said cargo hold chassis (10), said battery support chassis (30), and said rider and pillion support chassis (20) cooperate to maintain centre of gravity of said vehicle, after addition of cargo and rider and pillion, relatively lower (closer to ground) and substantially on or very near to the centerline of the wheelbase of this vehicle (between 10a and 12a).