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A cylinder head for a motorcycle engine, which has a pair of cylinders arranged in a “V” configuration such that the cylinders converge toward a crankshaft axis and such that a space is defined between the cylinders at an upper extent of each of the cylinders. The cylinder head includes a base confi

A cylinder head for a motorcycle engine, which has a pair of cylinders arranged in a “V” configuration such that the cylinders converge toward a crankshaft axis and such that a space is defined between the cylinders at an upper extent of each of the cylinders. The cylinder head includes a base configured to be coupled to one of the cylinders, an intake side including an intake passage and an intake valve movable disposed within the intake passage, the intake side being positioned adjacent the space, and an exhaust side including an exhaust passage and an exhaust valve movable disposed within the exhaust passage, the exhaust side being positioned remote from the space. A cooling liquid inlet port and a cooling liquid discharge port are located on the intake side. A cooling liquid passage runs through the cylinder head to reduce an operating temperature of the cylinder head.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A motorcycle comprising: a frame;an engine having a V-twin configuration coupled to the frame;right and left engine guards coupled to the frame forwardly of the engine and extending laterally outwardly from the frame;right and left leg shields coupled to the right and left engine guards, respecti

1. A motorcycle comprising: a frame;an engine having a V-twin configuration coupled to the frame;right and left engine guards coupled to the frame forwardly of the engine and extending laterally outwardly from the frame;right and left leg shields coupled to the right and left engine guards, respectively;a liquid cooling circuit in communication with the engine;a thermostat valve and a water pump in fluid communication with the liquid cooling circuit;wherein the liquid cooling circuit further includes a supply header running from the water pump to the engine and a return header running from the engine to the thermostat valve, wherein the liquid cooling circuit includes a pair of supply branch lines running from the supply header to each of a first cylinder head and a second cylinder head of the V-twin engine and a pair of return lines running from the first and second cylinder heads to the return header;right and left radiators in fluid communication with the liquid cooling circuit and positioned within the right and left leg shields, respectively;wherein the thermostat valve is configured to selectively bypass at least one of the right and left radiators depending upon a sensed temperature of liquid coolant within the liquid cooling circuit, and wherein the water pump is positioned between the right and left leg shields, at an elevation substantially lower than the right and left radiators when the motorcycle is in an upright position; andwherein the right and left leg shields include a right duct and a left duct, respectively, wherein the right duct is configured to direct air received from the right radiator away from the motorcycle, and wherein the left duct is configured to direct air received from the left radiator away from the motorcycle. 2. The motorcycle of claim 1, wherein the liquid cooling circuit is in fluid communication with one or more cylinder heads of the engine and no other portion of the engine. 3. The motorcycle of claim 2, wherein the liquid cooling circuit is a precision cooling circuit arranged specifically to cool the cylinder head in the immediate area around an exhaust passage of the cylinder head. 4. The motorcycle of claim 1, wherein the pair of supply branch lines and the pair of return lines are located substantially entirely within the “V” of the V-twin engine. 5. The motorcycle of claim 1, wherein the right duct is configured to direct air received from the right radiator downwardly away from the motorcycle, and wherein the left duct is configured to direct air received from the left radiator downwardly away from the motorcycle. 6. The motorcycle of claim 1, wherein the right leg shield includes right forward and right rear panels coupled together, wherein the right duct is defined by at least portions of the right forward and right rear panels, wherein the left leg shield includes left forward and left rear panels coupled together, and wherein the left duct is defined by at least portions of the left forward and left rear panels. 7. A motorcycle comprising: a frame;an engine coupled to the frame;right and left engine guards coupled to the frame forwardly of the engine and extending laterally outwardly from the frame;right and left leg shields coupled to the right and left engine guards, respectively;a liquid cooling circuit in communication with the engine; andright and left radiators in fluid communication with the liquid cooling circuit and positioned within the right and left leg shields, respectively,wherein the right and left leg shields include a right duct and a left duct, respectively, wherein the right duct is configured to direct air received from the right radiator downwardly away from the motorcycle, and wherein the left duct is configured to direct air received from the left radiator downwardly away from the motorcycle. 8. The motorcycle of claim 7, wherein the liquid cooling circuit is in fluid communication with one or more cylinder heads of the engine and no other portion of the engine. 9. The motorcycle of claim 8, wherein the liquid cooling circuit is a precision cooling circuit arranged specifically to cool the cylinder head in the immediate area around an exhaust passage of the cylinder head. 10. The motorcycle of claim 7, further comprising a thermostat valve and a water pump in fluid communication with the liquid cooling circuit, wherein the thermostat valve is configured to selectively bypass at least one of the right and left radiators depending upon a sensed temperature of liquid coolant within the liquid cooling circuit, and wherein the water pump is positioned between the right and left leg shields, at an elevation substantially lower than the right and left radiators when the motorcycle is in an upright position, wherein the engine is a V-twin engine, and the liquid cooling circuit includes a supply header running from the water pump to the engine and a return header running from the engine to the thermostat valve, and wherein the liquid cooling circuit includes a pair of supply branch lines running from the supply header to each of a first cylinder head and a second cylinder head of the V-twin engine and a pair of return lines running from the first and second cylinder heads to the return header, andwherein the pair of supply branch lines and the pair of return lines are located substantially entirely within the “V” of the V-twin engine. 11. The motorcycle of claim 7, wherein the right leg shield includes right forward and right rear panels coupled together, wherein the right duct is defined by at least portions of the right forward and right rear panels, wherein the left leg shield includes left forward and left rear panels coupled together, and wherein the left duct is defined by at least portions of the left forward and left rear panels. 12. A motorcycle comprising: a frame;an engine coupled to the frame;right and left engine guards coupled to the frame forwardly of the engine and extending laterally outwardly from the frame;right and left leg shields, each being nested into the respective one of the right and left engine guards and secured thereto;a liquid cooling circuit in communication with the engine; andright and left radiators in fluid communication with the liquid cooling circuit and positioned within the right and left leg shields, respectively,wherein the right and left leg shields include a right duct and a left duct, respectively, wherein the right duct is configured to direct air received from the right radiator away from the motorcycle, and wherein the left duct is configured to direct air received from the left radiator away from the motorcycle. 13. The motorcycle of claim 12, wherein the liquid cooling circuit is in fluid communication with one or more cylinder heads of the engine and no other portion of the engine. 14. The motorcycle of claim 13, wherein the liquid cooling circuit is a precision cooling circuit arranged specifically to cool the cylinder head in the immediate area around an exhaust passage of the cylinder head. 15. The motorcycle of claim 12, further comprising a thermostat valve and a water pump in fluid communication with the liquid cooling circuit, wherein the thermostat valve is configured to selectively bypass at least one of the right and left radiators depending upon a sensed temperature of liquid coolant within the liquid cooling circuit, and wherein the water pump is positioned between the right and left leg shields, at an elevation substantially lower than the right and left radiators when the motorcycle is in an upright position. 16. The motorcycle of claim 15, wherein the engine is a V-twin engine, and the liquid cooling circuit includes a supply header running from the water pump to the engine and a return header running from the engine to the thermostat valve, and wherein the liquid cooling circuit includes a pair of supply branch lines running from the supply header to each of a first cylinder head and a second cylinder head of the V-twin engine and a pair of return lines running from the first and second cylinder heads to the return header. 17. The motorcycle of claim 16, wherein the pair of supply branch lines and the pair of return lines are located substantially entirely within the “V” of the V-twin engine. 18. The motorcycle of claim 12, wherein the right duct is configured to direct air received from the right radiator downwardly away from the motorcycle, and wherein the left duct is configured to direct air received from the left radiator downwardly away from the motorcycle. 19. The motorcycle of claim 12, wherein the right leg shield includes right forward and right rear panels coupled together, wherein the right duct is defined by at least portions of the right forward and right rear panels, wherein the left leg shield includes left forward and left rear panels coupled together, and wherein the left duct is defined by at least portions of the left forward and left rear panels. 20. The motorcycle of claim 12, wherein each of the right and left leg shields has an inboard portion spaced from a center plane of the motorcycle and an outboard portion spaced further from the center plane.