Air box for a motorcycle

Abstract

A fuel tank and air box assembly for a motorcycle includes a fuel tank and an air box housing. The air box housing has an inlet configured to receive intake air into the housing and an outlet configured to direct the intake air from the housing to the motorcycle's engine. A filter element configured to separate debris from the intake air is positioned at least partially inside the housing. The air box housing hangs from the fuel tank.

1 . A fuel tank and air box assembly for a motorcycle including a motorcycle engine, the fuel tank and air box assembly comprising:
 a fuel tank;   an air box housing having an inlet configured to receive intake air into the housing and an outlet configured to direct the intake air from the housing to the motorcycle engine; and   a filter element positioned at least partially inside the housing, the filter element configured to separate debris from the intake air,   wherein the air box housing hangs from the fuel tank.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel tank includes a recess in a lower surface thereof, and at least a portion of the air box housing is configured to be positioned within the recess in the lower surface of the fuel tank. 
     
     
         3 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the air box housing includes at least one mounting feature, and the fuel tank includes at least one pocket configured to receive the at least one mounting feature. 
     
     
         4 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one mounting feature includes at least one flange formed integrally as a single piece with the air box housing and extending upwardly from an upper surface of the air box housing. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one mounting feature includes a pair of mounting flanges defining spaced, coaxial apertures, and the at least one pocket in the fuel tank includes a pair of pockets corresponding to and configured to at least partially receive the pair of mounting flanges, the fuel tank and air box assembly further comprising a fastener configured to engage the apertures of both mounting flanges. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 5 , wherein a first one of the mounting flanges includes a threaded insert configured to engage the fastener. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the air box includes a second pair of mounting flanges defining spaced, coaxial apertures, the fuel tank and air box assembly further comprising a second fastener configured to engage each of the second pair of mounting flanges. 
     
     
         8 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 7 , wherein a first one of the second pair of mounting flanges includes a threaded insert configured to engage the second fastener. 
     
     
         9 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the fastener is further configured to pass through a bushing in the fuel tank. 
     
     
         10 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the fuel tank includes at least one substantially horizontally-extending bore, the air box housing being supported by a fastener through the at least one bore. 
     
     
         11 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a fuel tank cover positionable over the fuel tank to at least partially cover the fuel tank, the fuel tank cover having a lower edge, wherein the air box housing is formed with a ridge that follows a contour of the lower edge of the fuel tank cover. 
     
     
         12 . A fuel tank and air box assembly for a motorcycle including a motorcycle engine, the fuel tank and air box assembly comprising:
 a fuel tank having a lower surface with a recess;   an air box housing having an inlet configured to receive intake air into the housing and an outlet configured to direct the intake air from the housing to the motorcycle engine, at least a portion of the air box housing being configured to be positioned within the recess in the lower surface of the fuel tank;   a filter element coupled to the housing, the filter element configured to separate debris from the intake air;   at least one pocket formed in the recess in the lower surface of the fuel tank;   at least one mounting projection extending from the housing, the mounting projection being configured to be at least partially received within the at least one pocket when the air box housing is positioned within the recess; and   a fastener configured to couple the airbox housing with the fuel tank at an interface between the at least one mounting projection and the at least one pocket.   
     
     
         13 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one mounting projection includes a first pair of mounting projections having coaxial apertures configured to receive the fastener. 
     
     
         14 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the aperture of one of the first pair of mounting projections includes a clearance aperture for the fastener and the aperture of the other of the first pair of mounting projections is a threaded aperture for engaging the fastener. 
     
     
         15 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the threaded aperture is provided by a threaded insert. 
     
     
         16 . The fuel tank and airbox assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one mounting projection includes a second pair of mounting projections having coaxial apertures configured to receive a second fastener. 
     
     
         17 . An air box for a motorcycle comprising:
 a housing defining an interior volume;   a filter element positionable within the interior volume to separate debris from the intake air; and   two pairs of mounting projections extending from an upper surface of the housing, the two mounting projections of each pair being spaced apart and including apertures that are coaxial with one another, a first common axis defined by the apertures of the first pair of mounting projections being spaced from and substantially parallel with a second common axis defined by the apertures of the second pair of mounting projections.   
     
     
         18 . The air box of  claim 17 , wherein each pair of mounting projections is configured to receive a single fastener. 
     
     
         19 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 18 , wherein each pair of mounting projections includes a first mounting projection having a clearance aperture for the fastener and a second mounting projection having a threaded aperture for engaging the fastener. 
     
     
         20 . The fuel tank and air box assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the second mounting projection of each pair includes a threaded insert providing the threaded aperture.