Saddle riding vehicle with an elongated tank

1 . A saddle-riding vehicle comprising:

a motor assembly, a frame to which said motor assembly is connected, and a tank supported by said frame and having a fuel feeding inlet, wherein said frame comprises:

a front part which comprises a steering tube to which a steering assembly which controls a front wheel is rotatably connected;

a central part which comprises a swingarm to which a rear wheel is rotatably connected;

a rear part extending from said central part in a direction opposite to said front part; and

a front mechanical suspension and a rear mechanical suspension operatively interposed between said frame and respectively a front wheel and a rear wheel, each of the mechanical suspensions being configured to assume an extended or compressed configuration,

wherein said tank is a single monobloc tank and extends between said front part and said central part of said frame, said tank having a height greater than or equal to half an overall height of the vehicle,

wherein said overall height is the distance, measured on said saddle riding vehicle with fully extended suspensions, between a support surface on the ground on which said vehicle rests and the upper end of said steering tube, and

wherein said height of said tank is the distance between said feeding inlet and a point of said tank closest to said support surface;

wherein said tank comprises a first tank section in a position proximal to said steering tube of said frame, and

wherein said first tank section comprises a first and a second tank side portions which depart from a tank central portion in which said fuel feeding inlet is arranged, said tank side portions spaced apart in a width direction wherein the lower surface of said first tank section is substantially parallel to the ground.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:

said tank has a longitudinal extension, which extends between said front part, said central part, and said rear part, considered on a view side of said vehicle, greater than half of a wheelbase of said vehicle,

said wheelbase of said vehicle is a distance between rotation axes of said wheels of said vehicle, and

said longitudinal extension of said tank is a length thereof measured along a longitudinal direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of said rear wheel, said longitudinal extensions being considered in a condition whereby said vehicle has fully extended suspensions.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second tank side portions extends in an outer position and adjacent to a corresponding front side of a front portion.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said first and second tank side portions, in a side view, extend at least partially astride said steering tube.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said tank comprises:

a second tank section, distinct from said first tank section and from said third tank section, the second tank section communicating with said first tank section and extending towards said rear wheel according to an upper profile of said front part of said frame, the second tank section being located above said front part of said frame as seen in a longitudinal side view of the vehicle; and

a third tank section communicating with said second tank section and comprised between rear sides of said rear part of said frame.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:

said tank comprises a lower surface comprising a first surface portion referred to said first tank section, a second surface portion referred to said second tank section, and a third surface portion referred to said third tank section,

said first surface portion extends, at least partially, parallel to a support plane of said vehicle, and

said second surface portion extends according to an inclined plane in accordance with the upper profile, measured in a longitudinal direction, of said front part of said frame,

said third surface portion being partially facing said central part of said frame and partially facing said rear wheel.

7 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein said second tank section of said tank is configured in such a way that its extension in a width direction of the vehicle is less than the distance between said front sides of said front part of said frame.

8 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:

said tank comprises an upper surface comprising a first surface portion referred to said first tank section and a second surface portion referred to said second tank section, and

a saddle of said vehicle rests at least in part on said second surface portion of said upper surface.

9 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:

the first tank side portion is internally delimited by a first inner surface, at least partially flat, and externally by a first curved surface, and

the second tank side portion is internally delimited by a second inner surface, at least partially flat, and externally by a second curved surface,

said curved surfaces imparting an outwardly rounded shape to said first and second side tank portions.

10 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein:

said front part of said frame comprises at least one transverse element which extends in the width direction of said vehicle connecting said front sides, and

a position of said transverse element identifies, for each of said front sides, a first trellis portion of the frame which extends from said steering tube to said transverse element and a second portion which extends between the corresponding first portion and said central part of said frame.

11 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein said tank is supported through fixing means installed at said rear part of said frame.

12 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein said tank has a decreasing extension, in a width direction of said vehicle from said second tank section to said third tank section according to a plan view of said tank.

13 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein:

said first and second inner surfaces are longitudinally delimited by a transverse inner surface extending in the width direction of said vehicle, and

said first and second inner surfaces define a recess of said first tank section having a polygonal shape with respect to a plan view of said tank.

14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein said transverse inner surface is located in a position spaced from said steering tube whereby said recess defines a space in which a component accessory to the operation of said motor assembly is positioned.

15 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein:

said front part of said frame comprises at least one transverse element which extends in the width direction of said vehicle connecting said front sides,

a position of said transverse element identifies, for each of said front sides, a first trellis portion of the frame which extends from said steering tube to said transverse element and a second portion which extends between the corresponding first portion and said central part of said frame, and

said recess of said first tank section extends from said steering tube to a position proximal to said transverse element.

16 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein:

said tank is fixed, directly or indirectly, to each of said front sides substantially in a position proximal to said transverse element,

said tank resting, for each of said front sides, on a component of said corresponding first trellis portion of the frame.

17 . The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein said first tank section is connected to each of said front sides through a pair of connecting brackets, each of which extends from a corresponding one of said tank side portions.

18 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein said fixing means comprise a transverse bracket to which said second tank section of said tank is connected, said transverse bracket extending between said rear sides of said frame.

19 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein said tank is fixed to said front portion and/or to said rear portion of said frame such that, for each of said front sides, said second tank section of said tank is positioned above the corresponding second portion.