Folding floor boards
View Patent ↗A set of motorcycle floor boards are provided in position to permit a rider of a motorcycle to place feet on the floor boards when they are generally horizontal. The floor boards are pivotally mounted so that they will pivot upwardly to a vertical retracted position and are made and mounted so they will pivot to be substantially between 80 and 90 degrees from a horizontal plane. This pivoting amount will minimize the space between outer edges of the floor boards in their vertical retracted position to in turn minimize the need for a rider to spread feet widely in order to stabilize the motorcycle when stopped.
1. A set of floor boards for a driver of a motorcycle, said floor boards comprising a left floor board and a right floor board, support brackets for mounting each of the floor boards on the right and left sides of the motorcycle, respectively, a pivotal mounting between a generally horizontal portion of the respective support brackets and the respective floor board, wherein said floor boards pivot from a generally horizontal position to a position that is between 80 and 90 degrees upwardly relative to a horizontal plane to minimize the spacing between upper edges of the floor boards when in a retracted position to permit a driver's legs to be positioned close to sides of a stationary motorcycle, wherein said support brackets include flanges that attach to a motorcycle frame, and an outwardly extending offset section for clearance for foot operated controls, and the horizontal portions of the support brackets comprising support flanges for forming a pivot support for the floor boards, and wherein the right floor board bracket offset section is of size to provide clearance for a brake lever to be positioned between the floor board and the motorcycle frame, and on an upper side of the offset portion of the bracket.
2. The set of floor boards of claim 1 , wherein the floor boards have generally flat planar plates pivotally mounted to the horizontal portion of the support brackets.
3. The set of floor boards of claim 2 , wherein said planar plates have clips protruding from the bottom side thereof for aiding in manipulating the floor boards to pivot from the retracted position to the generally horizontal position.
4. The set of floor boards of claim 1 , wherein said left floor board support bracket has a pivot pin that extends generally horizontally and laterally which pivotally mounts a gear shift operator.
5. The set of floor boards of claim 1 , wherein each of the floor boards has a skid plate on a lower side thereof adjacent an outer edge thereof.
6. The set of floor boards of claim 1 , wherein each of the floor boards has detents for detenting each floor board in a retracted position and in a horizontal position.
7. The set of floor boards of claim 1 , wherein said floor boards and brackets have engaging stop surfaces to stop downward movement when the floor boards are in the respective generally horizontal position.
8. The set of floor boards of claim 1 , wherein said floor boards are substantially aligned in a vertical direction with lower legs of a driver seated on the seat of the motorcycle.
9. The set of floor boards of claim 1 , wherein one of the respective floor boards and its associated support bracket has a pair of spaced hubs, and the other of the respective floor board and its support bracket has a single hub that fits between the spaced hubs, and a pivot pin for pivotally mounting the spaced hubs and single hub together.
10. The set of floor boards of claim 9 wherein the support brackets are configured to position the pivot pins to permit the floor boards to pivot substantially 90° from the generally horizontal position.
11. A fully folding floor board for a driver of a motorcycle, a support bracket for mounting the floor board on the motorcycle, the floor board having a plate portion, a pivot connection between the support bracket and the floor board, the floor board being movable from a generally horizontal position to a position that is substantially vertical and the bracket being configured to permit the floor board to pivot the vertical position by clearing the side of the motorcycle to minimize the spacing between an upper edge of the floor board when in the vertical position to permit a driver's legs to be close to the side of the motorcycle when the motorcycle is stationary, wherein the support bracket has a vertical mounting flange, a horizontal offset portion, and a floor board support portion, the vertical mounting flange having a horizontal pivot thereon, and a shift arm pivotally mounted on the horizontal pivot.
12. The floor board of claim 11 , wherein said plate portion has a clip protruding from a bottom side thereof for aiding in manipulating the floor board to pivot from the vertical position to the generally horizontal position.
13. The floor board of claim 11 wherein the floor board has a skid member on a lower side thereof adjacent an outer edge thereof.
14. The floor board of claim 11 , wherein the floor board has detents for detenting the floor board in its vertical position and in its generally horizontal position.
15. The floor board of claim 11 , wherein said floor board and the support bracket have engaging stop surfaces to stop downward movement when the floor board reaches the horizontal position.
16. The floor board of claim 11 wherein said floor board is mountable on a motorcycle in position substantially aligned in a vertical direction with a lower leg of a driver seated on the seat of the motorcycle.
17. A floor board for a driver of a motorcycle, the floor board comprising a support bracket for mounting the floor board on the side of the motorcycle, a pivotal mounting between a generally horizontal portion of the support bracket and the floor board, wherein the floor board pivots from a generally horizontal position to a position that is between 80 and 90 degrees upwardly relative to a horizontal plane to minimize the spacing between upper edge of the floor board when in a retracted position to permit a driver's legs to be positioned close to sides of a stationary motorcycle, wherein the support bracket includes a flange that attaches to a motorcycle frame, and an outwardly extending offset section for clearance for a foot operated control, and the horizontal portion of the support bracket comprising a support flange for forming a pivot support for the floor board, and wherein the bracket offset section is of size to provide clearance for the foot operated control positioned between the floor board and the motorcycle frame, and on an upper side of the offset portion of the bracket.