Axle assembly for a motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels

1. An axle assembly that is configured for use in a motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels, the axle assembly comprising:

a differential assembly having a differential case and a drive member coupled to the differential case, the drive member being configured to engage an endless power transmitting element and comprising a pulley or a sprocket;

a pair of bearings mounted to opposite ends of the differential case; and

a carrier housing assembly having a carrier housing and a pair of bearing caps, each of the bearings being received between the carrier housing and an associated one of the bearing caps to support the differential assembly for rotation relative to the carrier housing assembly about a rotational axis, the carrier housing comprising a plurality of struts that are spaced circumferentially apart about the rotational axis such that a void space is formed between each adjacent pair of the struts, wherein an opening is formed in the carrier housing, the opening being configured to receive the endless power transmitting element therethrough.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a pair of shafts adapted to transmit rotary power from the differential assembly to the driven wheels, wherein the carrier housing comprises a pair of end members, each of the end members defining a bore through which an associated one of the shafts extend.

3. The axle assembly of claim 2 , wherein each of the struts is mounted directly to both of the end members.

4. The axle assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a pair of axle tubes, wherein each of the axle tubes is received in an associated one of the bores and is fixedly coupled to the carrier housing .

5. The axle assembly of claim 4 , wherein each axle tube comprises a bearing mount and the axle assembly further comprises a pair of shaft bearings, wherein each of the shaft bearings is mounted on an associated one of the shafts and is axially slidably received into an associated one of the bearing mounts.

6. The axle assembly of claim 5 , further including a pair of retaining plates that abut sides of the shaft bearings opposite the carrier housing.

7. The axle assembly of claim 6 , wherein the retaining plates are configured to cooperate with the bearing mounts to apply a clamping force to outer races of the shaft bearings to inhibit rotation of the outer races relative to the bearing mounts.

8. The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the carrier housing is a unitarily formed casting.

9. The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the carrier housing is a weldment.

10. An axle assembly that is configured for use in a motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels, the axle assembly comprising:

a differential assembly having a differential case and a drive member coupled to the differential case, the drive member being configured to engage an endless power transmitting element and comprising a pulley or a sprocket; and

a carrier housing assembly having a carrier housing, a pair of bearing caps and a pair of axle tubes, the carrier housing defining a front opening, a rear opening and a pair of tubular end members into which the axle tubes are received, the front opening being configured to receive the differential assembly therethrough, the differential assembly being received between the carrier housing and the bearing caps, wherein the front and rear openings are not covered or closed when the axle assembly is employed to drive the driven wheels.

11. The axle assembly of claim 10 further including a pair of shafts and a pair of shaft bearings, wherein each axle tube comprises a bearing mount, and wherein each of the shaft bearings is mounted on an associated one of the shafts and is axially slidably received into an associated one of the bearing mounts.

12. The axle assembly of claim 11 further including a pair of retaining plates that abut sides of the shaft bearings opposite the carrier housing.

13. The axle assembly of claim 12 , wherein the retaining plates are configured to cooperate with the bearing mounts to apply a clamping force to outer races of the shaft bearings to inhibit rotation of the outer races relative to the bearing mounts.

14. The axle assembly of claim 10 , wherein the carrier housing comprises a plurality of strut members that cooperate to define a differential cavity, the strut members being configured to only partly shroud the differential assembly such that the differential assembly is visible between adjacent ones of the strut members during operation of the axle assembly.