Traditionally, two-wheeled vehicles approved for transporting a passenger, as well as the driver of the vehicle, may be provided with one or more handles, the purpose of which is to allow the passenger to secure himself or herself to the vehicle during travel. Some motorcycles are alternatively provided with belts which the passenger may hold onto.

Generally, the handles and/or belts are provided on the rear part of the motorcycle, and the passenger is therefore obliged to hold on by extending his or her arms backwards, adopting a position that is not particularly comfortable and not efficacious in guaranteeing a secure hold and good stability.

Moreover, often the passengers of motorcycles cling to the driver during travel, limiting the latter's movements and thereby capacity of action.

These traditional solutions present a series of drawbacks. For example, during the acceleration phases of the motorcycle, the passenger is in any case obliged to cling to the driver as any handles or belts present, being positioned behind the passenger, do not suffice to prevent him or her from moving on the saddle of the vehicle.

In the same way, during braking or changes of direction of the motorcycle, the traditional securing means do not offer adequate support and the passenger is subjected to undesired movements that unbalance the vehicle and oblige the driver to make continual corrections in the set trajectory. In some cases, the passenger knocks against the driver, or leans his or her weight against the driver, with negative consequences with regard to safe driving.

Alternative solutions have been proposed with handles on the central part of motorcycles.

For example, the patent US 5, 002, 149 describes a securing system for the passenger of a motorcycle having two handles fixed to the fuel tank, in a lateral position, or to the frame of the vehicle. This solution, although providing a safe hold for the passenger, has many disadvantages due to the fixing system used for the handles and to their position on the fuel tank. In fact, the handles must be fixed to the fuel tank or to the frame by means of screws and bolts. This system therefore requires invasive operations on the vehicle, which may also be dangerous for safety. Any holes made in the frame may in fact give rise to breakages or points in which corrosion generates. With regard to the fuel tank, also in this case making holes in it gives rise to numerous problems related to safety, so much so that in many cases it is prohibited by independent national regulations. Moreover, the side position of the handles may obstruct the driver during steering manoeuvres at low speed, when his or her arms come close to the fuel tank.

The object of the present invention is to provide a handgrip for the passenger of a motorcycle that solves the problems of prior art, guaranteeing a safe and stable hold in all driving conditions and which is also inexpensive, simple to produce and to install on the motorcycle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a handgrip for the passenger of a motorcycle that does not require substantial modifications to the components of the motorcycle and which has only a marginal influence on its appearance.

These and other objects are obtained by the present invention relating to a handgrip for the passenger of a motorcycle, comprising two half- handlebars that can be coupled to a supporting element, characterized in that said supporting element can engage, in a removable way, with at least one portion of the cap of the fuel tank of said motorcycle.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the supporting element is a circular ring nut that can be coupled to the outer ring of the fuel tank cap of the aforesaid motorcycle by means of screws.

According to a further preferred aspect, the half-handlebars extend essentially linearly and can be coupled to the supporting element so that they are each directed, when the handgrip is installed on said motorcycle, towards one side of the motorcycle, according to a predefined inclination.

Preferably, the half-handlebars are coupled to the supporting element by engaging one of their ends, threaded, in corresponding holes provided on said supporting element.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the half- handlebars are produced, partially or fully, in metal or plastic, or in rubber. In this case the rubber may have a differentiated mix for the individual portions of the half-handlebar, so that the flexural strength of the half-handlebar varies along its extension, being maximum at one end of the half-handlebar and decreasing to a minimum value at the other end.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention shall become more apparent from the description hereunder, provided purely as a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: -figure 1A comprises a side view of a motorcycle and a detailed view of the fuel tank cap; -figure 1 B is a perspective view of the handgrip according to the invention ; figure 2 includes a plan view and two side views of the handgrip in figure 1; figure 3 is a top view of the handgrip in figure 1 installed on a motorcycle; figure 4 is an exploded top view of the handgrip in figure 1; figure 5 is a perspective view of a handgrip according to the invention installed on a motorcycle ; figure 6 is a top view of the handgrip in figure 5.

Figure 1A shows a traditional motorcycle, provided with a fuel tank T and a saddle S. The fuel tank T is provided with a cap 1 having the function of allowing access to the internal volume of the fuel tank T to fill it with fuel. The cap 1 generally comprises an outer ring 4 and a removable sealing plug 3. The outer ring 4 is fixed integrally to the fuel tank T of the motorcycle by a plurality of screws 2. The sealing plug 3 can engage with the outer ring 4 by means of a liquid proof coupling, and can be removed manually to allow the fuel tank T to be filled with fuel.

Figure 1 B shows, in perspective, the handgrip 5 according to the invention. The handgrip 5 comprises two half-handles 6,7 and a supporting element 8. The half-handles 6,7 can be coupled (see figure 4), in a removable way, to the supporting element 8, which in turn can be coupled, integrally, to the outer ring 4 of the cap 1 of a fuel tank T of a motorcycle. Alternatively, the half-handles 6,7 can be integral with the element 8. The overall dimensions of supporting element 8 must not obstruct, when coupled to the outer ring 4 of the cap 1, removal of the sealing plug 3 from the cap 1.

The supporting element 8 may be produced in one piece, or may comprise a plurality of individual portions. For example, the supporting element 8 may be composed of two halves, that can be fastened, independently from each other, to the outer ring 4 of the cap 1.

Preferably, the supporting element 8 is a single piece with the general shape of a circular ring, and with dimensions that allow it to be placed over the outer ring 4. In the embodiment shown, the supporting element 8 is a circular ring nut without a sector 9 to facilitate, when coupled to the ring 4, removal of the sealing plug 3 or its tipping when the sealing plug 3 is hinged to the ring 4.

The supporting element 8 has means, per se known, to couple it integrally to the outer ring 4 of the cap 1 of the motorcycle. Preferably, this coupling is produced by screws, and consequently the element 8 has a plurality of through holes suitable to house said screws.

In the embodiment shown, the ring nut 8 has five through holes 10 disposed around the circumference of the ring nut 8. The position of the holes 10 is such that, when the ring nut 8 is placed over the outer ring 4 of the cap 1, at least one of the holes 10 lies on top of at least one of the holes of the ring 4, so that one screw 2 can simultaneously engage the hole 10 and the hole of the ring 4. For this purpose, the diameter of the holes 10 of the ring nut 8 is greater than or equal to the diameter of the holes of the ring 4 in which the screws 2 engage (figure 1A).

The half-handles 6,7 in general extend linearly. Alternatively, they can have other ergonomic forms, for example curved and/or shaped with suitable recesses for the fingers, or further couplings with other extension elements.

A first end of each handle 6,7 can be functionally associated with the supporting element 8 by means of a coupling that allows easy engagement and also quick disengagement of the handle 6,7 from the element 8. Preferably, the half-handles 6,7 can be fastened to the supporting element 8 so as to project, and their second end, which is free, is rounded.

The half-handles 6,7 can be produced with different types of materials, for example metal, plastic or rubber. They can also be covered with a layer of spongy or rubbery material with the function of promoting hold by a person.

For example, the half-handles can have a core produced in steel corresponding to the standard AISI 301, and be covered with a hypoallergenic foam coating.

According to an alternative embodiment, the half-handles 6,7 are produced in rubber, with differentiated mix along the extension of the handle 6,7. Alternatively, the half-handles 6,7 can be produced with a material with mechanical properties similar to those of rubber. These half-handles have a high flexural strength at their first end and a lower flexural strength at their free end. In the intermediate portions of the half-handle, the flexural strength varies according to the variation in the mix used for the rubber, in order to obtain a decreasing variation in this strength towards the free end.

In the embodiment shown (figures 1 B-5), the half-handles 6,7 have an essentially cylindrical shape, with a diameter that can be held comfortably by a person.

In general, the half-handles 6,7 can be coupled to the supporting element 8 using traditional means such as screws, pins, clamps, etc.. In the embodiment shown, at their first end they have a threaded pin 11 with the function of engaging corresponding threaded holes provided on the ring nut 8.

Preferably, the ring nut 8 has two projections 12, each of which is provided with means for coupling to one of the half-handles 6,7. More preferably, as shown in Figures 1 B and 5, the projections 12 each have a threaded hole suitable to engage the pin 11 of the half-handles 6,7.

In the handgrip 5 according to the invention the half-handles 6,7 can be coupled to the element 8 at different angles, so that these half- handles 6,7 can each be positioned in a preferred direction in respect of the centroid of the cap 1. In the embodiment shown (figures 1 B and 2) the half-handles 6,7 are screwed to the projections 12 of the ring nut 8 provided along a diameter of the ring nut 8 and can lie on a plane inclined with respect to the plane containing the upper surface of the ring nut 8. In particular, when the handgrip 5 is installed on a motorcycle, the half-handles 6,7 are essentially orthogonal to the axis of the motorcycle.

According to the invention it is provided that the handgrip 5 is coupled to at least one portion of the cap 1 of the fuel tank T of a motorcycle, so that the half-handles 6,7 provide a valid and safe handhold for the passenger of the motorcycle. Preferably, the supporting element 8 is fixed integrally to the outer ring 4 of the cap 1.

In the embodiment shown, the ring nut 8 can be coupled to the outer ring 4 of a cap 1 by screws 2. In this case, to install the handgrip 5 on a motorcycle, it is sufficient to unscrew at least two screws 2 from the ring 4 of the cap 1 of the motorcycle, then place the ring nut 8 over the ring 4, and couple the ring nut 8 to the ring 4 simultaneously engaging the holes 10 of the ring nut 8 and the holes of the ring 4 by means of screws 2. The ring nut 8, coupled in this way, is placed over the ring 4, at all times allowing removal or vertical movement of the sealing plug 3 of the cap 1 (figure 3). When the ring nut 8 is coupled to the ring 4, the half-handles 6,7 can be easily screwed to or unscrewed from the ring nut 8.

Figures 5 and 6 show, in a perspective and in a top view respectively, the handgrip according to the invention installed on a traditional motorcycle. The passenger of the motorcycle, sitting on the saddle S, can easily hold the half-handles 6,7 if necessary encircling the driver with his or her arms.

The handgrip 5 according to the invention has a series of advantages in respect of traditional handgrips used on motorcycles. In fact, it allows the passenger to secure himself or herself to the vehicle in a position that does not cause fatigue of the arms or wrists. Moreover, the handgrip 5 ensures the passenger has a safe handhold both during acceleration of the motorcycle and during braking or deceleration. Also during changes in the direction of the motorcycle, during which the passenger is usually exposed to sudden variations in his or her inclination in respect of the road surface, the handgrip 5 provides a safe hold for the passenger.

Consequently, the handgrip 5 according to the invention improves the safety of motorcycle passengers in all driving conditions. The advantages of a safe hold for the passenger also reflect on the driver who, when the passenger holds the half-handles 6,7 of the handgrip, is no longer obliged to compensate the movements in weight caused by involuntary movements of the passenger on the saddle. Likewise, the passenger is not obliged to hold onto the driver to maintain his or her position on the saddle.

Moreover, during sudden braking, the passenger can avoid knocking against the driver of the motorcycle simply by discharging his or her inertia on the handgrip 5 and not on the driver.

The handgrip 5 can be installed on a traditional motorcycle with extreme ease, without excessively influencing the appearance of the motorcycle, and without having to take invasive action on the frame or other parts of the motorcycle. Moreover, when no passenger is travelling on the motorcycle, the half-handles 6,7 can be unscrewed and removed, in order not to create an obstruction.