Patent attributes
An open cockpit off-road vehicle has an engine, four wheels, side-by-side driver and passenger seats, and a driver safety belt which include a seat belt, first and second connecting portions selectively connected to each other, and one of a safety belt sensor and a safety belt switch sensing a state of this connection. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connects the engine to the wheels. A control unit is connected to the engine. A vehicle speed sensor senses a speed of rotation of a shaft driven by the CVT. The control unit controls the engine in a vehicle speed limit mode when the first and second connecting portions are disconnected. When in this mode, the control unit controls the engine to limit the speed of the vehicle to a predetermined speed and to permit the engine to reach a torque necessary to operate the vehicle at the predetermined speed.