US Patent 7380538 Reverse operation of a vehicle

A vehicle has a vehicle body, a seat, an engine, an ECU, a throttle body, a throttle valve, a throttle valve actuator, a throttle operator, and a throttle operator position sensor. A shifter is disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat for selecting a vehicle operation direction between a forward direction and a reverse direction. A vehicle operation direction sensor senses the vehicle operation direction. The ECU limits a maximum speed of the vehicle when it operates in the reverse direction. In another aspect, the ECU limits the degree of opening of the throttle valve when it operates in the reverse direction. Methods of controlling an engine are also disclosed.