VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE

A control device (69) for a motorcycle includes a removal detecting unit (66) for detecting the removal of an equipment, which is required during a public road running of the automotive vehicle, from the motorcycle, a determining unit (64) for determining the presence of the motorcycle on a non-public road area in the event that a determining condition (65) including a detection signal fed from the removal detecting unit (66) is satisfied, and a drive control unit (57) operable in response to a determining signal from the determining unit (64) to set a non-public road mode appropriate to the non-public road running. The equipment referred to above is at least one of a back viewing mirror (30), a headlight (28), a tail lamp (34), a number plate (42), a license lamp (44), a warning horn, a side stand (19) and turn indicators (32, 38).