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For a more
enjoyable ride with a passenger, Yamaha
focused on reducing noise and vibration
in the Rhino 700
|
During our lengthy test ride, all the new noise
reduction features on the Rhino 700 became very
obvious. “Vibration to the driver has
been reduced by 70%. There are several key items
that helped do that, the first is a new counter
balancer in the engine.” Explained Biolsi.
“The exhaust mounting system is rubber
mounted using a spherical joint system that
reduces the vibration that is sent back from
the exhaust system to the chassis. Also the
rubber mount system in the engine is different.
The mounts are larger and they are repositioned
and optimized to the characteristics of the
engine.” He concluded.
Yamaha’s efforts to give the Rhino 700
a smoother, quieter ride really shine through.
A new rubber buffer behind the bed helps to
reduce noise, dust and vibrations in the cab.
Another change to help with noise issues was
the relocation of the intake system. The intake,
which used to be up by the driver, is now located
under the hood of the vehicle. It is positioned
higher up and is shrouded to help keep out the
elements, but we all know that there are those
occasions where the elements do get the best
of us and manage to get inside, so Yamaha thought
of that to with an easily removable five-clip
intake lid and washable air filter. We should
also mention that the air filter is larger to
allow more airflow through the intake system.
| |
|
| The
Air Filter has been relocated under the
hood, which makes it much more accessible
for maintenance, and with no tools required,
the air filter than be easily reached
for cleaning by removing 5 clips and the
filter lid. |
Speaking of going anywhere, the upgraded digital
meter now has dual trip indicators to keep track
of mileage on trips. In addition, the meter
has an hour meter to help keep track of maintenance
and is now based on only when the engine is
running as opposed to the 660 model that began
logging hours even if the key was just in the
on position. One of the more impressive features
of the upgraded meter is that all of the diagnostic
and trouble shooting codes can be done through
the meter. “No additional tools are required.
All you need is the service manual.” Said
Biolsi. As the Yamaha adds more automotive features
to the Rhino, they might want to consider adding
routine maintenance alerts into the display
for oil changes, air filter cleaning, and more
in the future for those less experienced operators.
| |
|
| The
Rhino has plenty of protection underneath
to protect it from obstacles on the trails
with a full belly pan skid plate with
holes for drainage and accessibility to
the engine drain bolts, and for 2008 CV
joint protectors were also added up front
for even more protection |
The
new Passenger grab handle was also added,
which is a great safety features because
without it, I found myself trying to hold
onto the seat with my left hand because
I didn't feel comfortable just holding
the role cage handle, and we can't forget
the new 2 Cup Holders |
One other thing that was new for the Rhino
700 is the doors. This was a well over due addition
for safety reasons and improved protection from
the elements, and the doors are also available
from Yamaha for free for all previous year Rhinos,
which is an added plus. The doors work exactly
as intended as they keep you legs safely inside
the unit and they are very helpful in keeping
mud and water out of the vehicle, and we tested
the protection by taking the Rhino through a
deep water crossing, and very little water entered
the vehicle. One down side to the doors is that
they are ribbed on the inside for increased
strength, which can become uncomfortable if
you have a tendency to rest your leg against
it while riding for an extended period of time,
but otherwise they are awesome.
| |
|
| The
new doors are a great addition to the
Rhino as they not only keep your legs
from falling out of the vehicle, they
also do a great job of keeping out the
mud and water, which was very evident
after our ride. With the doors, my pants
would have been covered in mud, but instead
the mud just covered the doors |
 |
Rhino 700
SE Silver Model and Yamaha also will
be releasing some custom painted models,
but no photos were available
|
While the standard Rhino 700 has some pretty impressive
features, the SE edition may well be worth the
extra price. The SE comes standard with silver
seats, new cast aluminum wheels, a brushed aluminum
cap on the steering wheel, a smaller shifter knob,
LED taillights, and a new roof with drain holes.
However the most significant difference is the
piggyback shocks on the sport edition. The shocks
are on both the front and rear and are fully adjustable
so the rider can customize them to their specific
riding style.
Overall, the Rhino 700 is a very well thought
out, very much improved machine compared to
previous Rhino models. It’s a much more
refined UTV, but the Rhino 700 still offers
the rugged capabilities you would expect from
any off road vehicle.
