Yamaha Rhino, Upgrades and Accesories
by: byotex
So you decided to buy a UTV or Side-by-Side and selected a Yamaha Rhino, congratulations, the Rhino has more accesories and aftermarket add-on's available for it than ANY other UTV! This guide will serve those interested in accesorizing their Rhino (or other UTV) with good aftermarket parts to improve performance, appearance and function. ALWAYS RIDE with a HELEMT and EYE PROTECTION!
The Yamaha Rhino is a very versatile machine, capable of doing a lot of work or capable of a lot of fun on the trails, in the sand or in the swamp. Before anyone starts adding accessories to their Rhino it is a good idea to sit down and determine what your primary uses will be and how much money one wants to spend on upgrading the new toy! Some guys want a work horse and need winches, snow plows, seeders, discs, sprayers and the like for farm use. Others want a toy the whole family can go trail riding or sand dunning every weekend and enjoy the great outdoors. Some guys rig their Rhino's for hunting or multi-purpose use around the farm and for those weekend getaways. There are a few Rhino owners that seem most interested in BLING and like to add chrome or billet aluminum parts to their Ride. Then we have the Racers who want maximum performance or simply braggin rights and in this guide you will find something for ALL of these types of Rhino owners.
BASIC PERFORMANCE BOLT-ON'S......
Most new owners want to know; What can I do to get the most bang from my limited performance dollar that is a basic "bolt-on"? Well here are a few suggestions to start off with;
1.) Aftermarket or Performance CDI. A CDI is the computer, so to speak, for the Rhino and alters the timing, reverse rev limiters and increase top end or top speed performance. CDI's are the very first item to consider for improved performance from the RHINO. They are available from a number of sources, Dynatek, Procom & BlackRhino are just a few. An aftermarket RECTIFIER is another good addition to the CDI mod and can help with cold starting issues. The CDI and Rectifier is very easy to replace and in this writers opinion is the greatest performance increase for the money.
2.) Sheave replacement/modification. The Sheave or Clutch Sheave on the Rhino is basically the device that gets the power from the engine to the drivetrain. It works by applying pressure to the belt and changing the drive ratio thru a set of varible rollers and springs inside the Sheave. A performance enhanced Sheave is modified by machining the roller pockets and ramps that the rolllers travel in and has different spring pressures by providing replacement springs. A Preformance Sheave makes the Rhino launch harder, improve mid-range power and can increase top speed depending on what the desired performance characteristic is required. Be CAUTIOUS of Sheave products that CLAIM ALL of these in one package....like ALL things in life and preformance there are tradeoffs. Many proponents of Sheave replacement claim they saw a dramatic improvement adding the Sheave after increasing their tire size. Replacing a Sheave is really simple if you have a basic understanding of tools and can follow directions but some Rhino owners are more comfortable having a shop do this work. KMS & Hunterworks offer Sheaves that are backed by proven dyno results and off road use and their installation instructions are outstanding.
3.) Intake & Exhaust Modifications. Here we will stick to very basic performance enhancing "bolt-ons" and will NOT cover changing carbs or the complete exhaust. Changing the air filter to a K&N style will allow more air flow thru the engine. Adding a larger air intake such as the RAIS often found on ebay for sale is another good addition to the Rhino's (2005-2007). Opening up the exhaust with a larger bolt-on exhaust tip helps improve overall performance on the Rhino as well. With these changes the writer recommends increasing your jet size in the carb to prevent any lean condition that tends to occure with such modifications. Again jets are easy to change but for those intimidated by the thought of taking the carb a part your local motorcycle shop can do the work for you. This writer recommends increasing jet size incrementally until the spark plug starts showing signs of too rich of a mixture verses too lean. Lean engines will fail and cost mucho denaro to repair!
4.) Performance Coil. A performance coil such as BlackRhino or AMR's Monster Coil increases spark and improves top end performance. In addition, an aftermarket coil can help cure cold start or hard starting issues that have been a burden to some Rhino owners over the years.
5.) Tires. Yes, tires are a performance item and the right tire combination can help launch your Rhino at the dirt track or help you dig out of a muddy pit. There are so many tires and wheel combinations out there we can't cover them all but we are going to suggest you keep them no larger than 27" on stock suspension and we have found 26" tires have worked best in MOST applications. See the TIRES & WHEELS section below.....
MUST HAVE'S........
1.) A Winch is possibly the best accesory anyone can add to a Rhino or ANY UTV for that matter! They are worth their weight in gold if your RHINO gets stuck in a tight spot or your buddy gets his truck stuck in the mud. Winches are available in ALL sizes and price ranges, WARN & RAMSEY are two of the top performers and are expensive. We recommend these rigs if you use the winch frequently and put a lot of demand on the device. For the occasional user an inexpensive Champion or Cabela's branded winch in 2500-3500# capacity is a good economical solution. HarborFreight Tools offer CHEAP Chinese made winches that are better than nothing but don't expect to get years and years of service and don't expect them to be smooth and quiet either!
2.) A Roof (solid or cloth) is a must for those who ride in the harsh sun, rain or show on a regular basis. Some will argue that a complete cab enclosure may be best when it comes to rain & snow but it really depends on your own personal requirements. Windshields, roofs and cabs will be discussed later but it is this writers opinion that a simple cloth roof or an aluminum roof that attaches to the rool cage is a must for many occasions.
3.) A Battery Upgrade.....and the sooner the better! Let's face it the factory battery in ANY car, truck, atv or utv is marginal at best. This writer suggest upgrading to an Odyssey PC925 which is a completely sealed dry-cell battery and will improve your starting and prevent you from getting stranded. The PC925 has 60% more starting power, a 3 year warranty and a 8-12 year design life. It is military grade and can be mounted in any orientation. Best of all it fits in the factory box right where the original battery came out! A second Odyssey PC925 battery mounted under the driver seat might not be a bad idea for those interested in adding lights or a stereo system to their Rhino's.
TIRES & WHEELS.....
No guide could be complete without talking about tires and wheels, for many owners this is their very first purchase. The factory units are very good for those on a farm or even the weekender who doesn't get off the gravel roads. This writer has used ITP wheels & tires for years and there are plenty of other brands to choose from. The best recommendation is to buy a tire that meets your needs, mudders need a different tire than sand dunners and someone who rides in snow has different needs than a rock crawler. For these reasons we won't go into specific brands for specific uses but will say the Bighorn Radial by Maxxis is a good general purpose tire with shoulder lugs that help the tire dig and protects the rim from damage. The Bighorn has won the Grand National Cross Country utility stock event on numberous occasions. For serious mud & snow this writer likes the ITP MS589, it has an agressive lug and is self cleaning. It is one of the lightest tires on the market and works great plowing snow or discing fields!
1.) Stick with 26" tires for optimum performance. 27" will NOT rub in most cases but some riders report 27" combo's have caused rear fender clearance issues. Larger diameter tires can also dramatically reduce performance in both low and mid-range power bands. Buy the lightest weight tire and wheel combo you can find for your needs this will boost your Rhino's performance and enhance your off road fun!
2.) Wheel offset is critical in selecting wheels. The factory wheels are close to a 5+2 offset but ome people select an aftermarket wheel that is 2+5offset to increase track width as much as possible. Increased track width makes for a more stable Rhino but can add more stress to your spindles and may decrease spindle bearing life. Other owners rely on wheel spacers to get a wider track or wider stance. Lot's of people use wheel spacers but a proper wheel offset is a better solution.
3.) Fender Flares - Adding aftermarket wheels & tires will typically make your Rhino's stance wider and the wheel offset will expose the rider and passenger to mud, water and rocks that might come off the tires while riding. It is highly recommended that an aftermarket fender flare be added to increase your body width to match the increased width of the tires/whell combination. Maijer & Moose make good 4 piece fenders, Hunterworks makes an excellent 8 piece kit for maximum protection.
WIDER & BIGGER.....
1.) Kits are available from a variety of sources to convert a Rhino to a 4 seater for Family Fun, many of these kits will require a replacement Roll Cage to make the unit safe for rear passengers in the event of a roll over. PLEASE DO NOT simply add a seat to the bed and put the kids in there!!! Do the right thing and BUY and aftermarket ROLL CAGE or have a local welding shop design and build one to your specifications.
2.) Kits are available to widen the stance on the Rhino....this will improve the UTV's overall stability and help REDUCE the likelyhood of rollover! YES, rollover can and will happen with ANY offroad vehicle so ALWAYS be prepared and ALWAYS realize it CAN or WILL happen to the best of us someday. Wheel spacers are one option to widen a Rhino's stance but this can put higher stress on the factory spendles and bearings. An alternative to wheel spacers is a LONG TRAVEL kit. These wide stance or suspension kits can also improve the overall ride or comfort if you want a softer ride and greater suspension travel. Keep in mind some trails limit width to 52-54" so widening your Rhino may not be in your best interest if these restrictions apply. Check your trails restriction and rules before making ANY modifications.
3.) Wider body kits are also available and are a must for anyone that intends to add a wider suspension kit to their Rhino. The addition of fender flares may be all that is required when a wheel spacer kit is used.
WINDSHIELDS & CABS.....
Okay we mentioned the roof earlier and said some people feel a windshield is a MUST HAVE but here are some very good reasons not to have a windshield given to us by other riders. 1.) they can be damaged while towing. 2.) they get scratched or break easily while off roading. 3.) too much dust in the cab after installing the windshield. Some folks have solded these problems by going to a "mini-cab" which consists of a windshield, roof and rear window (no door closures). Others claim to have a roof (Hunterworks) that utilizes an airfoil design and eliminates the dust that comes into the cab from behind the passenger and driver. For this writer a roof is a must at all times but a windshield and rear window are only needed when the weather turns bad. The Mammoth Designs or Mammoth Skins Mini Cab is the ideal product for use in bad weather. Mini Cabs are quick and easy to install and can be removed for trailering or when you want to feel the wind in your face!