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By: ATV Source
The 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700 FI
Things change fast in the ATV industry. Just
a few short years ago Side-by-Sides (or UTVs)
were merely glorified golf carts. Today, the
market has grown and evolved to the point where
UTVs more closely resemble miniaturized Hummers
than they do golf course navigators.
Yamaha has been on the cutting edge of this
revolution since the beginning (does anyone
remember the 1989 Pro Hauler?) and 2008 marks
another notch in their proverbial belt in the
form of the Rhino 700 FI. That’s right, FI
stands for fuel injection and 700 refers to the
displacement--a far cry from the old 230cc Pro
Hauler days. What is this new monster
capable of, you ask? That’s exactly what we
wanted to know.
Specs
Before we dig in to the actual test ride,
let’s get up to speed on the spec sheet. The
2008 Rhino comes equipped with an all-new
engine. Why fix what isn’t broke? Yamaha’s
engineers wanted the focus of the new mill to
emphasize the low to mid-range area of the power
spread. Gone is the industry-unique five-valve
head and in its place a more traditional
four-valve design. The goal here was to
reduce weight and complexity (which in this case
works out to a 21% decrease in engine weight) In
addition to the weight, the big Y went with
roller rocker arms in an effort to smooth out
and quiet the revs. The cylinder wall is now
coated with a ceramic composite to reduce
internal wear and to increase engine life.
The crank has been lowered by 20mm in an effort
to drop the reciprocating mass lower into the
frame. Lowering the center of gravity equals a
more planted chassis with less body roll out on
the trails.
While the top end may have lost a valve this
year, the clutch has gained a shoe (now six) for
better engagement. The clutch has also been
beefed up physically to handle the rigors of
getting the power to the ground and slowing the
Rhino through compression braking when its pilot
lets off the gas. The CV axles are bigger this
year and the CV joints are better protected with
a more durable boot material. The stainless
steel exhaust system now offers rubber mounts
(in an effort to further eliminate vibration)
and the engine itself rests on rubber frame
mounts for the same reason. Other odds and ends
include a larger radiator and flue, which
equates to a higher volume of coolant flowing
through the system plus a fan that has been
increased in size by a whopping 74%.
Exterior wise, you may have noticed the new
door design, which really keeps the splatter and
foliage away from the rider’s legs. For
2008 the Rhino offers such luxuries as a
car-style e-brake and cup holders for those of
us who wouldn’t mind bringing a little beverage
out on the trails.
Now for the question on everybody’s
mind--what about that fuel injection? Indeed
Yamaha has taken no shorts when it comes to
adding the latest technology into their flagship
UTV. Delivering the fuel is a 41mm
throttle body and sensor array that closely
monitors the fuel and air mixture. The goal here
is to liven up throttle response and to provide
trouble-free starting at any elevation.
The Ride
Okay, okay, we know you’re getting tired of
hearing about technical data and want to know
what it’s like to climb into the big 700. With
that line of thinking, let’s cut right to the
chase. Compared to last year’s Rhino this
thing is gruntier, meatier, and is much crisper.
Compared to the 1989 Pro Hauler the Rhino is
even more amazing--psych, we won’t even go
there.
In all seriousness, Yamaha’s devotion to
lowering the center of gravity on the Rhino is
immediately apparent. The entire chassis feels
more responsive and stout, a characteristic that
is only amplified in tighter areas and overgrown
trails. This machine definitely ups the ante in
terms of what’s thought possible in high-speed
cornering a UTV. The body simply slides out as
if it were on rails. Long gone are the days of a
top-heavy wallow or tippy-feeling even when the
trail drops into an off camber. Thanks to the
company’s attention to reducing vibration, the
2008 Rhino has an almost electric feel to it.
Firing up the big 700 has a smooth, almost
car-like quality to it. At idle, there is no
teeth-chattering, no washers spinning on bolts,
only a quiet purr; a soothing hum. Touching the
throttle is an exercise in precision as the revs
come on quickly. The Rhino builds speed with
alarming efficiency, engaging immediately and
pulling strong until the governor takes hold at
about 42 MPH (we touched 45 if the hill was
steep enough). During that zero to 42
acceleration, the Rhino feels torquey and
responsive, almost as if there’s always
something in reserve just waiting for a tap of
the accelerator.
Being racers at heart, our test (and
curiosities) wouldn’t be satisfied without
pushing the limitations of the Rhino’s
abilities. That said, we took the big 700 into a
freshly plowed field that serves as the entrance
to a particularly gnarly section of hard-pack
whoops, some rain-rutted off cambers, and a few
climbs that could scare a mountain-goat. For
starters, we were able to tame the slimy clay of
the freshly turned-over field without a hint of
complaint. We even stayed good and clean thanks
to the Rhino’s new doors. Once we got into the
rutted out trails, that lower center of gravity
we’ve been talking about came into its own with
a chassis that tracked a straight course while
the suspension worked its magic to keep the
tires following the unevenness below. The
Rhino has enough torque to lighten up the
front-end with a steady push on the pedal which
makes whoops disappear with only a slight
bucking to remind the pilot that he’s not
playing nice.
The Not So Good
About the only negative to report is a slight
case of deflection. Half-buried boulders, limbs,
and exceptionally hard clay deposits can send
the Rhino kicking sideways if they happen to
catch a single wheel (or single side of the
vehicle). That stiffness and chassis rigidity
that work so well in helping the machine corner
on flat ground can work against you should you
happen to clip a trail obstruction. That and the
rather conservative governor make up our entire
negative column.
The Bottom Line
Yamaha has continued to evolve their UTV with
the rider’s best interests in mind. If you
were to ride the 2008 and 2007 Rhino models back
to back we believe the most noticeable change
this year would have to be the feeling of
refinement. With each generation, the engineers
are weeding out the vibration, rattles, creaks,
and moans and are approaching the type of
precision we come to expect in the automotive
industry. There is a hint of quality and
reliability in the new Rhino that goes a long
way in terms of increasing user confidence out
on the trail. The fuel injection simply removes
any guesswork from the equation and further
enhances the sensation that the Rhino is ready
for anything. Despite our intense flogging, we
were quite unable to tip, stick, or stall the
lively 700. It simply took our abuse in stride
and never offered as much as a hint of
complaint. The Rhino absolutely thrives on Jeep
roads, packed trails, and tractor lanes. What
started out as a work-only design has been
steadily gaining a dose of fun with each
incarnation; and for 2008, Yamaha has managed to
raise the bar again.
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