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Project Rhino Product Reviews
This project started as a 2008 Special Edition Yamaha Rhino. Over the last three years I have been abusing this rhino on the trails and trying out numerous products trying to make it a more capable and enjoyable trail machine. This page is full of links to reviews I have written on items that are directly rhino related as well as a few items that are universal and can be mounted on any ATV/SxS (such as wheels and tires). This project is not done yet and as I feel most of you will agree a good project is never done! Be sure to check out Operation X for the final chapter to this build!
If you have any questions about any of these reviews feel free to e-mail me Neil@mudandgutsoffroad.org
The mods prior to Operation X include:
Seizmik's Baja Light Bar.
This kit from Seizmik ships to you with everything needed to add some lighting to your bike and to your night riding, all you got to do is install/wire up everything and you are ready to go.. Read More.
JBS Sheave with 12 gram Greaseless weights.
Shortly after getting the rhino in 2008 I felt it was to say the least a little under power so I set out looking to free up some more power.Read More
GBC Dirt Commanders
Upon receiving these GBC Dirt Commanders I went right to work inspecting them. And The first thing that caught my eyes was the unique tread design, the center lugs are check mark shaped while the complimenting outer lugs slightly wrap around the tire for an awesome side bite. Read More
Speed Industries Performer Steering wheel
A few weeks ago I was riding Pickett with a few friends when my steering wheel broke. That's right it broke, I was going down the trail and hit a good sized rock which caused the steering wheel to basically fall a part in my hands. Read More
DWT's Black Diablo Beadlocks
Looking for a change and to add a little bling to the rhino I went to DWT Racing and picked up a set of their Diablo Beadlocks with the black finish from their selection of litecast wheels. Read More..
Pro Armor 5-Point Harnesses
A set is harnesses is my number one recommendation to anyone who just purchased a UTV! No matter if you ride rough on the trails of if you take it easy and ride just smooth trails there is always the possibility of an accident.Read More
QuadBoss's MudBoss Tires(With Ride Video)
So where do I start? These tires are awesome, they look good and perform great in most any terrain. The tires I opted for are the 26" tall version with 26/9/12's up front and 26/11/12's in the rear and unlike most these tires mounted on the rhino with 15psi actually measure a true 26" inches tall. Read More
Extreme Metal Products HD Rear Bumper (with install video)
This is an excellent little item from EMP, It is a well built rear bumper for the Yamaha rhino that not only bolts to the bed but also mounts to the pivot points of the bed and pivots with the bed. This setup is Laser cut and CNC formed in the USA (In Cleveland Ohio). Then it is welded, all welds are ground smooth, and then powder coated Texture black that provides a good match with the rest of the rhinos Powder coated parts. Read More.
DWTs new MOAPA's mounted on their new Sector beadlocks
These wheels are DWT's new Sectors which not only look amazing but are constructed of super strong lightweight heat treated 6061 .190 aluminum and are designed to handle basically everything we can throw at them. These new Sectors are a three piece design which consists of two lightweight aluminum wheel halves which bolt to a stylish billet center. Read More.
Maier Custom Hood and Plastics
After two years of abuse I decided it was time to upgrade the stock plastics on the project Rhino. Knowing Maier has been a big name in the industry for some time now I went with a set of their white carbon fiber plastics with their custom hood. Install of plastics on the rhino is fairly simple and took me about an hour to change it out. Read More
Beards Sport Seats
If you have had your rhino very long I know you have noticed as I did that the stock seats have very little cushioning. This lack of cushioning is extremely noticeable when you get on a rough trail or if you are just riding fast on a smooth trail and find a small rut or mud hole. If you are reading this I assume you feel the same way I do about the stock seats and are in the market for a set of good comfortable seats. Beard a top manufacturer who has been designing quality suspension seats for many years offers several seats for the Rhino as well as other utility vehicles. Read More
Baja Designs 6" Prerunners
A couple months ago I installed a set of stock replacement HID's from SidexSide Customs which was such an improvement over stock it yielded my bumper mounted halogen lights useless. This got me to wondering just how a good set of larger HID's would do mounted to my Pro-Armor Baja style bumper. After doing some research I went to Baja Designs, one of the leading manufacturers and marketers of lights for the offroad industry and found they offer 6" PreRunner HID's with a lifetime warranty. Read more.
QuadBoss Fender Flares
I would like to start by saying when stock I felt the rhino had excellent coverage against mud, water, and other debris but when you add spacers or wide offset wheels the fenders just don't offer the coverage that is needed. Since installing 3+5 offset wheels on my rhino (which makes it approximately six inches wider than stock) I found mud getting slung all over my bike and me so I set out looking for a good quality set of fender flares that would block the additional mud.
RDC Leveling kit
A few months ago I decided I needed a little more ground clearance (due to the front of my rhino setting lower than the rear) so I called Rubber down customs and ordered one of their 2 inch kits. Upon receiving the kit I was impressed with the design but after installed I found it put the suspension in to much of a bind for me to feel comfortable. With this in mind I called Paul at RDC and explained my concerns and mentioned to him that with his kit I received 3 inches lift in the front and 1 inch lift in the rear which leveled the rhino great but personally I was uncomfortable with the angles of the cv's and ball joints for the way I ride. I also mentioned I felt his kit was super strong and if the front plates were modified to offer 1.5-2 inches lift it would make a great leveling kit for the rhino Read More
Cognito Motorsports Heavy Duty Spindles
These spindles are designed by Cognito Motorsports as a bolt on replacement for the weak stock Rhino spindles. They have gussets at both ball joints and on the steering arm for increased strength not to mention they are constructed of forged steel for durability (the stock spindles are cast steel with no gussets). These spindles are also machined to accept stock bearings, seals, and ball joints which can be ordered with them pre-installed as mine did. Read More
MotoSport Alloys Platoon wheel and MotoGrip Tire kit.
For starters this combo looks awesome, the unique design of the wheels and tires are a big plus in my opinion. As we all know there are a lot of Rhinos in the woods and in order to make mine and yours stand out in the crowd we got to customize. We all know there is no better nor easier way to do that than a new set of wheels and tires. Several manufactures such as Motosport Alloys are always looking for ways to help us customize our Bikes, as well as make them perform to our riding needs. Read More
SidexSide Customs Plug and Play HID's
Since day one I have felt the lighting on my Rhino good have been much better, After a month or so of riding I installed a set of 55 watt fog lights which helped a little but still was not enough. Until I installed these lights from SidexSide customs I didn't realize just how weak they was. These 35 watt HID's (6000k) are so much brighter than stock, now my 55 watt fog lights are nothing but bumper ornaments Read More.
Ricochet Offroad Armor
After a year and a half of riding I noticed my Rhino's undercarriage was getting pretty beat up due to bottoming out on large rocks, trees, and other trail obstacles. My front and rear stock plastic skids were busted and were not serving much of a purpose so I decided it was time for a good set of skid plates. Instead of just replacing the busted plastic skids I went to Ricochet and got a full set of armor for my Rhinos undercarriage Read More.
QuadBoss Slimline Roof
If you have ever rode on a hot summer day or a rainy day with no roof, I am sure you are like myself and feel a good roof is a necessity for the Rhino. An aftermarket roof not only adds unique looks and styling to the Rhino, but It also adds protection Read more.
QuadBoss Overhead Stereo Compartment.
When it comes to a stereo setup for the Rhino there is several options. The three main options are, the in dash option that removes the warning label in the center of the dash, the below dash housing, and the overhead compartments. I chose this overhead compartment from QuadBoss because the mud and water we sometimes cross is too high for me to feel comfortable with the lower housings.Read More.
ModQuad Billet Front frame support.
How hard do you ride? This is something that is hard to explain because everyone has different opinions. If you are a casual rider always riding the trails with family you may not be that hard a rider, but if you are riding the trails looking for an adrenaline rush you most likely ride pretty hard.Read More
ModQuad Billet Gas and Brake pedals.
These pedals are awesome they not only look better than stock but actually feel better when in the trails. Read More
DWT Diablos.
With all the other modifications I have made to my Rhino, I decided it was time for a new set of wheels. I set out looking for a set of wheels that would not only offer stability to my rhino but would also compliment all the other added accessories and give my rhino a new attitude in the looks department. Read More.
Pro Armor Soft Cargo Cover..
How often have you carried cargo? How often have you got to the camp site and found you camping equipment or other cargo covered with mud, dust, and other debris? This cargo cover from Pro Armor is an excellent item that is designed to protect your cargo when needed and is easily removed when not needed. Read more.
Pro Armor Safari Rack.
This Safari Rack from Pro Armor is a product that allows you to store an abundance of your gear in front of you, where you can keep an eye on it. This rack is designed out of tubing which allows you to strap all your gear down with bungee cords or something similar making it easily accessible yet totally secure at the same time..Read more.
Pro Armor Bumper.
Although I feel the Yamaha Rhino is an excellent looking and performing machine from the factory, I feel there is certain items that can be changed to make it look and perform even better. One of those items is the front bumper, The bumper is the first thing others will see when they see you coming and it is the item that will take the most abuse if you make new trails..Read more.
Progressive 425 Shocks.
I bought my 08 Rhino in July of 2008, it is a Special Edition model with the basic pre-load adjustable shocks. A little over a year and nearly 1400 miles later I set out looking for an affordable set of aftermarket shocks that will fulfill my needs on the trails. My bike is a trail machine not a race machine, I will not be running wide open for hours at a time jumping whoops and racing professionally but I will be riding 25-35 mph over some pretty rough terrain at times and playing in a little mud here and there, Read more.
UTV Crap Seat Bases.
Have you ever noticed how the stock seats rock from side to side? I have and have always thought the aftermarket seat bases were an excellent idea but until I installed my new Super TSX seats I keep putting them on the "to do later list". After installing my new Beard seats I noticed my seat bases were incredibly weak and seemed to wobble around even more than stock..Read more.
Beard Super TSX Seats.
I have spent a lot of time researching my options for a set of seats for my rhino and with it being such a big investment it was not something I wanted to do nor could I afford to do more than once. After doing a lot of research and finding Beards new Super-TSX seats being a true suspension seat and the chosen seat of many of today’s top UTV racers. Read more.
Crow Four point Harnesses.
I feel a good set of harness's is a must, it doesn't matter if you are an aggressive trail rider looking for a challenge or if you are a trail rider just out to spend time with the family, Safety should always be the first thing on your mind. If you ride offroad this may be the most important investment you can make. Read more.
Seizmik Rhino Modular Door System.
If you ride fast and hard then these doors are for you, they not only look good but they also help protect the driver and passenger. The quality of these doors is top of the line, constructed from strong 6061 T6 aircraft-grade aluminum and super light, weighing in at only 5.5lbs per door and 2.5lbs for each Mounting plate for a total of only 16lbs. Read more.
KFI 4000lbs wide spool winch.
First off I would like to ask do you ever get in the mud? Do you ever climb hills? or Do you ever ride alone? If you answered yes to either of these questions then my suggestion to you is to invest in a good quality winch, because when your 20 miles from no where and knee deep in mud you will wish you had took my advise. Read more.
GBC's Grim Reapers.
I got to say these tires look tough and with there deep aggressive tread pattern, their 8 ply rating, and a name like GRIM REAPER they got to be. Not to mention the first tire to ever complete the Baja 1000 on a UTV was GBC's Grim Reapers (the second was GBC's Dirt Commanders). Read more.
EMP Radiator Guard.
Here in the hills of Tennessee, on occasion I find myself having to make a new trail, sometimes to get around an obstacle in the main trail and sometimes building a new trail altogether. When doing this the radiator could and will take some serious abuse if it is not protected. Knowing this I went to Extreme Metal Products looking for a radiator guard. Read more.
This project just made the February 2012 Rig Profile at the Gear center group!. Here's the link.
Me and the Rhino Just made GBC's August Fan of the Month. Check it out or enter to win next month at the following link.
http://gbcmotorsportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/augusts-gbc-fan-of-the-month-neil-davidson/
This Project made UTVWeekly.com May 20, 2010 here's the link..
http://utvweekly.com/index.php/2010/05/mud-and-guts-offroad-rhino-project/
Another Video just hit UTVWeekly.com January 1, 2011..
http://utvweekly.com/index.php/2011/01/dwts-new-sectors-and-moapas/
This Project made the August 2010 Rig Profile at Gear center Groups 4x4 club
http://www.gearcentregroup.com/4x4club
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