O/T side by sides

[Rough Edge racing]

 I mentioned in another thread my wife wanted a side by side with a cargo bed to replace her beat up old ATV for doing property chores...Damn things are expensive used but I found a rather well used but not used up 2005 Yamaha Rhino 660...Needed a lot of work like  rear axle CV shafts , ball joints, some wheel bearings, and removal of a lift kit that caused some of the problems. It ran poorly ,but just too tight of  intake valve adjustment...And electrical issues...Some people think the best way to deal with an electrical issue is to cut wires and use a butt splice very three inches..The Rhino has extensive aftermarket support so there's a good variety and price range for parts..The 660 5 valve single cylinder engine is powerful but I ain't no thumper fan boy...Overall the machine is fairly easy to work on with with good engineering...
  So now it runs well and my wife just loves the thing and it's a great firewood hauler...But like sleds , modern ATV's and boats, there's no clutch or gear shifting other than high or low range selector....Somethi ng about lack of manual gears and clutch that I just find too simple..or boring, lol...

[Chuck in Indiana]

I ain't no thumper fan boy...

I am, and was hoping my Skorpion 660 was one. It's not..

[Sheepdog]

Here on the farm, we use an EZ Go TXT48 electric golf cart with a bed, mudgrip tires, and receiver hitch added to the back. It easily pulls our fully loaded John Deere garden trailer and will reach over 20 mph. Our local golf cart outfit rebuilt a late used model and added the options we requested. With a new charger and batteries it's cost was less than $ 3k. Since 2016, the only necessary maintenance has been adding distilled water to the battery and air to the tires. The 48 volt models are much more powerful than their 36 volt counterparts. We use it daily and it only requires charging once or twice a week. It is quiet and clean, too. Well...ecologically clean, anyway. We've been putting up fence and moving trees...

[Guzzi relic]

I'm a long time tech at a Yamaha, Suzuki, Polaris, Mercury, KTM dealership in northern Ontario, Canada. Yes we sell and service motorcycles but the bulk of our business, (due to our geographical location) is ATV's, S X S's, Outboards and unfortunately snowmobiles.
Anyhow...I can tell you that your Rhino will be running for a long time if you look after it. (without starting a big argument, I'll just say that my experience can confirm it's not the same for other brands that start with "P").
The 660 was a good engine. The main thing to watch is your oil level. They only hold 2 liters so if you develop a leak, even a small one, it doesn't take much before it will drop to damaging levels. If I'm into a 660 its usually because of lack of oil or the owner thought it was a submarine.
Second thing to be aware of is the heat. They run hot. You don't want to let it sit and idle for any length of time.
We have hunting/fishing lodges here and when they bear bait and such some of them will be out all day but only ride a handful of miles while moving from bait to bait. The guys who don't shut them off when stopped for  5 -10 minutes are replacing the stators every year or so.
Matter of fact I just did a Rhino 660 stator on Friday. Wasn't charging; one phase was dead.
At some point, I think just before the 660 became the 700 Yamaha added an external oil line to feed oil directly onto the stator but the earlier ones were just splashed. Rule of thumb, don't idle it. And if crawling around in rough terrain at very low speeds, use LOW.
Yep, you'll do cv boots and joints, axle bearings, brake pads, (no you can't get rid of the squeak) but these are much better than major engine and electrical repairs.
I always liked the Rhinos for their manageable size. They don't have the power or bling of the newer Rangers etc but they will fit down an ATV trail, fit in your pick up truck bed and keep on running for ever.
Enjoy it.
Just my 2 cents...

Ken

[mtiberio]

Being a city boy who recently moved to a ranch in the desert, I decided I needed a QUAD for chores. Got a 250 Recon off craiglslist. I picked up a trailer from home depot (matching red). It is invaluable for chores. I have an electric fat tire off road bike which I also enjoy tooling around on. It has a tail pack so for small jobs, I just load that up with the hand tools, fence wire, etc I need. I kind of wish I had an electric quad (that golf cart idea looks good). I like quiet, and the reduced number of parts in an electric vehicle is attractive. Biggest issue with internal combustion and modern fuels, you have to run these things often to keep the carbs clear.

[Rough Edge racing]

I'm a long time tech at a Yamaha, Suzuki, Polaris, Mercury, KTM dealership in northern Ontario, Canada. Yes we sell and service motorcycles but the bulk of our business, (due to our geographical location) is ATV's, S X S's, Outboards and unfortunately snowmobiles.
Anyhow...I can tell you that your Rhino will be running for a long time if you look after it. (without starting a big argument, I'll just say that my experience can confirm it's not the same for other brands that start with "P").
The 660 was a good engine. The main thing to watch is your oil level. They only hold 2 liters so if you develop a leak, even a small one, it doesn't take much before it will drop to damaging levels. If I'm into a 660 its usually because of lack of oil or the owner thought it was a submarine.
Second thing to be aware of is the heat. They run hot. You don't want to let it sit and idle for any length of time.
We have hunting/fishing lodges here and when they bear bait and such some of them will be out all day but only ride a handful of miles while moving from bait to bait. The guys who don't shut them off when stopped for  5 -10 minutes are replacing the stators every year or so.
Matter of fact I just did a Rhino 660 stator on Friday. Wasn't charging; one phase was dead.
At some point, I think just before the 660 became the 700 Yamaha added an external oil line to feed oil directly onto the stator but the earlier ones were just splashed. Rule of thumb, don't idle it. And if crawling around in rough terrain at very low speeds, use LOW.
Yep, you'll do cv boots and joints, axle bearings, brake pads, (no you can't get rid of the squeak) but these are much better than major engine and electrical repairs.
I always liked the Rhinos for their manageable size. They don't have the power or bling of the newer Rangers etc but they will fit down an ATV trail, fit in your pick up truck bed and keep on running for ever.
Enjoy it.
Just my 2 cents...

Ken

 Thanks... The Rhino engine does look like a transplanted bike engine.. The primary cooling appears to be liquid with a radiator and fan up front..There is also an engine oil cooler mounted in front of the coolant radiator. And there a air blower system to cool the crankcase..And air cooling for the variable speed belt drive...It suits our purposes here better than a golf cart or a two wheel drive JD Gator..
 

[rudyr]

I just got a new Honda 500 Foreman last Sat.  Nothing fancy manual xmission and Lottes of exter racks ( chain saws oil gas, fench  stretcher hammers & Exeter’s) just me and my dog.  it will work for me.  I ride just side saddle can be off and on faster than ridding in a side by side and get in closer places. Rudyr

[Petrus Rocks]

Rough Edge had a bit of work to do on it but as he said a lot of overdue maintenance.  I was impressed -he was working on it in an unheated garage.  It's cold up here in western NY.  His wife is very excited with her new toy!
My hands don't work well when it's below 30F.

[BrotherJim]

My friend uses a Chevy Tracker/Suzuki Sidekick to buzz around his property.  The only thing wrong with it is the OEM "Raspberry Beret" metallic paint.