THE NEW PREMIS RHINO
You would have to have been in a comma the past 3 years to not notice the insane rise in the popularity of side-by-side vehicles, especially the Yamaha Rhino. Whether you use yours in the dunes, on the farm, for work, or as a pit vehicle at the races you know how much fun they are and the potential they have. We immediately noticed this after we bought our Rhino to use on our film trips. We needed a way to carry all of our camera gear through the dunes and around tracks while we produced the Carpe Diem series. We also noticed the need to build our Rhino into something faster and stronger when our pro riders would take it out and beat on it. So after countless repairs and hints from our riders we decided it was time to “pimp” our Rhino.
The first place we started was to improve upon the Rhinos already impressive power plant. We use the Rhino to drive alongside the track and catch moving shots. So we needed fast acceleration and top speed, a pretty tall order. We started by pulling the motor and sending it to Lane Barnes at Pro Motorsports in West Burlington, Iowa. He assured us he knew what to do, and he delivered!
Pro Motorsports started with their own custom recipe for a port and polish of the head, allowing more air, fuel, and exhaust flow. They then added a Hot Cams Mudbuster cam to control the newly ported head. The Mudbuster cam brought us our improved acceleration and bottom-end without taking away our top-end. Pro Motorsports then moved south to concentrate on the bore. They first bored the cylinder to 102mm, making it a 686cc. Followed by an 11:1 High Compression Piston, courtesy of Wiseco. This helps deliver more power throughout the entire powerband. As the Wiseco high compression piston travels through its exhaust stroke the Mudbusters cam opens and lets the spent gas flow out of the FMF headers and through the Powercore Silencer. The FMF exhaust system provides a great combination of power and decibel control. Of course, gobs of power are useless if you can’t deliver it out of the motor and to the ground. This is accomplished using a clutch kit from Moose. The secondary clutch spring was upgraded in order to help grip the belt as it delivers the increase in power. Next they replaced the weights and rollers in primary clutch allowing it to spool faster for improved acceleration. Finishing off the motor is a Dynojet jet kit for the stock Yamaha Rhino carburetor and a Moose Utility Digital Ignition (CDI).
With the power plant in good hands, we concentrated on the rest of the Rhino. First, the chassis was stripped to the ground and sent to a motocross performance shop, Mumms the Word Racing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Here it received chassis reinforcement, including 5-point harness mounts, and several custom machined pieces for the mounting of special items. It was then sent to Miller Powder coating in Des Moines, Iowa for a fresh coat of candy apple blue paint.
Once the chassis was back from paint we started assembling the pieces laying in our shop. We started in the middle and worked our way out. The first item to finds its home was the Alba 3-pass Radiator. Anyone with a Rhino, especially a modified one knows how hard it is to keep cool. Alba recognized this problem and designed their radiator twice as thick and using a 3-pass system to cool the water more efficiently. The stock radiator brings the coolant in at the mid-point on one side and out the mid-point on the other. The Alba radiator brings it in one side at the top, pushes it through an “S” pattern in the radiator, and then drops it out at the bottom of the other side. This is a much more efficient design and is greatly needed on the Rhino. After the radiator was securely in place we installed the modified power plant and connected the plumbing.
Our next concern was suspension. We knew that the people driving our Rhino were going to push it. We are constantly at national caliber MX tracks, so they had every opportunity to air out the Rhino. Beyond that, we wanted a smooth ride when we film out the back of the Rhino for our tracking shots. Without hesitation we called our friends at Elka Suspension for a set of their Elite long travel shocks. After seeing several (if not all) the built Rhinos using Elka suspension components we knew they would be able to get us what we needed. Just the fit and finish of the components are awe inspiring. These shocks are custom-built using the finest materials and are only delivered after extensive R&D. Quite honestly, the look alone is worth the purchase. The ability to adjust the preload, high & low speed compression and the rebound allows you to customize the shocks to your liking. They greatly reduce body roll when cornering as well as front-end diving when braking and rear-end squatting under acceleration. You also get the peace of mind knowing that it is a quality product, from a quality company. Their products have been tested by several pro racers and professional hobbyists plus Elkas’ own engineers.
Of course, Elka long travel suspension components don’t do you much good without long travel A-arms to direct them. For this we turned to the leaders in Rhino performance, Procraft (formerly Rhinocraft) out of Southern California. A quick call to them got us hooked on their products. Their A-arms are built +6” wide on each side, +2” forward in the front and +2” backward on the rear all while giving you over 13 ½” of travel. This provides amazing stability in every condition. Beyond the impressive engineering specifications, these A-arms are built to last a lifetime. Procraft starts by laser cutting their raw pieces. They then insert them into a CNC machine to be bent accurately. After that they are passed on to be hand Tig welded to guarantee accuracy. To ensure their products see years of action they add grease-able and rebuild-able pivots with Delron bushings and rebuild-able upper stainless steel uprights and spherical bearings. The kit also comes with tie-rod extensions and +6” axles, plus all necessary hardware.
Even though we had new +6” axles from our Procraft kit staring us in the face, taunting us, we knew we would need more. We had already broken 3 stock axles, quickly ruining our weekend; a quick call to Gorilla Axle helped us sleep better. Their axles provide reliability un-matched by any other. Starting with one of the industries strongest steels, 4340 Chromoly, Gorilla Axle machines the piece to accurately fit the application. They then send them off to be heat treated and then cryogenically treated to ensure absolute strength and durability. Beyond their strength, Gorilla Axles are able to work at an uncanny 40 degree angle. Allowing for larger tires and lifted machines.
Finishing the transition of power and handling to the ground is a set of Duro Power Grip tires mounted on DWT Spyder Performance Beadlock rims. The tires were chosen because of their aggressive tread and their ability to reduce hard impact landings. The sidewall on the tire is also designed to prevent puncture and protect the rims. The DWT Spyder wheel provides the sick look we were going for and the strength we need. Add the Performance Beadlock and you have the perfect wheel giving us an almost zero chance of rolling the bead off the wheel and walking home.
Of course everyone knows there is nothing more annoying than showing up to a race or ride area and seeing loads of other people with the same looking machine. We wanted to stand-out when we pulled our Rhino out of our trailer. To achieve this we called up the leader in plastic, Maier Manufacturing. We decided on a white/blue combination, so that is what we got. There is no faster way to make your ride look new than by replacing the worn out and scratched plastic. The Maier plastic was an easy and straight forward bolt on process; everything fit perfectly and complimented our other modifications well. In the bed we added a Line-X spray to protect the bed from sliding camera cases as we cruised through the dunes. For our own protection we also added Lonestar Racing sidebars with panels and 5-point harnesses. Topping off the custom details was a one-off Baja style bumper built specifically for us by Hutchinson, Minnesota based Rath Racing. The bumper not only gives us killer looks but also provides great protection for our Baja Designs 55w halogen lights. The placement of the lights on the front bumper optimizes our nighttime view and takes away any need for the stock headlights, plus, they look sweet!
So what does all this add up to? One awesome ride! The slow crank of the motor tells you how much compression the motor really has. After a quick slap forward of the gear shifter and a solid punch of the throttle the motor sends power to the Duro tires bringing the Rhino to life. The acceleration is amazing allowing us the ability to charge hard out of corners when we play and keep up with our pros when we work. The suspension lets the driver charge into the corners without a care and hit the largest of jumps with ease and confidence. The pairing of Procraft and Elka components gives a solid feel in the air and on the ground while pitching the machine just right for a solid landing. The bumps and dips in the ground are all but unnoticeable as you fly across them at a top speed of 65 MPH. The Baja Design lights do a great job of brightening the expression on the faces of people watching you fly by. The modifications provide performance and fun while still maintaining the ability to use it for hard work. Precisely what we were going for.
Specifications
Rider: Brad Phillips
Age: 26
Class: Video production, film producer “Carpe Diem” series
Sponsors: Premis Industries, Pro Motorsports, Pro Craft Industries, Elka Suspension, Maier, Baja Designs, Gorilla Axle, Alba, Iowa City Motorsports, Lonestar Racing, Hot Cams, Moose, Mumms the Word Racing, Duro Tire, Douglas Wheel, Miller Powdercoating, Line-X, Rath Racing
Claimed UTV weight (lbs.): 1123
Frame: stock
ENGINE
Type: liquid cooled 4-stroke SOHC
Bore & stroke: 102mm x 84mm
Porting: Pro Motorsports
Piston: Wiseco
Valves/cam/springs: stock/Hotcams Mudbuster/stock
Starter button: stock
Carburetor/airbox: stock/none
Air filter: K&N
Exhaust: FMF Powercore
Fuel: Sunoco Purple
Oil: Yamalube
DRIVE SYSTEM
Clutch basket/plates/springs: Moose clutch kit
Transmission: stock
Sprockets: n/a
Gearing f/r: n/a
Shifter: stock
FRONT END
A-arms (width, in.):Pro Craft (67.5 in)
Spindles: stock
Tie-rods: stock with Pro Craft extensions
Front shocks (travel, in.): Elka (13 inches)
Steering stem: stock
Steering stabilizer: none
REAR END
Swingarm (length, in.): Pro Craft A-Arms (68.5 in)
Rear axle (in.)/carrier: Gorilla (front and rear)
Rear shock (travel, in.): Elka (14.5 inches)
Dump box: stock with Line-x coating
TIRES/WHEELS/HUBS
Tires, front: Duro Powergrip (AT25X8X12)
Tires, rear: Duro Powergrip (AT25X10R12)
Wheels, front: Douglas Spyber PB (12 in)
Wheels, rear: Douglas Spyder PB (12 in)
Hubs f/r: stock
BRAKES
Calipers f/r: stock
Pads: stock
Rotors f/r: stock
Brake pedal: stock
DETAILS
Roll cage: modified stock
Bumpers: Rath
Doors: Lonestar side bars
Skid plates/bellypan: none
Fuel tank: stock
Body plastic/graphics/number plate: Maier /custom / none
Seats: stock with G-Force 5-point harness
Brad Phillips
www.Premisind.com
