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2009 Yamaha Rhino 700 FI Safety Test Ride Review

Yamaha Rallies Behind The Rhino 700 FI Sport Edition SxS
You CAN Handle The Truth

Yamaha Rhino 700 FI Lineup
Yamaha Rhino 700 FI Lineup
Cypress, CA (9/30/2009) -Since the fall of 2003, Yamaha has had a target on its back. That was the year Yamaha launched the innovative 2004 Rhino 660 Side-By-Side vehicle. Although it was not the first side-by-side machine, the Rhino took the off-road industry by storm and wowed consumers worldwide. Competitive manufacturers rushed to develop, or re-energize, their side-by-side offerings, realizing the world’s demands for such a capable and versatile machine. With new product offerings —a Rhino 700 FI and Rhino 450 — Yamaha’s utility vehicle continued to appeal to the masses and grow in popularity. The Rhino became synonymous with side-by-side vehicles and its name became the moniker for the “style” of machine, not only the brand (Much like consumers refer to personal water craft as “jet skis”). It also became the industry’s top-selling side-by-side.

Unfortunately, its own success and impressive growth created another target. Misinformation, a few irresponsible consumers, false press releases and attack ads by plaintiff attorneys on Google and TV have placed the second target on Yamaha and its Rhino. The unfair target has grown large enough to create an inaccurate and potentially negative public impression. This, in part, led to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s March announcement, in cooperation with Yamaha, of a free repair offer for the Rhino 660 and 450 models. The free repair consisted of adding rear wheels spacers and the removal of the rear anti-sway bar. Yamaha said it included all of its Rhino vehicles (including the 700 FI) to eliminate public confusion, although the CPSC was only focused on the Rhino 450 and 660 models. This was not a recall but rather a voluntary repair program, and there’s a significant difference between the two.

Yamaha Rhino 700 FI Rear End Spacers
Yamaha Rhino 700 Rear End
One of Yamaha's free Rhino repairs comsisted of adding rear wheel spacers to make the vehicle safer
The voluntary repair program also consisted of the removal or the rear anti-sway bar

Yamaha says it agreed with the CPSC to offer this free modification program to address issues raised by the CPSC. However, Yamaha firmly stands behind the Rhino as a safe, reliable off-road vehicle. Along with award-winning credentials from the media and its best-selling side-by-side status, Yamaha backs the Rhino’s engineering and design with the most important fact of all. More than 99 percent of Rhino owners use the vehicle without report of incident. Even so, Yamaha and the CPSC examined the small segment (which is less than 1 percent) of Rhino owners who have experienced an issue with the machine and developed modifications the CPSC said, “may help reduce the chance of a rollover and improve vehicle handling in certain situations.”

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