450 and hill climbing

How does the 450 do on long hill climbs. I have climbed steep short hills here in Ohio but never had it in the mountains. Headed to Harlan with some four wheeler buddies and I am thinking about taking the Rhino to be the beer cart. Any tips, feedback or suggestions.

red or blue coolers will be fine.

Your Rhino will handle anything you throw at it down in Evarts. If you don't have a guide yet, get P-anerman, James White or Jerry Ledford. Have fun. Evarts is great!!

grizzlyrhino wrote:

How does the 450 do on long hill climbs. I have climbed steep short hills here in Ohio but never had it in the mountains. Headed to Harlan with some four wheeler buddies and I am thinking about taking the Rhino to be the beer cart. Any tips, feedback or suggestions.

It will do fine -- it just won't be fast... I have a 450, ride with two different ATV clubs here in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire mountains, and have not had a problem going anywhere the quads can go. If it'll fit between the trees, it'll go...

Here's a video of mine climbing a LOOOOOOOOONG hill that might reassure you. Two riders, cooler, and loaded down pretty well. Biggest problem on this particular old logging trail is huge waterbars cut into by a bulldozer to stop erosion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8nvW75rJi0

I have a 450 and at times have amazed people. You'll be fine.


M

Thanks for the replies fellas. Sounds like I will be OK. Cant wait

Climbing is fine as long as you don't need a good running start(unless you have a long stretch to get it up to speed). The 450 is an awesome machine and has really, I mean really surprised me as to what it will do. I have had some trouble climbing a few hills here where I live due not having the acceleration needed but I have never ran out of power and honestly I never use low range. To me low range is so low the motor rev's so far you are out of the power band for climbing and playing( it works fine for towing). I say this but I don't exactly baby my machine when on the trails and some of these hills I had no business on...lol


Everts is awesome I hope you have a good ride.

Well its decided I am taking the Rhino. I figured this would be as good as time as any to try it out and see what happens. Ill be riding with 550cc and above machines so we shall see how it wants to keep up.

grizzlyrhino wrote:

Well its decided I am taking the Rhino. I figured this would be as good as time as any to try it out and see what happens. Ill be riding with 550cc and above machines so we shall see how it wants to keep up.

You will be fine with the 450 Rhino

grizzlyrhino wrote:

Well its decided I am taking the Rhino. I figured this would be as good as time as any to try it out and see what happens. Ill be riding with 550cc and above machines so we shall see how it wants to keep up.

When are you going to Evarts?

Your 450 will be fine. Hell we have them ride with us at Brimstone and the make it every where we do....

Headed down between the 27th and 30th. Cant wait!

Anyone else going down?

grizzlyrhino wrote:

Anyone else going down?

Man I would love to. But I don't know if I can. It has been some time now since I have been to Evarts. I even know the park a little.

Big-R wrote:

grizzlyrhino wrote:

Anyone else going down?

Man I would love to. But I don't know if I can. It has been some time now since I have been to Evarts. I even know the park a little.

I would like to go down again this year sometime. I have never been when its decent weather out so a Spring or Fall ride would be awesome. Ill be hitting Hatfield and Big Rock this year as well.

Change of plan...we hit Brimstone instead. I flat out enjoyed this thing down there. I had a lot of "I don't know if the Rhino will make it" and "Think you have enough motor"...None the less I never got stuck, flipped or got in trouble. The lil 450 grunted the whole time and never gave me any signs of oh shit moments. All the guys on four wheelers either dismounted or were stuck and some point in time. Everyone was shocked, including me, at how well it did. The first hill we hit was 3A. After that climb I knew it would be just fine. Thanks for all the comments fellas. The Grizzly has found a back seat to the Rhino on all the big trips we go on now.

grizzlyrhino wrote:

Change of plan...we hit Brimstone instead. I flat out enjoyed this thing down there. I had a lot of "I don't know if the Rhino will make it" and "Think you have enough motor"...None the less I never got stuck, flipped or got in trouble. The lil 450 grunted the whole time and never gave me any signs of oh shit moments. All the guys on four wheelers either dismounted or were stuck and some point in time. Everyone was shocked, including me, at how well it did. The first hill we hit was 3A. After that climb I knew it would be just fine. Thanks for all the comments fellas. The Grizzly has found a back seat to the Rhino on all the big trips we go on now.

Glad you enjoyed the "iniitiation" ride on the 450...

Like you, I've amazed the quad riders that I ride with...

I can go anywhere they can go, if it'll fit -- without getting soaking wet, muddy or having to dismount and walk it through...

grizzlyrhino wrote:

Change of plan...we hit Brimstone instead. I flat out enjoyed this thing down there. I had a lot of "I don't know if the Rhino will make it" and "Think you have enough motor"...None the less I never got stuck, flipped or got in trouble. The lil 450 grunted the whole time and never gave me any signs of oh shit moments. All the guys on four wheelers either dismounted or were stuck and some point in time. Everyone was shocked, including me, at how well it did. The first hill we hit was 3A. After that climb I knew it would be just fine. Thanks for all the comments fellas. The Grizzly has found a back seat to the Rhino on all the big trips we go on now.

Glad you had a good ride bro,

I had an 06 Grizzly and an 07 Raptor which I loved to ride till I got the Rhino 450, now I have sold the Grizzly and the Raptor due to the Rhino.

Great machine.............no doubt.

Hows a 660 and a 450 compare on hill climbing? I have heard the 450 is geared lower that the 660 so it has as good if not better low end but the 660 is a little faster. Is this right?

It's over for the grizz now, after riding a sidexside I don't think i ever want a quad again.

grizzlyrhino wrote:

Hows a 660 and a 450 compare on hill climbing? I have heard the 450 is geared lower that the 660 so it has as good if not better low end but the 660 is a little faster. Is this right?

Yep. On a long hill, a 660 will be faster -- but only if it keeps the RPM up. I've heard people say that 450s lack enough power for long hills -- but I think that's because people were trying to go up them too fast. Slow down, let it "gear down" and it'll keep on climbing... or put it in low range and run it till you run out of gas or traction...

I ride in the mountains of NH, Vermont and Mass and about the only time I use low range is to engine brake going DOWN the steepest hills. If it's a really rough hill, with ledges, rocks or really high waterbars, I will go to low range and crawl up and over it. Here's where the 450 shines and is actually better than a 660, IMO. From 0-5 MPH, I think the 450 actually pulls better.

The 700 is a different story. It's geared almost as low as the 450, yet still has the HP, acceleration, and top end of a 660. In my experience, the only place the 450 is disappointingly slow when ridiing trails with quads is when accelerating out of an obstacle or a curve. The 450 doesn't accelerate fast, at all, in comparison to the big quads though it holds its own with the smaller ones.

I put a machined sheave and clutch kit in mine, and it REALLY improved that performance up to about 20 MPH. Above 20 MPH it may have actually slowed the acceleration down a little bit, but it will now go over 40 MPH if you have a long enough stretch to wind it out.... it just takes a while to wind it out.

Note that I'm running heavy 26" original Bighorns on ITP steel wheels, and these tires measure between 26.5" and 26.75" depending on air pressure. Original 25's will likely give you quite a bit more low end power and acceleration... I changed mine out before I'd used them enough to really compare...

From 0-30 MPH, ( which is where we ride 80% of the time) not much difference between the 450 and 660. The difference is for about $500 you can get a 660 to run about 58-60 MPH, and for about $500 you can get a 450 to run about 40-42MPH.

The only thing i noticed about 450's when riding with them is they tend to run hot a lot.

GunRunner wrote:

The only thing i noticed about 450's when riding with them is they tend to run hot a lot.

Hearing that, I put a UTV Concepts gauge set on mine, and have been monitoring it. I've not seen any indications of overheating. It usually registers between 180 and 190 when I'm riding it hard. I personally think the complaints about overheating may have been from guys riding them in the mud, and clogging the radiator fins.

I got the gauge kit for $100 bucks on sale from their Amazon store. It's now back up to $297...



http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Rhino-Cluster-Silver-Powder-Coat/dp/B001FXZ4PM/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1265053342&sr=1-1

KentT wrote:

GunRunner wrote:

The only thing i noticed about 450's when riding with them is they tend to run hot a lot.

I personally think the complaints about overheating may have been from guys riding them in the mud, and clogging the radiator fins.

I witnessed these in person, just normal trail riding at windrock, but they could have had clogged radiators but not from that days ride.