2013 YAMAHA RHINO 700 engine

7-15
Getting ready to ride
Perform the Pre-Operation Checks on pages
5-1–5-10. Follow the instructions starting on
pages 6-2–6-3 to start the engine.Turning
Use care in turns – turning the steering wheel
too far or too fast can result in loss of control
or a rollover. Slow down before entering turns.
When making tight turns from a standstill or at
slow speeds, avoid sudden or hard accelera-
tion. Driving aggressively or making abrupt
maneuvers even on flat, open areas can
cause side rollovers. Avoid sideways sliding,
skidding, or back-wheel sliding, and never do
donuts. If you feel the Rhino begin to slide
sideways or the back wheels slide during a
turn, steer into the direction of the slide, if pos-
sible, and gradually let off the accelerator ped-
al to regain directional control and avoid
rollover. For example, if you feel the back of
the vehicle start to slide to your right, steer to
the right.1RB7A_EE.book Page 15 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM

7-16
If you think or feel that the vehicle may tip or
roll, keep your body completely inside the pro-
tective structure of the vehicle:●
Brace yourself by pressing your feet firmly
on the floorboards and keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel or handholds.
●
Do not put your hands or feet outside of the
vehicle for any reason. Do not try to stop a
tipover using your arm or leg.Accelerating
With the engine idling in neutral and your foot
on the brake, shift the drive select lever into
low or high.
NOTICE: Do not shift from low
to high or vice versa without coming to a
complete stop and waiting for the engine
to return to normal idle speed – damage to
the engine or drive train may occur. Then
release the parking brake. Press the accel-
erator pedal slowly and smoothly. The centrif-
ugal clutch will engage and the vehicle will
begin to accelerate.
Avoid higher speeds and sudden or hard ac-
celeration until you are thoroughly familiar
with the operation of your vehicle. Avoid sud-
den or hard acceleration in any turn.
1RB7A_EE.book Page 16 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM

7-17
Braking
When slowing down or stopping, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal smoothly. Improper use of the
brakes can cause the tires to lose traction, re-
ducing control of the vehicle and increasing
the possibility of an accident.
Braking ability is affected by type of terrain. In
most cases, gradual application of the brakes
is more effective than abrupt braking, particu-
larly on loose surfaces, such as gravel. Al-
ways allow for greater braking distance on
rough, loose, or slippery surfaces.Engine braking
Engine compression braking is designed to
assist you when operating your Rhino off-
road. With this feature, the engine helps slow
the vehicle down after you take your foot off
the accelerator. Engine braking is more no-
ticeable in four-wheel drive. Application of ve-
hicle brakes provides additional stopping
power.1RB7A_EE.book Page 17 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM

7-18
Leaving the vehicle
Do not get out of the vehicle while the engine
is running and the drive select lever is in any
gear. There is a risk of injury because:●
Children or others may accidentally press
the accelerator pedal.
●
Objects tossed into the vehicle may strike
the accelerator pedal.
●
The parking brake may not keep the vehi-
cle from accelerating.
Unwanted vehicle movement can cause seri-
ous injury or death, and it may be dangerous
to try to stop the vehicle. Parking on a flat area
When parking on a flat area, stop the engine
and shift the drive select lever into the neutral
position. Apply the parking brake to help pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling.
Parking on a slope
The parking brake acts only on the rear
wheels when in “2WD”. For the parking brake
to take effect on all four wheels, shift to
“LOCK” before stopping the engine.
If you park on a hill that is too steep the vehi-
cle may roll out of control. Never park on hills
that are so steep you cannot walk up them
easily. If you must park on an incline follow
these instructions:
1. Bring the vehicle to a stop by applying the
brake pedal.
2. Put the vehicle in “LOCK”.
3. Turn the key to “OFF”.
1RB7A_EE.book Page 18 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM

7-21
Uphill
Do not attempt to climb hills until you have
mastered basic maneuvers on flat ground.
Drive straight up hills, and avoid crossing the
side of a hill, which increases your risk of roll-
over. Practice first on gentle slopes before at-
tempting steeper hills. Always check the
terrain carefully before attempting any hill.
To climb a hill, you need traction, momentum,
and steady throttle. For more traction and
control for climbing steeper and/or rougher
slopes, shift into low gear and select “4WD” or
“LOCK”. Travel fast enough to maintain mo-
mentum, but not so fast that you cannot react
to changes in the terrain as you climb.Slow down when you reach the crest of the hill
if you cannot see clearly what is on the other
side – there could be another person, an ob-
stacle, or a sharp drop-off.
If you start to lose traction or momentum
when climbing, and decide you will be unable
to continue, use the brakes to stop. Do not at-
tempt to turn the vehicle around. With your
foot on the brake pedal, look behind you and
plan your descent. Shift the drive select lever
into reverse so you can use engine braking to
slow your descent. Release the brake and be-
gin to coast down the hill. Use engine braking
as much as possible, gently applying the
brakes when necessary.1RB7A_EE.book Page 21 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM

7-22
Downhill
Check the terrain carefully before going
downhill. When possible, choose a path that
lets you drive your vehicle straight downhill.
Choose your path carefully and drive slowly
enough to be able to react to obstacles that
you encounter.
For more traction and control, before going
down steeper and/or rougher slopes, shift into
low gear and select “4WD” or “LOCK”. Engine
braking will help you go downhill slowly. Go as
slowly as possible. If you begin to go too fast,
apply the brakes gently. Avoid hard applica-
tion of the brakes, which could cause the vehi-
cle to slide.If you are sliding or skidding, try to steer in the
direction the vehicle is sliding, to regain con-
trol. For example, if you feel the back of the
vehicle start to slide to your right, steer to the
right.
If you must turn on the hill to avoid an obsta-
cle, do so slowly and carefully. If the vehicle
starts to tip, immediately steer in the downhill
direction if there are no obstacles in your path.
As you regain proper balance, gradually steer
again in the direction you want to go.1RB7A_EE.book Page 22 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM

7-25
Brush or wooded areas
When operating in areas with brush or trees,
watch carefully on both sides and above the
vehicle for obstacles such as branches that
the vehicle might hit, causing an accident.
Watch for brush that might enter the vehicle
as you pass and strike you or the passenger.
Never hold onto the cage/frame. The passen-
ger should always hold onto the handholds
with both hands.
The muffler and other engine parts become
extremely hot during operation and remain
hot after the engine has stopped. To reduce
the risk of fire during operation or after leaving
the vehicle, do not let brush, grass and other
materials collect under the vehicle, near the
muffler or exhaust pipe, or next to other hot
parts. Check under the vehicle after operating
in areas where combustible materials may
have collected. Do not idle or park the vehicle
in long dry grass or other dry ground cover. Encountering obstacles
If you cannot go around an obstacle, such as
a fallen tree or a ditch, stop the vehicle where
it is safe to do so. Set the parking brake and
get out to inspect the area thoroughly. Look
from both your approach side and exit side. If
you believe you can continue safely, choose
the path that will allow you to get over the ob-
stacle and at as close to a right angle as pos-
sible to minimize vehicle tipping. Go only fast
enough to maintain your momentum but still
give yourself plenty of time to react to chang-
es in conditions.
If there is any question about your ability to
maneuver safely over the obstacle, you
should turn around if the ground is flat and you
have the room or back up until you find a less
difficult path.1RB7A_EE.book Page 25 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM

8-1
EVU006501-PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENTPeriodic inspection, adjustment, and lubrica-
tion will keep your vehicle in the safest and
most efficient condition possible.
Safety is an obligation of the vehicle owner/
operator. The most important points of vehicle
inspection, adjustment, and lubrication are ex-
plained on the following pages.
WARNING
Failure to properly maintain the vehicle or
performing maintenance activities incor-
rectly may increase your risk of injury or
death during service or while using the ve-
hicle. If you are not familiar with vehicle
service, have a Yamaha dealer perform
service.
WARNING
Turn off the engine when performing main-
tenance unless otherwise specified.●
A running engine has moving parts
that can catch on body parts or cloth-
ing and electrical parts that can cause
shocks or fires.
●
Running the engine while servicing
can lead to eye injury, burns, fire, or
carbon monoxide poisoning – possi-
bly leading to death. See page 2-7 for
more information about carbon mon-
oxide.WARNING
Brake discs, calipers, drums, and linings
can become very hot during use. To avoid
possible burns, let brake components cool
before touching them.
1RB7A_EE.book Page 1 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM