All UTV's How and When did your UTV Passion start?

[Rusty5150]

I bought a Rhino back in 2006 when they were hard to get. People were paying top dollar for them. I walked into Temecula motorsports and they had a Demo Unit sitting there ready to go. So I bought it. Ugly graphics and all. The following weekend after buying it we all took our UTV's up Nate Harrison grade in Pauma Valley. Joey D, Mike, Todd and a few others.

After this ride I was hooked. Not long after getting the car I removed the graphics and bought some wheels from TOXIC Rhino.

 

[66cummins]

Good thread Rusty, we bought our 05 rhino from San Luis Motorsports in late 04...Been hooked on the UTV stuff ever since. First trip we took with it was to pismo beach, we were the first ones in our group to buy a "golf cart"...That is what everyone called it when we unloaded it! I'll have to dig up some earlier pics.

 

[66cummins]

This was the first time we got stuck, my dad and I, he bought a rhino shortly after this. We pulled it out with a rope and a ratchet strap!! LOL!

 

[phuggit]

Started with a Mule--->XP 700---->RZR XP4

droidage.....

 

[Slowpoke Rodriguez]

I was into racing desert and sandcars, and thought UTVs were lame! Then I came accros a LSR mid travel kit for a Rhino cheap and bougt it? So with out much thought I saw a Rhino on ebay, ad said super clean, trust me I will not answer any questions? so I stupily bid on it and went to dinner, came back later and remebered my bid, took a look and discovered I bought it, SHIT.

It was local so I go get it and it was better than new, put the mid travel on and really had fun driving it and becamed hooked.

About a year later I was invited to a Worcs race so I show up with my fairly stock Rhino lookng to just have fun and cruze, next thing I no I drove that thing faster then I could believe it could go, flat out rippen skimming over huge whoops going off table tops etc!

So that Rhino quickly turned into a race Rhino and I have added a fully set up RZRs for my wife and a Teryx that I race at Worcs, just need a bigger trailer so I can take out all three at once

 

[ROTAX]

I bought a teryx in 2009. Had Simi Valley Toyz put a 4 seat kit with cage in it, and then one day in Gorman, I saw a Rzr4 and crapped my pants with excitement. I thought it was custom built and found out later Polaris actually made these. So, I told my wife I was going out to just "look" at em and BAM! Came home with one. I grew up on dirt bikes riding mostly Gorman before all the fences went up. I did quads for a while and rode a lot with Greg over at SSV works. But I love UTVs!

 

[sand shark]

Started in 2007 with renting a rhino in Glamis to see if my son would like it. Ratchet strapped his car seat in and took him to Oldsmobile. He fell asleep on the way, but woke up with a big grin.

Looked everywhere for a rhino and finally found one at Redlands Yamaha. Stayed stock for about a week and then off for cage and seats.

 

[DUNE DUMMY 29]

MY PASSION BEGAN THE FIRST TIME I SAW A RHINO @ GLAMIS. WE BOUGHT OUR 2007 IN DECEMBER 2006 FROM MOTOWORLD & HAVE BEEN HOOKED ON SXSs SINCE THE FIRST TIME WE TOOK IT OUT.

 

[Freeezen]

Back in 2007 I was riding a quad and my buddy had a quad and a 4 seat conversion Rhino. I wanted to be able to have fun offroading with my kids and finally bought a Teryx in 2009. Haven't looked back since and have no plans to ever get rid of my Teryx.

 

[TREE68]

my passion began after blowing out my rotator cuff on a mountain bike. and cracking my clavical on a dirtbike. sold both. now im addicted to utv

 

[Brian B]

I knew I had to have a Rhino when I first saw one in early 2005. I started saving and following the likes of RhinoCraft, Rhino Mafia, LTR, and Jagged X. I remember the first time I saw a long travel Rhino I damn near had to drop trou and rub one out. By October 2006 I had saved up enough cash to buy one. Got on Craigslist and found a brand new one for sale for way under msrp. Had the guy deliver it to my house. I drove it into the garage and ran to Dragonfore Racing. I bought HID's, a digital dash, a lighted whip, billet folding whip mount, and a CDI box. Grabbed a trailer on my way home. Had everything installed in an hour and was in Glamis by 10:00 pm that night. Rolled it TWICE in the first hour of being there!

I'll never forget that day! Great thread Rusty!

Needless to say, UTV's have been a big part of my life ever since. RhinoForums happened a few short months after..... I still own that very same Rhino. (which is for sale) so that I can afford to purchase the next race build!

 

[rhinoadick]

I remember the night around the campfire when I asked one of my friends. who owned a terex."so how much do these things cost anyways"?and so on..By the third question he knew he had a potential new sxs bud,and proceeded to nudge me towards one of the top five best purchase' of my life!I had no clue what I was in for,but got into the first version somewhat cheap.It wasnt ntill I rolled mine (the 2nd time)I didnt know what an addiction I REALLY had.I bought it thinking "its for the wife" "she can drive it"but it turned into a new hobby for both of us to enjoy,and a never ending project for me.

 

[dnf736]

Winter 06, rode in Danny Dobeys Rhino, sold rock crawler & bought Rhino for Christmas. Spring 07, PC east, Cody chases down and passes a two Class 9 cars out prerunning some MDR race, all without spilling my beer ......lightbulb..... look at Trophy Karts, cool. Look at Trophy Kart parents, by 2nd Rhino instead, quit racing MX, no more broken bones for child. Race Elsinore GP, kid gets 7th out of 30 some Rhinos.....brighter light bulb, call Ken Johnson, we wanna race with you please.... that's what did it for us.
He's come along way since those days

 

[dnf736]

was in Glamis by 10:00 pm that night. Rolled it TWICE in the first hour of being there!

LOL.

 

[Brian B]

LOL.

A total of 5 times over. Its a miracle that neither myself or my passengers were hurt.... (Stock seatbelts, seats, and no legminders)

What's your take on trophy kart parents? I was in hopes the Polaris 170's would take off for racing......

 

[megadesertdiesel]

i seen my first rhino in Glamis around 2005. It was highly modified and badass. I just had to have one. I sold my wifes quad and put that down on a rhino. I brought it home and built a 4 seat cage and installed seats, GPS, beadlocks, HID's, and stereo. 6 months later my neighbors cousin had to have it and i sold it for $22k. Then we bought a 2007 rhino and dumped all of that money and more into our "rolling audio/ video" creation. And there the buy-build-enjoy sickness started.

now i am looking to add another sxs, i just need to make my mind up on what i want. I learned my lesson of buying a sxs too early and no one made anything for it. I will be "educated" before the next purchase.

 

[450grl]

My side by side addiction started the day I saw the SoCalFab race Rhino at Glen Helen at one of my motocross races early 2006. I thought it was the coolest thing I had seen in a LONG time!

I was getting burnt out on racing quads, and wanted to get into off-road racing, so VERY shortly afterwards we bought a 2006 Rhino 450 brand new - drove it off the trailer and straight into the garage and proceeded to tear it apart to build the Super Rhino and put a CBR600 motor in it. We had desert racing in mind, but the short-course racing kept pulling me in!

I remember I had to sell my FULL MX built YFZ450 just to buy the suspension for the Super Rhino - ouch!! But it was worth it....so much fun! My first time ever driving a Rhino, let alone a streetbike Rhino was the Rhino Nationals' race in 2006. The suspension was HORRIBLE, and I bottomed out everywhere, but man....that section of the oval was a blast!

Shortly after that, we went to our first CORR race.....saw the UTV's race short-course and that was it. Bought a brand new 2007 Rhino 660, and decided I should learn how to drive it in it's stock form before we started going for the Pro classes. So...I stock raced that thing for a long time! I still remember racing in the RRL and laughing so hard every time we'd all land the big jumps and bounce down the landings! Good times at Speedworld, for sure!!

Time came to join the Pro UTV class in CORR, and we stripped down the stock cage and built what would turn out to be my Championship racer years down the line.

I remember pulling into our first CORR race with my Rhino now all white and low and wide. It was FAST. My first race in the Pro UTV class in CORR and I grabbed the lead and pulled until I snapped one of my two remaining axles i had left! (Had broken a front diffy in qualifying)

Addicted to the Pro UTV short-course racing since then....power was my friend....and still is!

Most of you know the rest of that evolution.....

Who would have thought the little Rhino would be the start of an industry that is SO much fun, and full of SO much potential??

Man....is it dune season yet??

 

[Brian B]

I remember I had to sell my FULL MX built YFZ450 just to buy the suspension for the Super Rhino - ouch!! But it was worth it....so much fun! My first time ever driving a Rhino, let alone a streetbike Rhino was the Rhino Nationals' race in 2006. The suspension was HORRIBLE, and I bottomed out everywhere, but man....that section of the oval was a blast!

Similar story... I sold my CRF450 to fund the purchase of my SoCal Fab/Elka suspension and still had to come out of pocket!

That track at the Rhino Nationals was garbage! Nobody could get through that "rhythm" section. I remember seeing the Super Rhino there buy it never clicked that it was you until now. Way cool.

 

[karter44]

A total of 5 times over. Its a miracle that neither myself or my passengers were hurt.... (Stock seatbelts, seats, and no legminders)

What's your take on trophy kart parents? I was in hopes the Polaris 170's would take off for racing......

Looks like WORCS is going to have a youth utv class for 2013. I'm looking at the for my son since the mod karts are around $40k

 

[az_amsoil]

My buddy owned JP Cooler and was heading out to NW Phoenix in 2007 for a Friday Night Rhino event. It was a benefit for an injured racer and I was blown away by what guys were doing to these machines! There had to be 100+ SxS out in the summer evening heat. I meet Brian B and became hooked. I got involved with his TF build and bought two '08 Teryx (one for me and one for my dad). Loved the community and SxS ever since...my dad sold his Teryx last year for a Jeep and has regretted that decision since! Anyone what to buy a Jeep so he can buy another SxS?

UTV Mayhem2 premier at Johnny's place (10/08)

One of the most KILLER paint jobs I've seen! The ghost skulls were off the hook! (XMF build Teryx)

Fresh off the trailer (ready for four seat)

1st evolution (four seat, seats, CDI, Intake, HID's)

2nd Evolution (doors, intercomm, Front bumper, Rigid light bar)

3rd Evolution (LSR Long Travel, DFR Quick release steering, Gear One Steering rack, DFR exhaust)