Quote:
Originally Posted by greenhorn
I have a stock Rhino and love it!!! What is the big deal about long travel kits anyway?
|
Depends on what you are using the side by side for, and where you are using it. For tight woods you don't want long travel. And for ATV trails that have signs that say "No Side by Sides", even the narrow Rzr isn't going to work, even if it does fit between the 50" wide gates at the start of the trail.
Never ridden in a long travel Rhino, have you? Didn't think so.
The better long travel kits totally transform a Rhino, and turn it into a mini trophy truck, at a fraction of the cost. Sidehill stability is incredible, and you can drive them on a steep enough sidehill that they slide downhill sideways without even starting to feel tippy. Ground clearance is increased by several inches, which REALLY helps off road in the rocks. My Rhino has 15" of ground clearance under the rear skidplate with 26" tires. How much does a stock Rhino have? Suspension travel is more than doubled, ... going from 7" stock, to 15" with long travel. The extra suspension travel greatly improves terrainability over technical terrain such as rock crawling, and a long travel Rhino crawls through the nasty stuff like a giant spider, rarely lifting a tire off the ground. The extra suspension travel also helps with obstacles that may be hit at a higher speed. I hit a cattle gaurd on a graded sand road at 53 mph one time, and launched the Rhino 6 feet in the air, for a distance of 50 to 60 feet, and it landed like it was on a cloud. Didn't even hardly feel the landing. Another time I hit a washed out gulley in the desert on a fast road, 3 feet deep, and near vertical sides to it. The Rhino just sucked it up like it was no big deal. Super plush ride quality over just about any terrain is definitely one of the nicer points of long travel suspension. Cornering ability is another advantage of long travel. I went Rhino riding with another person from our neighborhood that has a stock sport edition Rhino, and had the chance to ride in his Rhino as a passenger, after having only ridden in my long travel Rhino for the last year. I hate to say it, but that thing litterally scared the hell out of me. I was hanging on for dear life because it leaned and wallowed so badly in the turns. I was convinced he was going to roll the thing several times during the ride, and I was just concentrating on hanging on and keeping my arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times, LOL. In comparison, a long travel Rhino corners like it is on rails, and powerslides great. I really think you could just pitch a long travel Rhino completely sideways at 50 mph, and it wouldn't roll.
Anyway, sorry for the novel, but there is just NO comparison at all between a stock Rhino and a long travel Rhino.
3TV