The Yamaha Rhino 700 was built as a rugged and capable all-terrain UTV designed to put fun and functionality in one place. The UTV comes with a 686 cc to 700 cc single-cylinder engine. Its liquid cool, four-stroke engine and lightweight body add up to a great performance and power-to-weight ratio.
As such, racing the rural trail on your Rhino 700 is an exhilarating experience that you’re bound to enjoy. However, if you were planning on going fast, then the stock Rhino 700 will not satisfy your need for speed.
Want to know how fast the Yamaha Rhino 700 goes?
Keep reading!
What Is the Top Speed of the Yamaha Rhino 700?
The Yamaha Rhino 700 is one of the most reliable UTVs on the market. While it’s not the fastest or the biggest among sports UTVs, it’s designed to handle everything well. As one of the best all-around UTVs, it comes equipped with a 686 cc, a four-valve head, and forged pistons for efficiency and power.
To ensure peak performance in all elevations and conditions, Yamaha equipped the UTV with electronic fuel injection. Combine the 686 cc displacement and the Yamaha Fuel Injection and what you have is a 20% increase in torque.
It also comes with a new stainless steel exhaust, front differential, bigger CV axles and joints plus a larger radiator. In addition, Yamaha equipped the Rhino 700 with noise-reduction components that include exhaust mounts, engine mounts, and an intake under the hood. They also sealed off the engine area to reduce the noise.
So, what is the Yamaha Rhino 700 top speed? The 2008 version which had a 686 cc engine had a top speed of 40 MPH which is similar to the top speed of the 2012 version which has the 700 cc single cylinder engine.
How to Increase the Yamaha Rhino 700 Top Speed?
Like most ATVs and UTVs, the Rhino 700 comes with a rev limiter, However, with a few adjustments and customization, you can increase the top speed of the Rhino 700 up to 70 MPH.
Improve Airflow
In the simplest terms, increasing airflow to the engine is one of the cheapest ways to increase the top speed of your UTV. Basically, the UTV engine works by pulling air in and then mixing it with fuel to burn before releasing it as exhaust fumes. When you increase air flow to the engine, more air combines with the fuel resulting in more power and speed.
To increase airflow to the engine, you can upgrade the air intake system or reduce the impedance of air. Most UTVs come with stock air filters designed to limit the amount of debris and dust that enters the combustion chamber.
However, the air filter’s dense foam reduces air flow to the engine which limits power and speed.
With an aftermarket air filter, you can increase airflow to the combustion chamber increasing your UTV’s top speed by 2 to 4%. This is true especially when the upgrade is also paired with the right jetting.
Besides upgrading the air filter, you can also improve airflow to the combustion chamber by opening up the air box. However, doing so puts you at risk of water entering the air intake system. In the end, this may hydro-lock the motor.
Increase Exhaust Flow
Besides increasing airflow to the combustion chamber, you should also increase exhaust flow. Most UTVs come with stock exhaust systems that can handle the stock performance of the engine. When you upgrade the air intake system, the increased airflow will increase the power and speed of your UTV.
However, failure to upgrade the exhaust system will cause the engine to backfire. This is because the stock exhaust system cannot handle the increased engine displacement and exhaust production.
So, if you want your Yamaha Rhino 700 top speed to reach 60 MPH to 70 MPH, upgrade the exhaust system with a lighter one. In doing so, you should experience an increase in speed by 4%.
Adjust the Sprocket Ratios
Most UTVs use a chain and sprocket in their drivetrain. To increase the UTV’s top speed, all you have to do is adjust the sprockets ratios. You have the choice of adjusting the front or rear sprocket.
For example, if your UTV current sprocket setup has a 14-tooth front and a 47-toth rear gear, you can choose to increase the front gear size or reduce the rear gear size. So, if you drop down to 13 teeth for the front gear, the sprocket ratio increases to 3.615. This is a 7.7% increase in top speed.
If you choose to increase the rear sprocket size from 47 to 48, the ratio increases to 3.428. This is a 2.1% increase in the UTV’s top speed.
Re-Jet the Carburetor
When you make upgrades to the stock parts in your UTV, you should also fine-tune other components. Most UTVs come with a carburetor that has 2 jets. One of the jets (idle jet) provides fuel to the carburetor when your UTV is idle while the other provides fuel at all times.
When you increase air flow to the combustion chamber, you should also re-jet the carburetor. This is because the more air flowing to the combustion chamber, the more fuel it requires. So, if you choose to re-jet your carburetor, we recommend increasing the size to 157. This will ensure the best performance.
Final Thoughts
The Yamaha Rhino 700 is a blast to drive and you can explore different terrains and places that most full-size off-road vehicles won’t go. However, it comes with a speed limiter programmed to limit the UTV’s speed to 40 MPH.
This is too slow for many users. Luckily, there are ways to increase the Yamaha Rhino 700 top speed. You can upgrade the air intake system and the exhaust system. In addition, you can re-jet the carburetor, adjust the sprocket ratios, and change tire sizes. All these upgrades and modifications will surely increase the top speed of the Rhino 700 to your desire.