[atzmark]

New guy here. I've acquired a unicorn, a California street legal registered and plated 2006 Rhino. Registered as an automobile since 2006. No smog. Insured by State Farm for road use. Cops and CHP give me a wave.

I paid $4500 and it's in pretty rough, weathered mostly stock shape. To go through it and make upgrades would take time and a lot of money (looking for 60-65 MPH top speed, street use only)

So many of you guys have build beautiful Rhinos, and they sell for $6500-$8500, long travel, fancy shocks, built motors, CDI, top notch interiors and electrics/lights.

Seems I'd be money ahead to do a "VIN swap" rather than building this one out. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks, Mark

 

[Intro2Rhino]

Wouldn't advise it. Buy a modified one take the parts you want and sell the (previously modified) to recoup some $. Or you can wait til I list upgrades for sale. My personal rhino is a mutt of dozens of rhinos

 

[TINKEN]

Buy a fully built Rhino, register it in AZ, drive it on the street in CA, etc. Way cheaper. What I do.

 

[jwfirebird]

kinda surprising, ca is normally worse than ny and you cant register any vehicle in a different state they will give you a ticket. only military and snowbirds that live somewhere for more than 6mths can. the rhino, anything over 1000lbs unladen is not considered a atv and is technically a tractor. we can drive it on the road, slowly with a slowmoving vehicle triangle. between "farms and fields". my quads need registration and insurance. i put insurance on my rhino just because if i wreck or something they can sue the insurance. seems like as greedy as NY is they would realize they are missing out on the cost of registration and plates on all the UTVs you see around

 

[VMAX-Rhino]

I would love to know how the previous owner got the Rhino street legal.

 

[Chalkminer]

You are right about it being cheaper to buy one that is already built up with the upgrades. If you actually swap the VIN and the frame, I think you would be OK. I would not try to alter the VIN or just swap the titles. I know of guys who have bought titles along with the little vin plate and registered cars that had title issues. I have never heard of one being caught, but I am sure it happens. If you were keeping both bikes it would not be so bad. If there were an issue in the future you might be able to claim an honest mistake and switch back. If you sell your current bike and keep the title, some future owner may try to make it street legal, use it in a crime, or or otherwise submit to an inspection.

 

[atzmark]

What is the best Rhino setup for road racing?

Thanks for the replies.

If anyone knows of another Rhino that has a California plate, currently registered as an automobile, insured for street use (State Farm here) let me know. I think I have the only California street legal Rhino.

Pictures:
Rhino with plate
20160210_132808.jpg

California paper registration
20160211_120555.jpg

Replies:
Carfax shows originally titled new in 2006. I was told the San Diego dealer did it. It has been continuously registered for road use for 10 years. 6 owners. Obviously, no smog required.

We all know that sand cars, ATV, UTV's that are registered for road use in FL, Georgia, AZ, etc., are not road legal in California. Timkin hasn't been pulled over by a knowledgeable CHP yet. That's why so many road Rhino's from California are registered in AZ...can't be done in Cali.

IntrotoRhino, Without a shop to strip and build 2 Rhinos, it would be cost prohibitive to frame swap just for a VIN number...unless you want to build my Road Rhino up with your spare parts....

I agree with Chaulkminer. Buy another Rhino, do a VIN swap, and part out this old beater. No harm, no foul.

And lets face it, the technology to change the VIN number on the driver side rear frame between the lower a-arm is easy. No DMV employee, crawling under the Rhino, wiping the location, and looking at the number
with a flashlight would detect an alteration.

Lots easier than a full frame swap, and as I said, no harm, no foul.

So back to road use...60-65 mph top speed. I've ordered 25" street radials, but do I need a built big motor, maybe a Rotax. I would like to be able to cruise at least 50 mph, two bodies.

Almost everybody has upgraded to long travel suspension. Would limiting travel to 3" reduce body roll on the street and lower CG? how about anti roll bars.

Thanks, Mark

 

[Intro2Rhino]

Didn't suggest swapping everything. Just swapping the parts you want. (I.e. Suspension, wheels, cage, bling). Cost prohibitive yes but no more than trying the frame section swap. Personally I'd spend the 6-8 hrs swapping add-on for the stocks on your Cali plated rhino.

I've seen about 5 Cali played rhinos and have talked to someone that had one and had it revoked when they sent it to the state referee.

Personally I considered buying one again with opportunities to buy 3 over the last year and for some reason they are always stock and ruff other than one that was stock and pristine. And I planned to do the whole dot tires, horn windshield turn signal down to the matching motor to the title but with the risk of having it revoked because I thought I capitalized on a DMV loop hole. I decided to save my money.

Not trying to deter you but it's California we live in. I live in a pretty rural area and would keep it around my neck of the woods and to legal be on the highway in mammoth but to drive 12 miles to work I could only fantasize.

 

[Chalkminer]

a rotax swap would get you the speed you are looking for but it is a lot of work. What kind of riding are you planning to do? Is it all going to be pavement? While lucking into a CA legal rhino is cool, if you want 65 mph and all pavement use, the rhino might not be the right fit. If you can be happy at 55 mph you won't have to do much to get there. When I ride on pavement I often wish the rear end was not spooled.

I have some pavement miles with and without the sway-bar. Without the sway-bar, I feel like you get more warning before you wind up on two wheels.

 

[atzmark]

More questions than answers.

Thanks again for the replies.

Intro2Rhino's statement "I've seen about 5 Cali played rhinos and have talked to someone that had one and had it revoked when they sent it to the state referee."

A small numbers of Rhinos are Cali plated, but it must be difficult/impossible to do or many in Cali would.

I'm really unclear how a Rhino would end up in front of a DMV referee in the first place. I've never heard of a ticket issued to "see a state DMV referee". While I can see how a highly modified Rhino might not "pass", I don't see how the DMV would disallow a Rhino because "it's a Rhino". The liability/negligence of the state to continue to collect fees for registration and sale transfer of "illegally registered" Rhinos for 10 years seems contradictory.

Most surprisingly, the total lack of smog stuff on a 2006 Cali registered vehicle is amazing. With grandfathered two and four stroke "Baja kitted" bikes, and 60's VW buggys you can own and sell/transfer vehicles that cannot be registered today...but are grandfathered in...and I assume Rhinos are too. How Cali allowed any 2006 vehicle to be registered without a CARB sticker makes no sense at all.

If anybody has information on how Rhinos were registered, why they cannot now be registered, and what is the current legality of registered and plated ones are it would be greatly appreciated.

Cause I got mine, and I'm driving it around sunny Santa Barbara!

Thanks, Mark

 

[jwfirebird]

driving a spooled vehicle would be my biggest pet peeve. have heard the front and rear diffs are the same or similar enough you can find a front and use it. i remember a big thread about someone who converted theirs to a selectable "turf" mode like the popo's have.

 

[Jimbrost]

How log have you owned it. I'm very curious to see how far off the vin is from mine. I own one as well, custom plated "itlegit" . Dmv gave me no problem with it at all. Just paid the fee, call insurance co and its legal. I only heard three were done, not sure if that true or not but it would be interesting to get a write up on these that are left.

 

[atzmark]

How log have you owned it. I'm very curious to see how far off the vin is from mine. I own one as well, custom plated "itlegit" . Dmv gave me no problem with it at all. Just paid the fee, call insurance co and its legal. I only heard three were done, not sure if that true or not but it would be interesting to get a write up on these that are left.

I've owned it about a month, just got the pink slip, State Farm insured. Vin is 5Y4...157. I would love to know how many Rhinos are out there and how it happened. And why so few?

My assumption these are "grandfathered" like many other Cali vehicles (baja kitted bikes, VW based buggies). Can't be done now, but legal and transferable.

Carfax shows mine was on 2/06 then again on 5/06 in El Cajon. Six total owners. Previous owner 5/11. Waiting for my 25" DOT tires to start cruising around Santa Barbara.

Again any info on improving street performance would be welcome. It has SE shocks and 2" spacers front and back. Haven't looked at the motor yet, so I don't know what's there. Seems CDI, Carb, Exhaust (needs replaced), and clutch would be a good upgrade sequence.

Per previous posts, there is a Rotax upgraded Rhino with power steering! for sale near me that would be a great start for a street racer Rhino!

Thanks all, Mark

 

[Samuelcontreras]

I live in San Diego and I just got license plates for my rhino 660, you have to go to the dmv tell them you wanna use on the street and they register it as a automobile and you gotta get it verified for a roof, turning signals and brake lights and a windshield and you’ll get your automobile title instead of a off high aka off road title, and plates

 

[Cesar V]

I live in San Diego and I just got license plates for my rhino 660, you have to go to the dmv tell them you wanna use on the street and they register it as a automobile and you gotta get it verified for a roof, turning signals and brake lights and a windshield and you’ll get your automobile title instead of a off high aka off road title, and plates

Which dmv office did you use?
Any links of the windshield and lights you used?
Did you need to silence your exhaust?
Thanks !