This month it's back to Rigid Industries in Mesa, Arizona, to see how the '08 Yamaha Rhino 700 is progressing for the giveaway. They've done up the suspension plus engine and drivetrain mods, so it's time to add some occupant safety to the build list. And we're getting a step closer to giving this toy away to some lucky reader of our UTV-specific mini-mag SideBySource. In each issue we're detailing a piece of the build up and you can go to Rigid's website (www.rigidindustries.com) to fill out an online entry form. The winner will be drawn at random at Off-Road Magazine headquarters on September 10, 2009. Limit one entry per household address.
Now that this Yamaha is built to go faster and handle the trails much smoother, it was time to turn attention to upgrading the comfort and safety of driver and passenger. You may have noticed in past issues we threw in a little tease photo of a cage install. Well, this month it's on with a Rigid Industries Radius Cage, followed by a cooler rack, and an overhead soft top to keep occupants in the shade on those hot, sunnier days.
Next month, we'll be adding some nice PRP suspension seats, and moving on to lighting upgrades heck back then and don't forget to enter to win the Rigid Industries built Yamaha Rhino!
 The stock Rhino comes with...  The stock Rhino comes with a basic safety cage that protects both driver and passenger and offers a few grab handles. For the giveaway Rhino, we added one of Rigid's Radius Cages which adds improved safety and good looks. It covers the cab area and the bed area as well, should you want to add more seating. |  With the stock cage removed,...  With the stock cage removed, the new cage was set in place on the chassis. Rigid's RAD4 cage has a unique rear shape. It mounts into the back of the bed and into the stock positions on the A- and B-pillars. It also includes grab handles and a lateral bar behind the seats that can be used for shoulder harness mounting. |  The chassis and cage tubes...  The chassis and cage tubes slip together at the B-pillar position behind the seats and are secured with the factory hardware. Up front, the A-pillar tubes mate with slotted couplers that bolt to one another. |
 The C-pillar has a steel plate...  The C-pillar has a steel plate welded to each of the hoop legs. The legs are secured to the tail of the Rhino bed using existing holes and hardware, so no drilling or custom work is involved. |  The Rigid cage includes a...  The Rigid cage includes a rear bolt-on cooler rack that further strengthens the C-pillar area and increases the cage rigidity. The crossbar for the rack can also be used for shoulder harness mounting if rear seating is added. |  The cooler rack assembly is...  The cooler rack assembly is quick and easy, requiring only four bolts to hold it in place on the cage. As a matter of fact, the whole cage install took less than a half hour with two people working on it. This is something anyone can easily do at home with a bit of lifting help and a few hand tools. |
 With the cage fully installed,...  With the cage fully installed, the crew added a black soft top to add a little shade or help keep the rain off the occupants. The top is made from durable Sunbrella fabric. The cloth wraps around the top cage tubes and is secured in place with self-adhesive Velcro strips added to the tubes. |  The cooler rack accepts a...  The cooler rack accepts a 56-quart soft side cooler that has internal inserts. The rack is handy for access while leaving the bed area free for cargo or passengers. |  Here you can get a better...  Here you can get a better peek under the cage and soft top. Six tube legs converge in the top center of the cage, further tying all three pillars together. The main tubes are 1.75X0.095-inch wall mild steel tubing. The cage comes in either black or silver powdercoat. |