Yamaha Rhino 660 is the Family Friendly Motor Vehicle of Choice

I've been off-roading all of my life. My father first got me into it when I was about seven years old. He'd purchased an old 1972 Honda 125cc Trials bike from a neighbor and we spent the next few months fixing it up. When it was finally ready to roll, we'd take it to the desert and he'd let me ride on the back of it.


Although he wouldn't let me ride it by myself until I was about twelve, just the thrill of sitting on the back, feeling the wind in my hair and the motor running between my legs was enough. When I was finally old enough to handle the bike myself, my dad went out and bought us Yamaha MX bikes. I, of course, had the 125cc and my dad had the 250cc model. I had some of my best childhood memories on that bike and continued to ride all throughout high school and college. When I got married and had my two boys, I wanted to pass down the tradition of dirtbiking down to them.

However, as any parent knows, once you have kids of your own, your mentality changes. When I was young, I'd ride recklessly, my motto being Live Fast, Die Young, & Leave a Pretty Corpse, but when there are kids in the picture, you have to think about their futures more than yours. If I get into a motorcycle accident and become unable to work, how will I afford to support my family

So, after a lot of haggling, bartering, and otherwise bad noise, my wife convinced me to sell my motorcycles. However, we did come to a compromise I sell my motorcycles and buy something a little safer for my kids and I to enjoy. We decided on the Yamaha Rhino. It has four wheels rather than two, and a sturdy roll cage to keep the occupants safe if something goes awry. When I first saw the thing, I must admit... I was disappointed. One of the things I loved the most about motorcycling in the desert was the lack of safety equipment... the danger provided a thrill. But when my kids and I first went out to the desert and drove the Rhino around, we had a total blast! The Yamaha Rhino 660 has a 660cc motor, this thing has the potential for some serious speed, and my wife is happy to see her husband and little boys safely tucked beneath our DOT-certified helmets and that solid, 1-pipe roll cage. I was still able to drive recklessly, but I knew that if something went wrong, we'd all be safe.

In the end, I realized that when you have children, there are some things that you have to sacrifice, but that doesn't mean you have to give up your hobbies completely! It just means you have to make some adjustments, lifestyle-wise, in order to be a caring father and family man.

Kimberly Green is a mother of three and owner of a Yamaha Rhino, sharing her husband's story about how he came to decide upon purchasing a new Yamaha Rhino 660.