Snowmobile "Taiga Varyag 550 V": owner reviews, fuel consumption per 100 km

The first copy of the Taiga Patrol 551 SWT snowmobile was released by Russian Mechanics OJSC in 2013. But for several years it was used exclusively in the army and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In 2015, the “secret” classification was removed from the car, and the snowmobile went on sale. The main highlight of the Tayga Patrul 551 SWT is the RMZ-551 engine with a power of 60 hp. with a liquid cooling system and a two-carburetor fuel supply system. This model also has the widest track of the super wide track class, suitable for use in extreme conditions.

Appearance

Anyone who sees the Patrol 551 SVT snowmobile for the first time notices its impressive appearance. Belongs to the SWT type - super wide track. The track width is 600 mm. You can count the number of cars with such a running belt on one hand. Patrul 551 looks like a snowdrift. The wide base and gradually tapering upward block of the hood looks powerful. The white color makes it invisible on the snow surface.

The wide frame, hiding a six-hundred-millimeter track, allows you to place a large seat (very wide and soft). In principle, you can even fit three people, but close to each other. Two adults in bulky equipment fit comfortably on a snowmobile, so the long journey will not be a burden.

Selecting a snowmobile

They come in different types: Utilitarian, Tourist, Sports, Children's, Mountain. Tourist - designed for a quiet ride through the forest, for example with family. Sports ones, on the contrary, are for those who like great speed and maneuverability. For children, it is already clear that for growing up fans of this type of transport.

Mountain - for driving on bumpy roads and for jumping, springboards and so on. Utilitarian - have ideal characteristics for overcoming deep snow. Long and wide track, low gear. We will tell you about this type of snowmobile, namely the “Taiga” model.

Why the utilitarian “Taiga”?

These snowmobiles, one might say, are “workhorses”, which are loved both by fishermen and hunters, and by residents of those places where it is practically impossible to get through by regular transport. Another important feature is to transport goods.

That's why these cars are equipped with low gear. It also makes you more confident off-road. This device belongs to two-stroke engines. The advantages of such engines are ease of control and ease of repair. These motors are simple, reliable and unpretentious.

Basic equipment

The standard equipment of the TAYGA PATRUL 551 SWT snowmobile includes:

1. Two-stroke power unit and liquid cooling of the RMZ-551 brand, the rated power of which is 44.13 kilowatts or 60 horsepower.
2. Reinforced telescopic suspension and the widest caterpillar track (600 millimeters), which together significantly influence the cross-country ability of the model.
3. Two-level seat with removable backrest and handles for the passenger.
4. Under this seat there is a special luggage compartment in which you can transport both various tools (including an additional battery) and things.
5. Electric starter and emergency start of the power plant.
6. A gearbox equipped with a low gear, necessary for towing various loads or for climbing slopes.
7. A tow bar designed to tow a load weighing no more than 500 kilograms.
8. Windshield made of elastic, high-strength plastic. Glass improves operating comfort, as it protects the driver from headwinds and snow.

A halogen headlight with a FF reflector is installed in front, which provides good and directional lighting in conditions with poor visibility. There is an LED flashlight at the back, which provides fairly high brightness and resistance to vibration that occurs during long-term operation of the equipment.

Self-assembly

A snowmobile is an excellent option for active winter recreation. But their prices are rising rapidly. If you are deprived of ingenuity and engineering abilities, then it will not be difficult for you to make your own snowmobile. Before you start drawing up drawings, think carefully about what you would construct your equipment from.

The main part of your car is the engine. The best option would be a walk-behind tractor. Why him? First, in the winter, and this rather powerful engine that sits idle in your barn. And when spring comes and the snow melts, he can safely remove the walk-behind tractor and continue to use it for its main purposes. Assembly Needs: Pipe bender, welding, additional parts purchased at the store.

So, let's start assembling. Our device will consist of two main parts: the driven part and the driving part. The driven part is the steering wheel and shock absorbers. Drive frame, drive, power frame. Now we need to determine which parts we will make ourselves and which ones we will buy in the store. You can make the frame yourself from a metal pipe and shape it using a pipe bender. All parts are attached to the frame using a welding machine.

And to the finished frame, we weld a bracket for the engine, steering wheel, skis and seat. Our snowmobile will be tracked, which will allow our vehicle to have strong grip on the road and high maneuverability. We will also make the caterpillar ourselves, having imagination, water pipes and a conveyor belt.

More detailed information in this video:

Specifications

Owner reviews

• User_1990: In the village, 2 people besides me ride Taiga Patrol 800 SWT snowmobiles. The technique works very seriously, and not in trifles. In such conditions, the machines exhibit major “jambs”. The model is very solid and beautiful in appearance. Before the purchase, the consultant said that the Chinese engine was adapted to the Russian winter, but, apparently, it was not possible to completely eliminate all the disadvantages. The engine regularly overheats, which can lead to serious damage. The main complaints are about the power plant. Otherwise, the model is quite normal, there are even pleasant improvements, such as heated steering wheel grips.
• Maxim Nikitin: bought a Patrol 800 last year. At the beginning of January we went to the site, walked about 120 km across the field, making 3 passes. We rode on 3 snowmobiles (Patrol 800, Yamaha VKZ and Tundra 300). At the same time, my car was dragging the largest load (300 kg). The Patrol showed itself better than other snowmobiles in terms of traction, but the Tundra model was inferior in speed and ascent speed. At low temperatures, the Patrol also felt better than the others and started without heating. During the winter season I have driven more than 3000 km, there are practically no complaints about the snowmobile, except that the steering is a little heavy.
• Ivan, Samara: I rode the Taiga Patrol 800 model for one year. When I bought a domestic snowmobile, I knew perfectly well what I was getting into. The car's mileage is approximately 2800 km. During this time, the main troubles were loose bolts on the “pants” and a burst battery cover. The fuel consumption of the model is quite high (up to 30-35 l/hour under heavy load). Patrol 800 is perfectly adapted to Russian conditions; it does not freeze and does not fail in sub-zero temperatures. At the same time, the equipment calmly drags more than 500 kg of cargo and drives on fresh snow. It is clear that this snowmobile cannot be accelerated to 140 km/h, and it will not take off on steep slopes, but I am quite happy with the Patrol 800.
• Timofey: Last year we bought a Taiga Patrol 800 snowmobile for employees of the hydrogeological station to travel to the wells. Fuel consumption is quite high and on the slopes the model performs worse than the Lynx and VK540. It is assembled averagely, the variator makes strange sounds, and the cables get very hot due to contact with the muffler. The price tag for a snowmobile is quite high in comparison with the same VK540 and Lynx. In terms of cross-country ability, the Patrol 800 is very good, but it’s hardly worth the overpayment. I would opt for a cheaper model.

Engine

The Taiga PATRUL 551 SWT model is equipped with a power unit of the RMZ-551 brand, which is precisely what is indicated in the machine index. This engine is two-stroke and has two cylinders with a diameter of 76 millimeters. The piston stroke is 61 millimeters. The total working volume of this unit is 553 cubic meters.

The power supply system is carburetor, consisting of two carburetors of the Mikuni model. The cooling system is liquid, which makes it possible to use the machine even at above-zero temperatures, which is undoubtedly a big plus.

There are no particular difficulties for this snowmobile. The model is capable of driving through the most difficult terrain at a fairly high speed, as well as overcoming various snow covers, regardless of their depth.

In order to significantly simplify everyday operation, the manufacturer equipped the snowmobile with a separate lubrication system, and to increase autonomy, a fuel tank with a volume of 55 liters and an oil tank with a volume of 2.5 liters were used.

A telescopic ski suspension was installed, in which the travel was increased to 150 millimeters, and the structure itself was significantly strengthened. Thanks to this, the snowmobile has become adapted for use in the most severe and extreme conditions. There is also a rear suspension with the ability to adjust it, which allows you to customize the car for a certain type of work or driving.

Oil

Lukoil 2t is not for snowfields, have mercy on the equipment. Is the dealer really not carrying Taiga 2t semi-synthetic oil or Ekoil? Well, or Motul from foreign cars, people drive. Run-in 1:25. 1:20 is a lot, this is not Buran. After running in 1:40, 1:35 in cold weather and under load. Lukoil 2t for Soviet motorcycles and boat engines, you can also use Buran, its other name is MGD-14, it’s a mineral water with God knows what additives. Lukoil is NOT SNOWMOBILE oil.

But still, where can I get the “+” and “-” sensors under the hood, please tell me, otherwise they write that you can’t change the variable time, you have to take a constant one, I’m at a dead end. So install the cheapest battery, charging relay (our price is 1700 ), and then power all additional equipment from the battery, starting with temperature sensors and ending with the cigarette lighter socket.

From various sources, as I understand it, the Varyag 500 is built on the basis of the old Taiga, as if taking into account the jambs.

The declared appetite is 22-25 liters per 100 km, depending on the snow cover it can be 60, almost the same as that of the Taiga Patrol 550. But the powerful Yamaha nitro snowmobile eats less - 15-20 liters.

There are holes for the starter. The crown must also be placed.

The compression in the cylinders for the Varyag 500 should be 9.6 atm. the norm for air.

the best spark plugs NGK BR9ES made in Japan, A 20 D.

set the belt on the varik to 35

Price

Currently, the new snowmobile Taiga Patrol 551 is sold for 469,000 rubles. You can buy a used version for 430,000-450,000 rubles. and improve its condition with suitable spare parts:

Video

Visually, the Taiga Patrol 800 SWT also differs from the classic representatives of the line. The front hood received a different shape (the appearance of the air intake openings changed and the headlights rose slightly). The changes also affected the dashboard.

In terms of quality, the Taiga Patrol 800 SWT model has reached a new level. Chinese manufacturers are not popular on the engine and component market, which is why the main mechanisms were modified by domestic specialists. As a result, it was possible to achieve system reliability and increase service life. The equipment warranty has been increased to 3 years (or 3000 km). The snowmobile is not afraid of harsh climates, since it was systematically adapted to difficult working conditions. Domestic quality, endurance, ease of operation and efficiency have made the Taiga Patrol 800 SWT model the leader of the Russian snowmobile market.

You can travel by car together, taking with you a trailer with an additional load. At the same time, the Taiga Patrol 800 SWT is not just a “hard worker”, but a vehicle that is pleasant to make long trips with. The ergonomics of the driver and passenger seats in the new product from Russian Mechanics have been revised. Already in the basic modification, the snowmobile acquired a 2-level seat with a removable backrest and a comfortable steering wheel.

Features of the Taiga Patrol 800 SWT model:

• 2-level seat with a spacious trunk for things and a high-capacity battery (45 Ah);
• a modernized steering wheel unit with buttons for switching headlights, heating and electric start;
• footrests with enlarged holes;
• Koso instrument panel with many functions. The panel allows you to control the operation of systems, showing information about the coolant temperature, the presence of engine malfunctions, and engine speed. The tachometer, speedometer and oil pressure sensor are also located here.
• towbar with the ability to tow a trailer weighing up to 500 kg (present in the basic configuration).

Taiga Patrol 800 SWT is a modern model that will delight the customer with high technical capabilities and an affordable price. The snowmobile has European certification and complies with the safety and legal requirements in force in Europe. The CE certificate of conformity allows you to export equipment to EU countries.

Controls

The snowmobile is provided with a standard set of monitoring and control equipment, including handles, throttle levers, ignition switch, engine mode switches, etc. The main control element is the steering wheel. It is represented by a motorcycle-type device and is designed for the traditional style of directional travel. The left side of the steering wheel is also provided with a brake actuator, which, when released, automatically returns to its original position. It is worth noting the optics control system of the Taiga Varyag 550 V snowmobile. Owner reviews indicate convenient linking of headlight operating modes to the speedometer panel. The user can monitor the current state of the optical configuration through a special indicator. The mechanical handle for switching the lights (from low to high, and vice versa) is located on the remote part of the left steering wheel grip.

Control devices

One of the key drawbacks, in terms of functionality, is the lack of a tachometer. Competitive models of the same class are provided with similar devices that reflect information about engine overheating, speed data, temperature conditions, etc. And yet it is worth noting the advantages of the speedometer, which is located on the hood of the Taiga Varyag 550 V snowmobile. The description of this device can be presented as follows: a small information panel, which displays information about the current operating parameters, as well as alarms. Of course, the main information is related to the dynamic characteristics, and in particular the speed limit. It was already noted above that the speedometer is also provided with an indicator of the activity of the optics operating mode. The mileage display function, traditional for tachometers, is also included here. You can update information using a special button located on the device.

Brake system

The mechanism for forcing the snowmobile to stop is based on a hydraulic circuit. As already noted, on the left side of the steering wheel there is a brake cylinder, as well as a container with liquid. Before starting a trip, you should always check the fill level of the tank. It can be controlled through a transparent window, which is located directly in the cylinder wall. At the same time, for the correctness of the indicator, it is important that the Taiga Varyag 550 V snowmobile be maintained in a strictly horizontal position. Owner reviews also note the ergonomic interface of the handle with the parking brake mechanism. There is also a special lever for it on the left side of the steering wheel, but this configuration does not affect the ease of manipulation.