Reviews of Taiga 500 Rating: 3.3 out of 5 1 review found

"TAIGA" is one of the most common utilitarian and multifunctional snowmobiles in Russia. They started producing it in 1997. With it you can simply, comfortably and reliably get to the desired point, through the least snowy centers of Russia or through the snow-covered tundra.

In this technique, the main thing is not speed, but reliable riding in any harsh places. It gained its trust and reliability after some models were put into service with the Russian army. The Taiga brand has many models in its assortment.

Double: “Varyag”, “TAYGA PATRUL”.

Light single-seat: “RYBINKA”, “TIKSY 250”.

All models with different characteristics, build quality and reliability. And those who know about these snowmobiles first-hand will tell you about all this.

Snowmobile Taiga - owner reviews

“I’ll say right away that the impressions of the Taiga snowmobile are not pleasant. I first met him on a weekend trip with my family and friends. Previously I tried the Buran model and was also not satisfied with its single-lane design. Always falls to the side. Because of this, from the beginning I asked the organizers of the race what kind of snowmobile I would have, and they offered me a two-lane “Taiga”, and I agreed. Due to its powerful engine, it reached speeds of up to 60 km/h. And of course the snowmobile will be stable. And even on the sharpest turns, the runner rises slightly from the surface. A good plus for me is the double seater. "Taiga" is good for an ordinary winter trip through the forest. But my disadvantages to it are the lack of speed, the smell of fuel and poor traction. Well, this is my personal opinion, but for beginners they are not noticeable.”

Grade:

Dmitriy

“If they asked me what I thought about the Taiga,” I would not be able to say anything good, no matter how domestic this device was. In general, my wife's brother bought it and a week later the first breakdown occurred. The next day, we went to the sellers. And they, of course, were shocked. According to them, they have not sold a single defective snowmobile, high-quality product, etc., and this is the first such one to come across. Maybe that's how it is. In order not to repeat the mistake of my relative, be sure to take a ride on your future purchase. This is my story about this snowmobile.” Grade:

Nikolai

“As soon as the first snow fell, my family and I, on the very first weekend, went to actively relax at the ski resort. My husband suggested we go snowmobiling and chose it himself. His choice was "Taiga". The two-seater beast-machine with two runners held very firmly on the snowy road and confidently took turns. But there were some hiccups. “Ride like a breeze”, you can call the speed of this snowmobile 60 km/h. We were so engrossed in driving through the forest that we rode all day. Everyone in the family has great emotions. For winter, active recreation, I recommend it! Grade:

Julia

Electrical equipment:

The Taiga Patrol 550 snowmobile is equipped with a power plant of its own production, namely a two-stroke engine of the RMZ-550 brand. The block of this unit contains two cylinders, the total volume of which is 0.553 liters. The fuel system consists of two Mikuni model carburetors. The rated output power reaches 40.45 kilowatts or 55 horsepower, which is more than enough for the total weight of the snowmobile. Air-type power unit cooling system. Starting is carried out using an electric starter, but the engine can also be started manually, like earlier models of snowmobiles. In order to ensure optimal operation of the vehicle's power plant and for confidence during long-distance runs, the manufacturer has used an advanced ignition system that does its job perfectly even in the most severe weather conditions. This engine can be easily started at fairly low temperatures.

Specifications

Let's take as an example the Taiga model. Classic". The two-seater vehicle, with a width of 1020 cm and a length without skis of 2810, has wide tracks (600 mm), low gear and reverse gear, allowing you to easily transport heavy loads. The maximum speed of up to 100 km/h will allow you to feel that very breeze.

• Dry weight 265.
• Engine with a volume of 500 cubic meters.
• Two-speed gearbox.
• Fuel tank capacity is 35 liters.
• Recommended fuel is AI-80.
• Pneumohydraulic shock absorbers provide a soft ride.

Single

The specified clearances are ensured by sorting by diameter into size groups of bearing rollers, piston and crank pins and the corresponding holes of the connecting rods. Power unit type Two-stroke Cylinder diameter 7.6 cm Piston stroke 6.1 cm Fuel system type Two-carburetor Carburetor model Mikuni Cooling system type Air Exhaust system Muffler equipped with a resonator Intake system Petal-type valve Lubrication system Combined Maximum speed 80 km h Snowmobile transmission Taiga Varyag-500 Variator SVT Type of braking device Hydraulic Engine starting system Manual and electric starter Ignition Capacitive, programmable Reverse Yes Headlight Halogen Speedometer Yes Front suspension type Telescopic Front suspension travel 10.5 cm Rear suspension type Slimy Ski track 0.

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.

Appearance

The design has a masculine character - it has quite aggressive sporty details, and is presented in strict black or bright red. A fairly high windshield is installed in front, although it is quite narrow, unable to protect from snow during side gusts of wind.

The instrument panel is minimalistic. It consists of an analogue (pointer) speed sensor and a fuel sensor, warning lamps - everything is assembled in a single housing. All lights and control lights are made using LEDs.

The body is made of impact-resistant ABS plastic, which has proven itself well in test drives. The seat is double (for the driver and one adult passenger), quite soft, but not “sagging”. The back of the snowmobile has a backrest and small side rails that the passenger can hold on to while riding.

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:

Operating manual

Since the Varyag 500/550 and Ataka 551 II models have similar technical characteristics, they also have a common operating manual. The document contains detailed information on preparation for work, maintenance of all components, as well as the procedure for seasonal preservation and proper storage of the machine.

When operating a snowmobile, a number of requirements must be met:

• Before installing a battery that has been stored for a long time at sub-zero temperatures, it is necessary to keep it indoors for several hours.
• When starting the engine, you must slowly pull the start handle towards you until resistance appears.
• Do not fill the fuel tank to capacity. Otherwise, excess gasoline may spill out.
• Do not change gears until the snowmobile has come to a complete stop. In this case, the motor should be running.
• You can start the engine only after thoroughly checking the serviceability of all components of the snowmobile.

In addition, it is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the equipment, checking the serviceability of all important elements. The instruction manual provides detailed instructions on how to do this.

Break-in recommendations

Running in new equipment is an important part of its operation. Its performance and reliability in the future depends on the mode in which the snowbike operates at first, until the engine travels 300-350 km.

In this regard, the manufacturer recommends observing certain conditions during break-in:

• ride without passengers;
• choose compacted sections of the road;
• do not travel at temperatures above minus three degrees;
• monitor the engine temperature and the reliability of the fastenings;
• after 150 km, check the tension of the fan belt and tracks;
• before stopping the engine, it is necessary to keep it idling for half a minute;
• prepare a fuel mixture of gasoline and oil in a ratio of 50:1.

The manufacturer also does not recommend teaching other people how to ride an all-terrain vehicle, as this may lead to undesirable consequences.

Do I need a license and registration for a snowmobile?

Without conditional rights are needed. Snowmobiles are classified as special equipment. To obtain the right to drive this type of transport (as well as an ATV), you need a category A driver's license. This category includes: off-road motor vehicles. This category can be obtained from the age of 16.

The fee for the license is 500 rubles. Snowmobiles must undergo mandatory registration within ten days at Gostekhnadzor, otherwise you will face a fine of 1,000 to 10,000 rubles. The cost of insurance is 23,500. This equipment can only be stopped by Gostekhnadzor employees, but not by traffic police inspectors.

But MTPL insurance is not needed. New snowmobiles that are less than a year old do not need to undergo technical inspection. And the technical inspection was completed by Gostekhnadzor without inspection. But for owners of equipment that is more than a year old, a technical inspection is required once a year. The cost of insurance is 400 rubles. Picture!

Brakes: Performance Parameters

• Varangian;
• Patrol;
• ST 500D;
• Attack;
• Vector.

Dimensional data: • You can drive the snowmobile while half-sitting on bent legs.

Analogues of the Taiga snowmobile

This brand has very few analogues, since “Taiga” conquered the Russian market and became popular due to its rare assembly and unusual characteristics. Yamaha Viking can easily compete with it . The Russian snowmobile, after improvements, has improved suspension, becoming softer and smoother.

With these changes, the Russian brand has moved closer to top European brands. Russian Mechanics has finally started making good, competitive cars. But many users do not agree with this and call domestic cars, in comparison with their European counterparts, our snowmobiles “scrap metal”. It is very difficult to compare Taiga and Yamaha. After all, “Yamaha has conquered almost the entire world market, and “Russian Mechanics” is rarely found abroad.

Another similar competitor is the STELS 800 Wolverine . With a two-cylinder, 4-stroke engine, 800 cc/cm, has 67 horses. There is one drawback - it is very heavy! But at the same time it has excellent traction characteristics, like the Taiga. It consumes 20 liters per 100 km, which is not bad by snowmobile standards.

The track width is 600 mm, the length is almost 4 meters, and this is rare for utilitarian snowmobiles. The track toe height is only 22 mm, which is a disadvantage for driving in deep snow. The windshield, a rather strange shape, after 60 km/h, begins to bend from the air flow, but it is impossible to break it.

How much does it cost, where to buy new and used

The new Taiga Attack 2 costs 380,000-399,000 rubles. It is sold in any motorcycle showroom that is a dealer. Users greatly reduce the price for used snowmobiles, here are examples of offers from different countries and cities:

• Announcement from Kazakhstan: a 2011 snowmobile in excellent condition is being sold for 259,000 rubles.
• Offer from Yekaterinburg: a snowmobile from 2013, little used - sold for 280,000 rubles.
• A seller from Moscow is offering a snowmobile without an engine and a muffler with a damaged front suspension for 110,000 rubles.
• Announcement from Kemerovo: a snowmobile that requires replacement of the front glass and middle roller is being sold for 248,000 rubles.
• Offer from Noyabrsk: “Taigu Attack 2” with a mileage of 6,700 km, a damaged seat and scratches on the body is being sold for 179,000 rubles.

Burlak "Jager Forwarder"

This snowmobile is liked by many outdoor enthusiasts due to its laconic design. It is light, maneuverable, passable. Fuel is consumed economically. There is a trunk under the comfortable double seat and a small trunk under the hood.

The basic configuration includes brake and reverse. It is possible to additionally install a removable luggage compartment, electric start function and heated steering wheel grips. Please note that the kit does not include a battery.

"Stealth Ermak 800"

This modification replaced the morally and technically outdated Buran. "Ermak" has the same weight, but much better dynamics and equipment. The peculiarity of placing the gas tank (between the driver’s legs) eliminates the possibility of it being damaged by branches. The equipment is protected from stumps and logs from below by an aluminum shield.

The car is driven by a four-stroke engine with a power of 67 “horses”. Average fuel consumption is about 20 l/100 km. The tank holds 50 liters of fuel. The gas grip and steering wheel are heated. The special configuration of the lenses on the light elements guarantees good illumination.

Characteristics and dimensions of the “Stealth Ermak 800” snowmobile:

• suspension – telescopes at the front, independent lever block at the rear;
• transmission – automatic transmission with CVT;
• propulsion unit – one caterpillar, 38 cm wide;
• brakes – hydraulic disc system;
• length/width/height – 3.1/1.02/1.33 m;
• lug height - 17.5 mm;
• structural weight - 290 kg.

Yamaha BR250

This version has been produced since 1982. The model was restyled in 1992, resulting in increased practicality, functionality and reliability of the car. The unit is equipped with a single-cylinder two-stroke engine, the transmission unit is equipped with a variator, and the brakes are disc type.

The disadvantage is the lack of reverse gear, which negatively affects maneuverability. The power unit starts without delay, which confirms Japanese quality. Its power is relatively small - 18 “horses”, with a volume of 246 cubic centimeters. Despite this, the model shows good cross-country ability and confidently accelerates to 60 km/h. A special feature is enhanced wind protection and an increased level of comfort.

Main characteristics and dimensions of the Yamaha Bravo snowmobile:

• cooling – atmospheric type;
• engine start - manual;
• frame material – metal;
• dry weight – 175 kg;
• fuel tank capacity – 24 l;
• length/width/height – 2.95/0.95/1.12 m.

Rusich "200C"

Which snowmobile is best to buy for traveling on forest roads? Rusich "200C" is easy to drive. The machine can be disassembled, and this can be done without the use of additional tools. Thus, the structure can be disassembled in about 15 minutes. and place it in the trunk. There is one seat, but there is enough space for two people (if the total weight does not exceed 170 kg).

There is a small trunk under the seat. The volume of the single-cylinder engine is 150 cm³. The maximum speed is 35 km/h. The model is equipped with an electric starter, heated handles and carburetor, an emergency stop function, and a fastening system for towing loads.

S.MOTO Snowmax 200

The features of the snowmobile include:

• 4-stroke engine (12 horsepower);
• pull and electric starters for starting at sub-zero temperatures;
• high stability due to rubber-fabric reinforced tracks.

For safe driving, disc brakes and an emergency engine stop system are provided. Automatic transmission makes driving easier. The vehicle will be clearly visible in the dark, in fog and during snowfall: a special backlight is installed for this purpose.

But many users have complaints about the quality of plastic parts and the case. Damage to the surface can appear even with minor external influences, so some elements need to be replaced from time to time.

Russian mechanics “RM Vector 551i”

“RM Vector 551i” is one of the highest quality domestically produced snowmobiles according to most buyers. Main features of the model:

1. The development of the aluminum platform was carried out by employees of MSTU. Bauman. It is created in such a way that it combines high strength and low weight (frame weight - 55 kg).
2. The manufacturer modernized the RMZ-551 2-stroke engine and equipped it with an injector made in Russia. The engine has become more powerful (by 7 horsepower) and more economical.
3. For the energy-intensive suspension, adjustable shock absorbers are provided. This snowmobile is the most passable due to such additions.
4. The height of the steering wheel can be adjusted. It can be installed so that the machine can be conveniently operated by a person of any height (up to 190+ cm).

The disadvantages include the inconvenient location of the kick starter handle (it can rest against your leg).