Snowmobile "Taiga Varyag 550 V": owner reviews, description, technical characteristics, pros and cons

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.

Owner reviews

1. I have already ridden the snowmobile for 8,250 kilometers and during this time I have only changed spark plugs, three variator belts and two fan belts. Apart from this, there were no breakdowns. In general, the technology is quite decent and very high-torque. I often use it to haul loads ranging from 300 kilograms to 600 kilograms, and the snowmobile handles it perfectly. Many people criticize this model that its quality is not very good and so on. You just need to take care of it, like any other equipment, and then it will serve for a really long time without complaints. So draw your own conclusion.
2. Gasoline consumption during break-in is, of course, high, but after that everything is fine. In my opinion, everything is made with high quality and there is practically nothing to break. Earlier there was a Buran snowmobile and it seemed rather weak compared to the Patrol, since it simply couldn’t handle two people in swampy areas. With Taiga, everything is different; this snowmobile performed well on all surfaces, even with elk. During the entire period of operation, I noticed only one drawback, namely, if the wiring comes into contact with the muffler, it will simply burn out. In my opinion, this is not a very good location, since it is constantly necessary to monitor this. Otherwise, I’m completely satisfied, the snowmobile pulls uphill perfectly and quickly picks up speed.

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.

Video

The model has high cross-country ability, which is due to a smooth ride and an increased contact area of ​​​​the tracks with the surface. Thanks to this, the snowmobile copes well on almost any surface, and burying it in deep snow is a rather difficult task.

This snowmobile is ideal for off-road snow. It uses a rear single-shock suspension, with the ability to adjust for a specific type of surface and type of work being done. This suspension has torsion springs. All this, together with the wide contact of the caterpillar belt, gives the model excellent stability and versatility during operation.

The front suspension of the vehicle is telescopic and has an increased travel, which was specially designed for use on rough terrain and forest off-roads. In addition to the electric starter and heated steering wheel grips with throttle trigger, there is also a light socket.

LED rear optics are resistant to various vibrations, durable and have a fairly high light brightness. Thanks to this, the machine can be replaced even in very harsh visibility conditions. The caterpillar rollers were replaced with plastic ones, which made it possible to significantly lighten the vehicle and give it a finished look.

Over the entire period of mass production and operation, the TAYGA PATRUL 550 SWT snowmobile has received a large number of different reviews. According to most owners, this snowmobile has fairly high traction characteristics, which, when operating in low gear, allows it to tow a very heavy load. 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.

Specifications

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.

Controversial reviews of the Taiga Varyag 550 snowmobile

In today’s article we will talk about the Taiga Varyag 550 snowmobile, we will introduce you to an overview of the reviews that we collected on the Internet which, by the way, are very ambiguous. Some characterize the work of the Varyag 550 snowmobile in extremely impartial and sometimes obscene terms, while others consider it an excellent snow all-terrain vehicle and do not understand the complaints against it. On average, from the comments left, the following can be highlighted: “Varyag” The Russian copy, the Japanese “Yamaha Viking”, is well conceived, but not very good in execution. Significant disadvantages: excessively noisy, huge fuel consumption, frequent speedometer breakdowns, wiring burns out, the quality of metal and assembly leaves much to be desired. But there are also quite satisfied owners who managed to buy a very successful 550 model. In general, if we compare the price of Russian and Japanese manufacturers, then the price of domestic snowmobiles is quite acceptable, which cannot be said about the quality. We invite you to read reviews about the Taiga Varyag 550 snowmobile and form your own opinion.

Positive reviews:

— Excellent performance of the variator, high-spirited engine, normal dynamics. — Suitable as a first snowmobile. — Affordable price for a utility vehicle. - It starts normally. — Stop hating Varyag, an excellent snowmobile, he has traveled more than 2500 km. There are no problems, and there is nothing to break in it, use it as expected. - Fast, agile. - Easy to use like Buran. - This is a car that needs to be looked after, loved and monitored. And don’t press on the gas with crazy eyes. Then he runs longer. — Amazing launch. — Snezhik is great -30, starts the second time by hand, runs excellently, revs up to 50 horses clearly, but, unfortunately, after driving over rough terrain, the mudguard flew off completely. — The mileage is 1000 kilometers, there are no breakdowns, before that there was a Buran, so there is something to compare with, my preference is in favor of the Varyag. There are no comments on the assembly, but dealers are making mistakes. — Latvians produce speedometers, make claims against them. As for the hood, rivet it straight away with a riveter. And the fact that it breaks down, we need to remember the joke about two titanium balls, foreigners also break down, only less is written about them, and, in general, a snowmobile is much cheaper than a bourgeois one. — Outside the window there is +5 snow, slush, a sled with a 190-kilogram load and two people on the Varyag, it’s hard - but the towbar was taken out and withstood, the snowball was in perfect order. — I’ve been away for two winters, the third is coming, I won’t write anything bad, I eat according to requests, I’ve overcome such things that it’s scary to remember, I’m alive and well, but they write negative things. Armless foreign cars have spoiled us. — The Varyag is an excellent snow beast, I’ve been racing for the second year, I’ve run more than two thousand kilometers, I haven’t lost anything, I bought it for rides. He carries 8 people up the mountain, mostly went hunting, he got so tired of waiting for others to catch up with the snowmobiles, he walks about 60 km on virgin soil. — I purchased it at the end of 2012, drove it for 1300 km... Everything is functioning, at -38 it starts from the starter without strain, in a word, the best snowmobile. — Varyag 2nd season, 2700 km, changed one belt, broke 4 windows myself, crushed the bumper 3 times, accelerated to 110, changed the gearbox oil 5 times, I get everything out of it, but he doesn’t give a damn. In short, the device is reliable, nothing fell off until I tore it off myself. Sakhalin. — It’s snowing today, it started 4 times on the street -29, I’m very happy, I drove the grandchildren. — The best snowman of all, mileage 700 km, no breakdowns. The foreign car broke down in January, and spare parts will arrive in May, to each his own, take your pick. — You shouldn’t scold Varyag, look, read on the forums. The bourgeoisie also curse Yamaha, Viking, Polaris, Widetrak lx, Ski-doo tundra, Arctic cat-bearcat - they are all from 550 to 570 cc, the difference is in price. — A normal snowmobile, transported about a dozen moose. — I skated 1,600 km for two seasons and nothing broke or fell off at all. I don't drive like a child. — I’ve been using it for the 2nd winter, so far I haven’t seen any problems, it comes to life in any cold, but I wish I could eat less, it’s painful to eat, but to be honest, it’s a good all-terrain vehicle. — Varyag for 3 years no problems. — I really thank the designers of the VARYAG 550! But the quality of spare parts and assembly will negatively affect your work, above the advantages described. — The first answer to foreigners, if you do it well! — I’m going for the 2nd season, I’m very pleased. — On a 10-point scale, I rate it at 9 points. — During the second season I plowed 2,900 km and did not encounter any problems. Lubricate and stretch all the knots in time and you will be happy. — I work as a Huntsman, they gave me Varyag, they drove me twice before, the speedometer showed 4700, in five months I caught up with another 3000, no comments, the car is a beast. I own a Viking 4, there is almost no difference, buy your own snowmobile for each driving style. — The best alternative to the long Buran. The mileage is 600 km, every day I drag a sleigh with firewood 20 km from home, it pulls like an elephant and picks up speed quickly. In my opinion, it's a good unit. — It’s affordable, it wound 1350, there’s enough acceleration, it carries a load of 300 kg, it’s attached on top of the original glass from Buran, it’s easy to operate and maintain, accessible and inexpensive spare parts for the Taiga Viking 550, not like for a foreign car. - I just took it, but I already like it. — The engine power is satisfactory, it flies through deep snow at 5. The control is better than the classic Buran. — The ride on the Varyag-V is comfortable, not every Western utility can compare. — I took it in 2014, drove it 1800 km while hunting, didn’t turn anything at all, the equipment needs supervision, the snowmobile is of high quality. — I own a Varyag, I drove 900 km, replaced the spark plug on the cylinder, tightened the rear shock absorber to the limit, the track catches, and everything is top-notch. — Varyag-V, undergoing run-in, normal flight. — I drove the Varyag-V for 350 km, noticed a decrease in fuel consumption, the ignition switched to normal mode, rushing like a frightened hippopotamus, at the moment everything is in place, nothing has fallen off. — The best replacement for Buran. — Varyag since 2015, driven 7000 km. Now the snowmobile is in almost new condition. Like any equipment, it loves to be serviced on time. — The Varyag 550 is an excellent car, those who haven’t driven it or out of envy give bad reviews. — I finished the season on the Varyag-V with a spin of 1100 km, I never stopped, the run-in went well, it uses much less fuel. The cross-country ability is a fairy tale, I have never sat down, the unit is a joy. — I took it new in 2021, rode 1250 km — everything is Okay! Now technology only pleases. — I took Snezhik Varyag in November 2017, drove 500 km, I fill the oil with the German Luka Molly, I’m crazy about the snowflake, the suspension is excellent, the cross-country ability is much better than that of the first Taiga, at the moment everything is in order. — Traveled 850 km, excellent cross-country ability, comfortable, consumes 25-30 liters per hundred, please ask the factory: install a tachometer. During the mileage that I wrote above, not a single spare part broke. The snowmobile is very pleasing. — The Varyag 550 V rode 1,750 km without any major breakdowns, the sidekick’s Yamaha 4 eats fuel like a moose, there’s a snowdrift on the loose snow under the hood, the suspension is very stiff when compared to the third Yamaha.

Negative reviews.

— I took it from the dealer, and the coupling between the engine and the carburetor immediately burst. - Guys, if you want to get hemorrhoids, crawl through snowdrifts, drag yourself on a rope, take Taiga. — 650 km, the left piston burned out, the reason was the assembly quality was terrible. After 1100 km, the crankshaft will be blown, I can’t wait to see who will buy it. — The mileage is 90 km, the left front strut is bent - it’s not welded, it’s good that I didn’t drive far, but in general I redid everything that was said before me. — The most important reason is the crappy build quality and components. And so the car is a C grade, it will compete with the bourgeoisie. — I skated on the Varyag for 1 season, I’ll write one price for it no more than 100 thousand, for 15 years I’ve already had my fill of our conquerors of snowy expanses. I took the 4th Viking, heaven and earth, I don’t regret that I paid extra. — About 300 km away, the variator bushing fell off, those are the RM freaks. — Absolutely new, never driven. The hood mount has fallen off. — The speedometer stopped working. — I am a patriot of my country, I suffered with Varyag for 3 years, I’m tired of investing money. Sold, bought Polaris. Russian Mechanics should spend more time on the quality of metal and workmanship. — The consumption is terrible. — People, you can argue for a long time about the quality of the 550, but I’ll say it as it is, China’s armed forces have the Taiga in service. — During the first 25 km, the ignition module wire became unusable. — The mileage is 300 km, the muffler mounting spring has fallen off. As a result: the muffler mounting bracket flew off, I welded it myself. Question: RM, are your welders students undergoing practical training? — The Varyag crumbled like an hourglass. - Poor traction, going uphill is difficult. — The wiring protection on the starter immediately burned out; it was attached very close to the exhaust manifold. — Repairing the engine will cost about 30 thousand rubles, but there is no rear light. I live near Vorkuta. — I spent my entire stash on this miracle of technology from RM, the running-in went well, as expected, 500 km on a well-worn track, I didn’t accelerate more than 50 km. At the moment, 1000 km have been driven, I threw it off with pleasure, like a terrible dream. So... so full. “Don’t buy it, it’s weak, it’s falling apart before your eyes, I’m completely tired, I’m selling it.” — Taiga Varyag is not entirely bad in operation, but, unfortunately, it is not assembled with high quality. Friends don’t risk driving it far from home; in your opinion, is this acceptable? You cut through it and listen, so that it doesn’t blurt out anywhere, well... So much for cheaper European ones. — RM needs to urgently resolve the issue of quality, or in the end they will lose their customers, many after Taiga acquired foreigners. Even if it’s used, it’s a hundred times more reliable than our zero one. — I bought it, drove it out, the speedometer showed mileage of 33,600 km, it was well under warranty, the speedometer was replaced. — The engine is too noisy at low speeds, somewhere it rings or something. I disassembled the engine and it turned out that the pistons were loose. The second winter I ride seems to be fine. — I really regret that I sold Buran and bought this miracle of technology. I was seduced by the comfort and external design, while the roller fell off while it was being run-in, how could that be? I wasn’t driving fast, I was doing a break-in for myself... I’m a new snowmobile. I was terrified, I drove into a forest and almost broke my ski. — I bought a Varyag in December 2021 with a mileage of 1230 km, got rid of it, bought a used Viking snowmobile, it’s a cool machine, it’s not even close to the Yamaha. The Yamaha has currently run 17,000 km and has not encountered any problems. I'm tired of the Varyag, I need to carry buckets with me, put away bolts, This was my last RM snowmobile. — The right piston burned out, 650 km. — 7 kilometers, the rear suspension shock absorber flew off, the gooseneck broke, how did you allow such a defect? — Trade it as a construction set, for puzzles in a box. And each owner will assemble it for himself, so that later there will be no one to write complaints to. I suffered for three years and sold it. Prohibit Russian mechanics from producing such cars. — A bunch of pieces of iron, that’s all. - Better take Buran, at least it’s clear what kind of breakdowns to expect from it, Varyag is the last piece of junk, assembled haphazardly, there is no lubrication in the rollers, the wiring is burned out, the oil seal is leaking, the consumption is excessive, this is still on a new snowmobile, what to expect next? - I no longer believe in its reliability, after traveling 20 km through the taiga, I brought it from the forest and sold it for nothing. — I bought a Varyag, ran 60 km, the oil seal in the box began to leak, no matter how much I adjusted the caterpillar, it moves crookedly, chewing the left side of the rollers. Marriage, perhaps? It's complete bullshit. — replaced the engine, brought it from Rybinsk, bought a new 550, after 50 km the left piston burned out, they sent new pistons, after 250 km the right one burned out, the 3rd burned out after 700 km. I don't need this kind of technology anymore. — I ran 25 km, the electric start came to an end, the teeth on the flywheel broke off. — Mileage 710 km, 1 season of operation, 205th chassis bearings were covered with rust, traces of grease were found. — The head of the rear mounting bolt for the electric starter was torn off. Just a little more and the end of the electric starter ring and gear would have come. — Huge fuel consumption, very noisy in operation, under medium loads it falls apart, the wires are burnt, oil is pouring, it gets very hot, the load is dragging and you can see that it’s heavy. “It’s a very expensive piece of raw meat; you have to bring it up to working speed yourself, scald it, stretch it, lubricate it, etc. Not worth it, not time or money. - My neighbor and his son also came out of the forest, it’s good that they didn’t go far, just PR, there’s no quality, just to sell. — My Varyag has covered 910 km, it completely sucks, it squeals like crazy, you are constantly worried that it will break, I can’t move very far, I decided to sell it, it breaks down mainly due to small things, I hesitated to carry all the keys from the garage. I will not buy a snowmobile from RM again. - Not suitable for hunting, just fine for fishing. End. — Varyag ran 800 km, Buran has not suffered so many breakdowns in 12 years. — The consumption is huge, very large consumption. Noisy, the gaps in the drive variator bushings do not hold. Result: rattle at low speeds. Has a lot of unpleasant little things. But after managing all the shortcomings yourself, the snowmobile is fantastic. — Mileage 2700 km, a full tank of gasoline is consumed per 100 km. — I have 40 years of experience riding snowmobiles in the far north, don’t even think about buying this crap, after 120 km of riding the right piston burned out, all the recommendations for running-in were followed. — I haven’t run it in for more than 50 km, the engine is wedged. - This snowmobile is not for workloads, it’s completely loaded, it’s over. The best use for it is to go fishing. — Mine covered 1,790 km, replaced the piston, oil seal, starter, hood, then sold. I'm so glad I bought it for the purpose of hunting it, it didn't turn out too damp and doesn't like to work. — The speedometer does not indicate mileage, the speedometer backlight glows. — You can’t compare it with Buran in terms of comfort, I borrowed it from a friend for a ride for 3 days. Otherwise, it's not worth the money. Now I don't think about buying it anymore. — I became a happy buyer in 17, over the winter I gained 1070 km, there is no way to compare it with any other, in general I’m happy with it, but there is one BUT, the fuel consumption is very high. The hood can be riveted right away at the factory. — It runs loudly, the engine has a mileage of 88 km, after running it in I’ll write my opinion. — It’s perfect for fishing, but not far. — I replaced everything during the year of operation: the engine, the transmission, strengthened the frame, I don’t want to sell at this time, I’m happy with it. — I bought it, after running in the snowmobile, the speed limit was not lifted, but that’s not all: the day before yesterday I went fishing, after 4 kilometers, the engine overheated, stopped as a result of the fan belt breaking. — After 1000 the piston burned out, after 2000 the rings and the starter were damaged. — Parts are missing during assembly. — The melting of the piston led to the replacement of the cylinder; there is no thermal limiter. — Taiga 2100 km after repair of gearbox and internal combustion engine. The next one bought a third Yamaha for 10,000 km, without any problems. Without a doubt, compare Lexus and Priora.

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: