This is going to be a review, of sorts, on the TM 300XRX. It will include the good and the bad, and when I get this new(used) computer, and its picture software figurred out, I'll post some pics too.
When I orderred this buggy, I was promised 3-5 day delivery...it came in in 6 days....that's liveable. The shipping crate was no more than a heavy cardboard box! Including the base with the forklift "channels" to pick it up...all carboard, and in less that satisfactory appearance when it arrived. This is an area that Trailmaster needs to improve. A wooden pallet and a metal inner frame to support the box, should be the minimum to ship a buggy in.
As a result of this unsupported box, there was some chafing and paint damage on the left side. Also a fork lift damaged(dented) one tube of the right rear swing arm. I chose NOT to persue the paint damage, as it was minor, and I'm sure it will get even more, once it hits the trails. The swing arm was reported, though not replaced. Being on record though, if any cracks, or unusual further damage becomes evident, I'm told TM will make it right.
The tp roll bar crossbar assy with mirror, was missing. TM had me a new one in my possession in 4 days, no problem.
There is a lower, mud guard under the frame, that fastens with 4 screws on each side, to keep mud, etc, from being thrown up into the chain, disc brake, etc. It is louverred so it can drain off and not retain any build up. It was installed backwards...the louvers would have acted as scoops to shovel as much as they could, into the areas we don't want them. Take eight screws out, turn it around, and put eight screws in, fixed. No big deal, but it shouldn't have needed fixing.
Gear box lube. There are 2 apparent plugs under the gear box, but only ONE is the drain, that is the one closest to the rear. DO NOT remove the other plug. It is part of a spring detent holder for the tranny shifter.. Remember, remove the plug closest to the rear! The gear box is embossed for 750ml capacity. I only drained about 250ml...it was LOW! The is NO level plug that I have found to check the level with either. To check it, you must DRAIN it, and refill. AHHHH, the re-fill plug.... remove the chain guard, remove the radiator guard, remove the chain, remove the chain adjuster AND the C.A. plate that is bolted to the gear case with 3 bolts....now you can get to the fill plug! I did some serious mods here. I trimmed a corner off the C.A. plate for access to the plug....now NONE of this dissassembly will be necessary to refill the gearbox. BUT in doing so, the chain guard will no longer be used either. Refill the gearbox with the apppropriate gear lube, and you're done. Future changes will take less than 5 minutes.
The radiator guard, which had to be removed to access the chain adjuster, I have remade into an entirely different unit, allowing access to the adjuster without removal of the rad guard. the new rad guard is also going to allow freer air flow through the radiator.
The radiator over flow bottle, is in a perfect location, elevation wise, to the radiator, but if you want to service it, remove the cap...then you'll need to remove the entire rear luggage rack! So, time to modify again, out came the 4" grinder with a cut-off disc, and 1 tube in the bottom of the luggage rack got a 5" section removed. PERFECT accessability now.
The gas tank....must be mounted to the luggage rack, before the luggage rack is mounted to the frame.... PLEASE chech the fuel petcock orientation BEFORE you bolt the rack down. Otherwise, you may be removing the rack to rotate the petcock 180 degrees, to hook up the fuel lines. The fuel lines...I always replace Chinese fuel lines with American fuel line....the carb has a 1/4" fitting, the petcock a 3/16" fitting. I fabbed up an adaptor from 2 brass barb fittings, a 3/16 and a 1/4". used 3'16" fuel line out of the petcock, through the adaptor, to 1/4" line througha large free flowing filter, to the carb. a screw type, clamp was needed to seal the line on the carb, all the rest are typical motorcycle spring type clamps.
Engine oil...the book is inconclusive as to how much oil this engine holds. I one place it says 30 ounces. In another 1 and 1/4 quart. It took 1 and 1/2 quart for me to get a full register with the dipstick crewed in, dead center of the measuring area without screwing it in...so 1.5 quarts seems to work for me. BE SURE to drain the oil and clean the strainer BEFORE starting the engine. They have been run in Cina with the shipping oil in them, and the strainer in mine was 80% clogged with silicone gasket sealer...80%! I will put about 2-4 miles, yup only 2-4 miles on it today, and change it again! I want as much of that crud out of there as possible, as soon as possible. I can afford a few extra quarts of oil, to insure good engine life, can't you.
So far that's about it. Nothing really surprising, and after you've worked on some of this Chinese stuff(been doing scooters for a while) you come to expect the oil strainers to be nasty, gear boxes to be low, and parts to be on backwards.... It doesn't bother me any more, I just atke the bull by the horns, fix what needs fixing, mod what needs modding to make a better vehicle, and continue on/
Does any of this cloud my opinion of the Trailmaster? Not at all. It's a Chinese Buggy I paid half or less what I'd pay for a compareable buggy, IF one like it were American made. And in all likelyhood, it would still have issues, I wouldn't like and would want to correct. This is just a head's up for those getting a TM 300XRX. What to do, how to do, and why I did it. I'll bet if I'd bought a brand new HH250, I would have found just as many problems, and some of them almost identical...oil strainers....
Hope this helps some of y'all out. I'll update as time goes by, and other mods become necessary, or just wanted(LOL)
Gear box lube....750ml
Engine oil..........1.5qts