500 hour report on Rhino

Mudflap · 02-14-2019, 11:11 AM

Taotao Rhino 500 hour review.

Bought new in early 2017, the Rhino has now passed 500 hours.

Engine has been perfect, never even a cough or a wheeze. Now running smoother than ever. Only mods are a pod filter, slightly larger main jet (98), oil cooler.

428 chain and 12/40 gear ratio is about perfect for the riding I do. The DID Xring chain has never needed adjustment and the sprockets show very little wear. Using snap rings and a spacer to secure the front sprocket works fine. Replacing the chain roller with a rubber belt wrapped around the swing arm made it quieter and works great.

The rear axle splines at the right hub do indeed wear, causing the hub to become loose. Adding a piece of pipe over the axle between the hub and axle nuts at the brake disk solves the problem.

Both rear wheel bearings and one front have failed so far. Should have repacked them with grease when new.

The front drum brakes are pretty bad, it really needs front disks. The rear disk brake works fine but does tend to squeek and chirp.

Swing arm cracked after a couple hundred hours bouncing around on rocks. No more cracks after welding it up.

Gas mileage is good. It has always gone at least 50 miles on a tank of regular gas.

The Kenda Bear Claw rear tires are rugged and have excellent traction but I wouldn't buy them again because they are too stiff to give a good ride. Need to find rear tires with a more rounded and flexible design. The Schnef front tires are much better than the originals in both ride and traction.

Original front shock came apart inside so both were replaced with RFY brand. Big improvement. Original rear shock works OK but I'm sure a better one would really improve ride comfort.

The stock seat sucks. It tilts forward so you're always sliding toward the tank. I use a Coleman ATV seat cover with some padding stuffed under the front to make the seat more level.

02-14-2019, 11:11 AM	#1
Mudflap Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 1,894	500 hour report on Rhino Taotao Rhino 500 hour review. Bought new in early 2017, the Rhino has now passed 500 hours. Engine has been perfect, never even a cough or a wheeze. Now running smoother than ever. Only mods are a pod filter, slightly larger main jet (98), oil cooler. 428 chain and 12/40 gear ratio is about perfect for the riding I do. The DID Xring chain has never needed adjustment and the sprockets show very little wear. Using snap rings and a spacer to secure the front sprocket works fine. Replacing the chain roller with a rubber belt wrapped around the swing arm made it quieter and works great. The rear axle splines at the right hub do indeed wear, causing the hub to become loose. Adding a piece of pipe over the axle between the hub and axle nuts at the brake disk solves the problem. Both rear wheel bearings and one front have failed so far. Should have repacked them with grease when new. The front drum brakes are pretty bad, it really needs front disks. The rear disk brake works fine but does tend to squeek and chirp. Swing arm cracked after a couple hundred hours bouncing around on rocks. No more cracks after welding it up. Gas mileage is good. It has always gone at least 50 miles on a tank of regular gas. The Kenda Bear Claw rear tires are rugged and have excellent traction but I wouldn't buy them again because they are too stiff to give a good ride. Need to find rear tires with a more rounded and flexible design. The Schnef front tires are much better than the originals in both ride and traction. Original front shock came apart inside so both were replaced with RFY brand. Big improvement. Original rear shock works OK but I'm sure a better one would really improve ride comfort. The stock seat sucks. It tilts forward so you're always sliding toward the tank. I use a Coleman ATV seat cover with some padding stuffed under the front to make the seat more level.
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