Long time GY6 owner looking to get a 4 seat buggy... possibly a 300cc.

[charleswrivers]

Hi... I’m try to do a little look-before-I leap.

I have had a second-hand ASW Scorpion (variant of a 6150) for 8 years now. I bought it not running for $300 and brought it back to life with a new choke and a carb clean out. At the time, I just had one kid but the family has expanded to 2 more. While I used to be able to pile in a couple easily, I realize they’re just getting too big and all 3 like to poke around the trails behind my house to fish with me.

I’ve been looking at some 4-seat models of Trailmaster... that, to me, just like stretch-frame versions of my current old buggy. In 8 years... I’ve put maybe $100-150 in the thing... A13 cam, springs and weights to make it good for its purpose... poking around muddy roads to get me to my fishing hole at <20 MPH. It had piston/sleeve/rings out of need... ignition... wiring... lights... randomness, but has done well. It does everything I need from it, short of being big enough... otherwise I’d never consider getting anything else.

I noticed there were GY6 based versions of 4-seater Trailmasters, some with FI vice a carb. There was also a 300cc version that I haven’t really been able to find info/videos on compared to all the scooter/buggy info on 150cc GY6s. All the videos I see are just sales ads it seems. While my current buggy has needed a little TLC here and there, it’s been remarkably cheap and easy to work on and I’ve never felt under engined after I swapped cams. Before? It was a bit anemic.

So my question is: how does a FI GY6 variant or the XRS-4 300cc variant engine compare to the carb 150cc GY6 variant in ease of repair, parts cost and reliability for just general trail riding? I’m a little leery that the added bulk of a 4 seat frame might make a GY6 be so far from its scooter-roots, it’s just out of its element. At the same time, having had a GY6 for 8 years and put very little money it in along to keep it going, I’m wondering if it’d be better to stick with what I know and just gets carb GY6 and make it do what I want using similar mods and maybe just going to a larger sprocket to compensate for the added bulk.

I appreciate whatever insights for those who’ve experienced both can share.

[EVILWS6]

GY6 parts are going to be cheaper and more plentiful. There are also more performance upgrades and part for the GY6 as well.
That being said. If I was in the market for a 4 seater buggy and had to choose between the TM 150 or the 300, I'd go with the 300. I'd look for the EFI version if they had it too. But if I couldn't get it with EFI, I'd still go with the 300.
Reason being is that you get so much more grunt with the 300 over the 150. Even if you add upgraded parts to the 150. Plus the 300 is water cooled. These are things I'd want when having to carry 4 people.
If you can work on a GY6, chances are you can work on the 300. It's still a single cylinder CVT scooter engine with water cooling. It's just vertical instead of horizontal.

[charleswrivers]

I saw there was a version with EFI for the 150 GY6. I live in SE Georgia with pretty consistent weather and no elevation changes so I wasn’t sure the juice was worth the squeeze in that one. I don’t know... maybe I’ve been lucky but with a rejet and that idle mix screw. It just has run like a top for me since time out of mind. Not sure if the EFI GY6 has any substantial performance advantages... but I’d assume them to be minimal for my usage and fuel economy isn’t a concern. It takes me a month+ to burn through a whole tank for frequent but short trips I tend to make.

I figured a stock 300cc engine would move around such a heavy buggy even with a pile of mods. I spent a lot of time reading/watching videos early on when I was trying to get the most out of my GY6 for what I was using for. I’ve been looking for some similar info to get a feel for the 300cc engine TM uses and have come up short... other than the aforementioned sales videos. I looked at some parts listing and they seemed to be generally 2x+ what comparable GY6 parts run (not counting eBay junk... OEM/OEM equivalent stuff sold on buggy sites). Of course... if they don’t need much it’s a non-issue. If they need a lot of TLC to keep going, I’d prefer not be nickel and dimed.

To kind of round it out... I also don’t know how widespread this engine is... and how good parts availability will be in the future since I can’t find out much about it. I’d plan in keeping this thing going 10+ years while the kids are in the house and I don’t know if this 300cc engine TM is using currently is a one-off that hasn’t been around a while and isn’t here to stay.

Anyways... I appreciate the reply. I’ll read through old posts to see if there’s any theme of weak spots in the motor and keep seeing if I can find some sort of informative write up about that motor. I figure in all the internet’s infinite 1s and 0s there’d be something. I saw some stuff pointing to them being a Yamaha Linhai clone so I’m trying to educate myself.

[BEEFKING69]

The 300 is a linhai/vog 300. Yamaha majesty clone and comes in sizes from 260 to at least 400cc and has been around forever. Theres a bbk available and parts are not all that expensive if you know what to look for. I just rebuilt a trailmaster 300 xrx and it runs almost 55mph stock. I also have a china quad with the 260cc version of the 300 and its getting bored to 295cc over the winter. The 300s do come fuel injected also.