01 March 2017 16:54
 | A SHARP TOOLTGB IS A NEW PLAYER ON AUSTRALIA'S ATV MARKET – IT LOOKS LIKE MAKING A BIG IMPACT. |
TEST AND PICS BY CHRIS PICKETT
POSTED IN ATV, BIKE TESTS · AUGUST 8, 2010
The TGB brand is not unknown in our country, its scooter range has been sold here for some time, but the Paul Feeney Group, better known for importing MV Agusta and Husqvarna motorcycles, has seen the benefits of becoming a TGB importer as well.
Made where?
TGB motorcycles and ATVs are made in Taiwan. BMW and Triumph are just two manufacturers which have parts of complete engines built in Taiwan.
One look at the Blade 550 indicates its build quality is quite high. In fact we were very impressed with the level of engineering on this ATV.
Engineering
The Blade 550 IRS is the top of the range, or at least the top level farm ATV PFG will be importing.
Powering the Blade is a 503cc four-stroke single cylinder engine, with liquid-cooling. It uses a carburettor, not fuel injection as you might expect, and has a pull start to back up the electric start.
A fully automatic CVT transmission gets the Blade moving, and in keeping with its workhorse status, it has high and low range, and 2/4WD options.
This is selected by the touch of a button, and the front differential can be locked in, also with the flick of a switch.
Dual A-Arm front suspension is fitted, and the shock absorbers are adjustable for pre-load. At the rear the Blade utilises IRS, with Double A-Arm and adjustable shocks also fitted.
Disc brakes are fitted all round, with 14inch alloy wheels standard.
The wheels certainly look the part, giving the farm Blade an edgier look than most other utility ATVs you’ll see
There’s a number of other touches which make the Blade definitely worth checking out.
One is the instrument package which has a variety of gauges to keep you abreast of what’s happening; hour meter, gear indicator, odometer, trip meter and tacho are just some of the info you’ll see in front of you.
Inside one of the handy glove compartments you’ll also find an auxiliary power socket.
Stats
Weighing in at 330kg it’s lighter than its size would have you think.
Wheelbase is 1280mm, seat height 900mm, ground clearance 305mm, fuel capacity 18 litres, and a total maximum carrying capacity of 230kg including the rider.
A 24 month parts and labour warranty applies.
On the land
It’s quite a big machine when you hop on board, something which impressed us. Firing it up is easy, and the engine feels very responsive. In fact the same engine is used in the Target sports model also shown here. It cracks, so it doesn’t fall short in the power stakes.
Going over some rough terrain we found the IRS to work well, and at speed over rough ground is very stable. You get the impression there won’t be much to trouble the Blade, and to test this theory we ran it through some very deep muddy water.
It got so deep the front of the ATV went under water. No problems, with 4WD engaged the Blade reversed itself out without a hitch – impressive. To be honest we were having a bit of a laugh when we tried this and most riders would steer clear of this type of terrain if they could.
The final word
It was hard to fault the Blade 550 IRS. Build quality is high, and it performed and handled extremely well.
