KIDS AGE and SLED SIZE

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Snowextreme831

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Sep 9, 2003
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Iowa
My son was riding a XCR120 at 4 years 1 month old. He is 6 now and sold it for a 90 scrambler. I have been thinking about getting another sled. Any opinions if I should go back to a 120 or maybe find an older 250 enticer or something.

I taught him how to throttle and brake on a 250 trailblazer and my sx500r, and he is very good with it and has alot of respect and skill already.

He says the sx500r is his, but not yet ready for it. Even tho he has drove it by himself before.

story is (started up both sleds, we were in the garage, I pulled the tripple into the back yard and steped off, turned around to find him pulled up behind me with the 500. It was one of those things that makes your stomach drop and you just cant get mad cus he did good! But there were a few words!)

Thanks for any reply Brent
 
Please check out "pictures" under pictures that yamahagirl posted for me, page 2 has my son at 4 on the 120! One reason why I would want something wider!
Thanks Brent
 
Tye started on a JDX4 (292 cc John Deere) at age 4. He would only come in from out back if he ran out of gas, or got stuck. He then graduated to a AC Jag 340 at about 6. Then at 10 he was driving the 2000 Phazer 500. Now at 14 he has bought his own sled a 96 Formula Z (dang traitor).

My younger son has only driven very sparingly and now is almost 11.

It depends on the kid.
 
It really does depend upon the person.
My neibor has a 16 year old son who can barely handle riding his '94 Polaris 440 XCR. Last winter I raced him on the lake with my '90 Phazer II.
All summer long all I heard from him was how he was going to kick my butt this winter.
Well, we went trail riding a few days last winter and I spent more time waiting for him to catch up that I did actually riding.
If you ask me, something is very wrong when someone on a purpose-built race sled like a 440 XCR cant keep up with what I would consider to be a trail sled.
Every time I would stop and wait I would ask him, "is something wrong?" He would just say, "No, you're just too fast for me, thats all." I was doing 50 mph on trails that were mostly plowed fields. Id also like to add that this kid thought he was all hardcore because he has spent the whole summer riding his Honda 300EX. Its like I told him, a sled and a quad are 2 completely different animals. All in all though, it was fun to put that kid in his place. I must have made an impression, I havent heard that kid or his parents talk smack about Yamaha (they used to brag about how Polaris is so superior to Yamaha all the time to me).
Granted, Ive been riding sleds for over 10 years but I mean come on!
I would not put someone who is 12 years old or under on anything that is over 500cc. Its just too much sled for someone like that to handle. Now Im talking riding on trails. If your kid is puttzing around the yard it probably doesnt matter.
The biggest thing is to instill in them the fact that a snowmobile is not a toy and that if they arent carefull and dont pay attention they can hurt themself or someone else.
Hebi
 
I started out on a 82 bravo 250 at the age of 5. messed around on that for a few years then got a phazer II. It was a big jump from the bravo but the bravo was a great sled to start on i think:) i still put around on that thing now and then... it dont seem like it will ever die.
 
my daugters are 5 and 9 and the miny sled is getting a little small for even the 5 year old, i bought them a snow scoot this year that will take them into a real sled later on and the scoots have great resale value when you want to get rid of them.
if you do buy another 120 get the cat, the front end is the best of the 120
 
i agree with everyone. get him a 250 or a 340 enticer or bravo. the sled will still be small enough for him to handle and still have good punch. i have ridden with guys who started on old 440's (not yamys) when they where (and i) was younger and they couldnt trail handle enough to keep up to me on my dads et250 or gs338. i always ended up waitin for them in the trails. small sleds teach you the skills you need later to run the bigger sleds. of course for our family till 2003 a 340 was a monster. thats when my brother brought the viper home. that and if he is riding in the back yard anything more is too fast probably for the space availible. i know we had 4 lots to learn on and the corners where fast and tight on the 250. the 338 was even faster.
 
How about a Polaris 340cc classic? It has mirrors, electric start, reverse all the good stuff so you dont aways need to be pull starting it and tugging on it if he gets alittle stuck. May be alittle big but you wont need to buy him a new sled the next year. If you think that is to big I'd go with a bravo.
Hebi just dont think all 16 year olds are like that. I'm currently 16 I bought an 03 viper when I was 14 I was also riding my dads viper alot when I was 13 and I didn't have any damage, or crashes. However I probably had around 7000 miles under my belt when I was 13.
 
I have a son that turns 6 in march and I think next year I will be looking for a Phazer II
for him. I think I will just slow it down alittle and let him ride it. I have seen and heard all about the 250's and I think they are nice starter sleds BUT if I am going to buy something I think the Phazer II will be a light sled ,warm and he will be able to ride it for quite a few years IMO and as far as young riders go I ride with a friend's son that just turned 14 and last year he rode a Polaris 600 X (very good rider, rides smart and I would ridewith him any where, we also ride at higher speeds at times) his sleds polaris 500, Yamaha 250, Kitty Cat
 
Thanks for the feedback.

My sled list goes: 72 250 polaris cult, 79 340 polaris txl, 80 440 polaris tx, 89 570 yamaha exciter, 96 polaris 800 storm, 2000 sx500r, 2001 sx600r.

I cant remember the first time on a sled, but I was young. I just dont want to overdue it. But I want him to ride and stay with it.

I have a uncle that has a 80 340 polaris txl with 500 miles on it, im trying to get him to sell it to me. Anyone know what thats worth?? Been sitting on a trailer for over 20 years, turns over but hasnt ran since parked. Thats were I got my 79 txl from in 1988. SLED IS MINT.
 
i put most of my early years on the et250. most of it was put-putin around on the lake. i was still usin it in high school. ya my buddies all had biger sleds but if we went exploring i was in the lead on the 250. it was easyer to turn it around than their indy trails or formula pluses in the powder.
 
YamahaXtreme said:
Hebi just dont think all 16 year olds are like that. I'm currently 16 I bought an 03 viper when I was 14 I was also riding my dads viper alot when I was 13 and I didn't have any damage, or crashes. However I probably had around 7000 miles under my belt when I was 13.
Click to expand...

Not at all. Heck, a lot of 16 year olds are racing semi-pro sno-x and could probably leave me in the dust.
Hebi
 
I had an 84 Bravo for the boys to ride I think I bought it for $800 and six or so years, a couple trees and a lot of fiberglass on the hood later I sold it for $ 800. The next guy also put it to good use. The things are tuff, economical and will go enywhere the big boys can go and some places they can't.

It was the greatest kid's sled for us.
 
I made the mistake of buying my 11 year old a 94 vmax 600.I sat him on it,got him familiar with the brake and gas.I made a loop around the house,told him to take it slow and easy and to follow my path.Well he took off nice and slow and went to make a left hand turn and all of the sudden he gunned the gas cart wheeled off the back and buried the sled into a bunch of shrubs.I made sure he was ok and he said yea i dont know what happened all i did was press the brake!!!That was his last ride,sold the sled the next spring.Looking back a 600 was a little to big and next time were gonna try a 380 formula ski doo.
 
Brent get that sled from your Uncle, be a good project. May take some beer, but I bet it would run. Maxdlx
 
Paully, you know my sistuation! Might need some garage space and some tools! GOT ROOM?

O ya, you talking care of my two babies???
 
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