Junior Sled Options

[biffdotorg]

So my stepdaughter is 8 and has had her hands on the throttle of the waverunner this summer as well as the SXR500 last winter. Mind you, this is what an adult on the back to pull her off the throttle if anything bad happens.

What is the best junior sled for a person this size? The 120's are going to be too small and the SXR500 is got more juice than anyone that age should have access to. I have heard of a few screwing a small block behind the throttle to limit it to 1/3 or 1/2 throttle. I like that idea.

I see companies like Premere making the Enforcer 200/300 sleds for junior riders. I have a tough time swallowing a $3-$4K sled that she won't be legal to ride on the trails with anyway. I can pick up a used SkiDoo Freestyle for $2200 and it would at least have been built by a company that has been making sleds for more than a few months.

I read through the laws in MN, and from what I can tell, she really wont be able to drive the public trails with us until 12. There is some gray area about "without close adult supervision" Does that mean following directly behind on another sled?

I would love to encourage her to start riding since she enjoys it so much. I guess I will try the throttle block solution first on private land and see how that goes with her (and my wife) That may give her enough seat time before she reaches 11-12 and can take the safety course.

Your suggestions are always appreciated. We just moved into a very sled-friendly neighborhood where everyone has a trailer in the driveway, sleds are legal on the shoulder, and there are more 120's and sno-scoots than I could have immagined. I would bet my best advice and probably source for starter sleds may be right next door.

Have a great season!

 

[Mysledblows]

Enticer's are great to learn on. Old phazers too, but they have a little more go to them. My daughter will be 10 this winter and she's planning to rail the old phazer all over our property. I think she's going to be my personal driver when we go out on the trail and such as well. We two up the srx pretty well

 

[..SNAKEBIT..]

my son started riding a kitty cat at 2yrs old ( my brother and I stood at the end of the yard and lifted the back around to turn him at first, then just shot straight to the other guy)
at 7 he started riding a 92 Phazer II LE with a plastic pipe block in the secondary (so it would not suck all the way closed) and a small piece of rubber hose sliced and slid over the throttle cable by the carb to keep him from wide open. rode it that way for @ one and half years then removed the clutch block, and last year he rode it without any govenor.
would have to say a cheap Phazer II would be hard to beat!

 

[farmboy4240]

try an old enticer or bravo thats what the young ones here ride.

 

[super1c]

Phazer would be a great start. Another idea i herd was a lg hose clamp with the screw end behind the throttel. I'm going to let my by then 13 yr old daughter loose behind a vmax 600xt this year. Ill start with her but hope to have her on her own before long.

 

[Ding]

Bravo for the young and timid or careless, Enticer for the ones a little older or more in control. I prefer the 300 and 340 to the 250 because they are easier to keep running.

Start by buyiing one, and then get in the habit of buying every one you see at a great price. Pretty soon you have a whole fleet of them. Some running, some not.

What amazes me is the 18 - 25 year olds getting off their big sleds and messing around for hours on the little machines. Have to tell them to give the sled back to the little kids. How far can you pull a wheelie on an ET250? A long ways if your buddy hangs off the back.

 

[sleddineinar]

I spotted a little '86 excel III on craigslist for $250. I might give it a look. It's a 340. I passed on the '80 250 enticer I was thinking about.

 

[Bullhead]

I have a few ideas for you

BHM

 

[Tod]

saw a snowsport 125 on the mercury/snoscoot sight for 1500.

 

[Gorkon]

I started a 50 lb 9 year old on a 77 GS 340 and it was perfect for her. She's going to be 13 this December and the sled still suits her well, mind you she's still only about 70 lbs!! An Ovation would be great, but even they go like hell for young kids so you have to be careful.

With this little shrimp, even after riding for 3 seasons, she still didn't quite comprehend that she could press and let and go of the throttle to nurse it through tight spots and instead held it steady! I found out she was doing this the hard way after a thankfully injury free adventure into the trees last winter! Happy trails. G.

 

[SRXSRULE2]

I rode with my dad and uncle until I was about 10 on local trails. Had an 87 exciter at the time. First sled I ever rode by myself was a 94 vmax 600. My dad just told me to respect the machine, know the power it has and how easily you can get hurt. Being pretty small at the time, I couldn't really drive the sled to its full extent because it was pretty heavy on the steering. I used to ride my dad's 02 SRX on the trails just kept it tame, there is a lot of power there. Now I'm 19, I bought a viper used 2 years ago and thats what I currently ride. The reality is anyone can get hurt riding a snowmobile even the experianced people. I worry more about the other people on the trails coming at you, whether or not they will be on there side of the trail.

I'd say double with your kids on the trails until they are old enough to get their learners permit thing. Let them loose now and then in the non busy areas. Thats how I learned and touch wood I've never had any accidents yet.