ssjrmk
Active VIP Member
I was just wondering how old your kids were when they started riding their own sled in the mountains and what size of machine did they ride?
How old where your kids?
- Thread starter ssjrmk
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gibsons
Active VIP Member
Twin boys started riding with me at 14 on an M7 and an M8. 19 now on XM'S
Oldest started at 12 in the mountains on a 600. Graduated to an 800 at 14 and now almost 16 and the kid can shred. I have a hell of a time keeping up. Youngest son started at 11 on an IQ 600 and graduated to a Pro 600 at 12. All my kids started riding things with engines on flat ground at 5.
My boy started when he was 4 on a slightly modded 120. Went to a freestyle 300 at 6 and is currently on a F5 with a 136x2" track. Mom is not ready to let me take him to the mountains just yet but he is itchin really bad to go. He is 12 .
Mine started at 3 yrs old on a z120 we still have and he still rides it 16 years later! Started riding with me at 7 and 9 years doubling ans riding safe meadows alone, then on their own full size sleds at 10 and 11 years old. They both had excellent throttle control so rode 800 cc 163" sleds in the middle of our group. They rip pretty good now at 15 & 19! Greatest time spent together!
bingo1010
Active VIP Member
My youngest had 600 zx for the first year when he was 11, got a rev 800 summit for the next year, and has been riding a 146" 800 summit xp the last 2 years, rode all sleds in the hills. He is a damn good rider now. My oldest wasnt the same, got a 800 rev when he was 13 and still hasnt mastered it. Comes down to every kid is different, if they can handle it safely keep moving them up if you can. Kids are amazing in what they can do...... If they want to.
Arctic_Ragtop
Active member
My boys are ten and two, the two year old rides a 146 XM and the ten year old rides a tundra. Haven't been to the mountains with them yet.
Joholio
Active VIP Member
2 year old on an XM? Did I read that right? Lol
Our kids have a 340 Enticer they bomb around the fields on. 9 and 7 year old ride solo, 5 yr old drives with me or her mom on the back, she likes to pinn it!
Our kids have a 340 Enticer they bomb around the fields on. 9 and 7 year old ride solo, 5 yr old drives with me or her mom on the back, she likes to pinn it!
My older brother and I started mountain riding on 340's and 550 trail rmk's when we were 12 and 14. Worked our way up from 340 - 550 - 600 and now on an 800 pro. The longer they spend on the underpowered sleds pushing their limits through tough terrain the better riders they become on bigger powered sleds. My 21 year old brother still rides a 2010 IQ 600 with an SLP stage 2 and he keep up with our group of 800's most days
altaredneck
Active VIP Member
My boy is 10 on an m6 153 track. Has all the safety gear as well. Biggest thing is throttle control. He's been riding dirt bikes an z120 sense he was 2.5 around acreage. Biggest obstacle I found about taking him to the mountains is getting stuck. All I can say is try and make sure u have at least another adult in group to help get unstuck. For us it's hard to find people with littler riders so it usually just us two. We stick to main trail and just find little meadows off trail to play in in case of an issue. He has fun just doing this. Always looking for some people to ride with let me no maybe we can get the littler ones together
SRogers
Member
It comes down to each kid, as a mom of 3 boys and 1 girl ages 9-14, we've as a family since they were babies. From the prairie forests to the foothills graduated now for the past 2 years in the mountains. They all had save their pennies to buy the sled they ride and they all are very contentious to the mechanics of their machines.
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Bogger
Bogger of the GBCA
Jesse is 13, only been to the mountains once and that was at 11, he was mostly a passenger except for some supervised running around in the meadows. This year he will spend a lot more time riding locally and I plan to get him to the hills at least once. He will be on my M8, he's pretty light on the throttle, does not scare me nearly as much as my 18 year old on the 800. next year I may get him a 600 of his own. The grand-dude will be on a kitty cat ASAP
a.m.c
Member
The rule for my sister and I was, if you can start it, you can ride it. Electric start is cheating!
We were lucky, we grew up in the mountains! From the old Kitty Cat, to the Bravo, and then a 1997 Mountain Max 700 . If you can learn to maneuver one of those beasts, I believe you are SET! I was probably 11 or 12 when I got the MM. Doing our own basic maintenance and helping dad with the repairs was a big part too! I think it made me appreciate it a lot more. Even though my sister is 3 years older we started riding our "big" sleds the same year. It all depends on the individual kid.
This argument has come up at our drag race meetings too. Our rules state that you must be 16 to race in the JR class (600's and smaller). There were many parents who argue that their 14 year old was capable. We tossed around the idea of having a day camp for those younger kids, a kind of, trial run. To determine if they could handle a sled safely. Turned out that no matter what it was an insurance issue so we had no choice but to turn those kiddos away
Ultimately...... it's your machine and your kid.
We were lucky, we grew up in the mountains! From the old Kitty Cat, to the Bravo, and then a 1997 Mountain Max 700 . If you can learn to maneuver one of those beasts, I believe you are SET! I was probably 11 or 12 when I got the MM. Doing our own basic maintenance and helping dad with the repairs was a big part too! I think it made me appreciate it a lot more. Even though my sister is 3 years older we started riding our "big" sleds the same year. It all depends on the individual kid.
This argument has come up at our drag race meetings too. Our rules state that you must be 16 to race in the JR class (600's and smaller). There were many parents who argue that their 14 year old was capable. We tossed around the idea of having a day camp for those younger kids, a kind of, trial run. To determine if they could handle a sled safely. Turned out that no matter what it was an insurance issue so we had no choice but to turn those kiddos away
Ultimately...... it's your machine and your kid. Barry Barton
Active VIP Member
My kids started riding at 5 and 7 their own sleds same age 340 and a 440 with the sleds throttled back. Been in the mountains at 8 and 10 both on 500 phasers of their own then a 600 mm and a 700mm . My daughter stopped riding at 20 to busy with work and things but can still rip on a sled when given the chance, My son was 8 and now he's 21 riding a T3and he just rips plus now he digs me out. We ride with some great guys out of veg and we have some great times I find the most fun I have is when I can take pictures of the boys doing stupid things but still riding safe. All the riding we have done has been some of the best times Ive had with my kids and the boys from veg.
Arctic_Ragtop
Active member
This thread inspired me to keep my eyes open for another sled for my kids, picked up a '98 MXZ 380 Fan today !
