I know this topic has been discussed before and I am not advocating a older or younger age to start kids riding but I want to share my experience today as something to think about. I took my son out today for a ride he is 12 soon to be 13. He has ridden since he was 10. However due to my heavy weekend work schedule the times he have gotten to ride are limited. I decided this time to put him on a Yamaha Vmax 600 136 track for trail riding only. I usually have him on a 340 Yamaha Enticer but since he has grown to 5'5" I thought he was big enough for the Vmax. We left the cabin and got 3 miles down the trail when I noticed he was no longer behind me. I turned around and found him sitting in the snow dazed and the sled smashed against the tree. His helmet visor was shattered. I had him get on my sled with me and took him back to the cabin. He seemed fine but was shooken up. I determined latter that he has no memory of the accident and the ride back to the cabin (5-10 minutes). He remembers his visor being covered in snow not being able to see and waking up in the cabin but nothing in between. I took him to the ER to be checked out and they said he had a mild concussion. We are watching him close tonight. It looked like to me that he got too close to the edge of the trail and got sucked into the soft snow which covered his visor and he panicked grabbing the throttle instead of the brake launching him into a large spruce tree totalling the sled. I have heard the argument many times that some of the kids are excellent riders which I do not doubt. However this scary lesson reinforced what had or should have known that the young riders do not have the life experiences and critical thinking to correctly react to unexpected situations. At our trail speeds 20-25mph and the distance from where he left the trail to the tree was more than enough to completely stop the sled. I am not going to judge others when to start their kids on snowmobile but I am going to evaluate how, where and on what my son rides in the future.
How old is old enough?
- Thread starter sdsnocop
- Start date
i guess its not how old but how much experience that really counts. my kids all started riding electric quads by the time they were one. on trizingers by the time they were 3. snowmobiles at 5. by the time they were 12 they had more experience riding than most adults and i felt more than comfortable with them riding. i worried more about the other yahoo's out there running into them than anything else. we rode the coast almost every weekend in the summer and sleds the same in the winter. if i had a chance to do it over again i wouldn't change a thing.
you could put a 30 year old on a sled with little experience and have the exact same thing happen, have seen it more than once...
you could put a 30 year old on a sled with little experience and have the exact same thing happen, have seen it more than once...
Last edited:
My kids started when they were 2 and 3. My oldest is 8 and rides a AC powder special 580. He knows throttle control well and can maneuver in a meadow. It's time to get him out into mellow off trail riding.
Sounds like your son didn't have the experience. Maybe start taking him with you on patrol. If you don't he won't get the experience at all. IMO, 12 or 13 is too old to not have any experience. Hope he pulls thru it with just a headache and nothing more.
Sounds like your son didn't have the experience. Maybe start taking him with you on patrol. If you don't he won't get the experience at all. IMO, 12 or 13 is too old to not have any experience. Hope he pulls thru it with just a headache and nothing more.
First off good luck to your son and a speedy recovery. I agree with what's been stated above, not so much the age but experience. Next trip out I'll have my girlfriends 10 year old riding with me. I'd rather have him on with me to get the hang of things for a few times out. He has rode with me like that before and works pretty good. That's how I got his mom into riding also, she says it's more work riding with me that riding her own sled.
I started all my kids once their helmets starting banging me in the face.
Accidents happen and anyone can panic. My 18 year old daughter who has been riding since she was 3 bounced off the trail coming out of the cabin a few weeks ago, pinned the throttle and smacked a tree. Luckily all that happened was a little broken plastic and some ribbing from her siblings.
Experience helps but it is not a cure-all. We all have to judge when it is time to move a kid up from one size to the next. My 10 year old grandson has been riding a 340 for three seasons and he took out a trail RMK (550) the last time we went out and he did great. He's a cautious rider. My other grandson won't get to move up for awhile because he is just too wild. Each kid is different.
Accidents happen and anyone can panic. My 18 year old daughter who has been riding since she was 3 bounced off the trail coming out of the cabin a few weeks ago, pinned the throttle and smacked a tree. Luckily all that happened was a little broken plastic and some ribbing from her siblings.
Experience helps but it is not a cure-all. We all have to judge when it is time to move a kid up from one size to the next. My 10 year old grandson has been riding a 340 for three seasons and he took out a trail RMK (550) the last time we went out and he did great. He's a cautious rider. My other grandson won't get to move up for awhile because he is just too wild. Each kid is different.
Now that I think about it, in '95 a guy in our group had an accident & dislocated his shoulder.
Duane (SnoCop) was one of the guys who help get him to the ambulance.
Thanks Duane!
Then in '98 my wife broke her wrist up near Cement Ridge Lookout.
After 3 trips to the ER in 4 years we quit going to the Hills for a few years!
Sorry for side tracking the thread.
Duane (SnoCop) was one of the guys who help get him to the ambulance.
Thanks Duane!
Then in '98 my wife broke her wrist up near Cement Ridge Lookout.
After 3 trips to the ER in 4 years we quit going to the Hills for a few years!
Sorry for side tracking the thread.
Was that the guy who wrecked on trail 1 South of Trailshead who kept appologizing for swearing because it hurt so bad and I told him he can swear all he wanted?
I wish he could get experience by riding with me on patrol but that would not work. When I get a call many times I have to respond in a hurry. I cannot risk someone else trying to follow especially a child. Due to the fact I work practically every weekend and my days off are when they are in school I usually only have Presidents day monday and maybe a weekend in late March or early April I can take them riding. I was able to change my schedule some so I have every other Friday off. Our school system is a 4 day with no school on friday's but it seems school sports conflict. I grew up on a small hobby farm and had ample opportunity to ride around the yard and fields whenever I wanted but living in town my kids do not have that luxury. I love my job but it denies opportunities for my family that others take for granted.
You got a good memory!
S
Sledsniper
Well-known member
My daughter was eight when she started.
We used helmet radios had her ride in front of me and I told her what to do.
It worked good when she listened.
We used helmet radios had her ride in front of me and I told her what to do.
It worked good when she listened.
My son is 12, and he's been riding since he was 3 1/2. Started him on a 120, then, moved to a 550 fan. Last season we moved him to a 700 and he's been fine. Actually a lot better rider than many adults. I think each person is different, so because one kid is on a 700 does NOT mean they should all be. I still keep a damn close eye on him and constantly stress how dangerous riding can be if you lose respect for what can happen.
K
kingofthemountain
Active member
Hope your son is alright, concussions are the worst. I had a bad one last year and it put me out of commission for two weeks.
Personally, I feel strength/size is just as important as age or experience. If that ski goes over the edge and the kid isn't strong enough to pull it back up, you're gonna have to help out no matter what. Just like many guys complain about how hard it is to throw an apex around, younger kids have it even worse than that just with a regular little 440. I'm sure it's a hard thing to judge but I guess if I had a kid, I wouldn't move them up to a bigger sled until they could really throw around the littler one. Not really sure how else I would judge if they were ready or not.
Just my .02
Personally, I feel strength/size is just as important as age or experience. If that ski goes over the edge and the kid isn't strong enough to pull it back up, you're gonna have to help out no matter what. Just like many guys complain about how hard it is to throw an apex around, younger kids have it even worse than that just with a regular little 440. I'm sure it's a hard thing to judge but I guess if I had a kid, I wouldn't move them up to a bigger sled until they could really throw around the littler one. Not really sure how else I would judge if they were ready or not.
Just my .02
M
mtsummitx
Well-known member
My son started riding a Mini Z by himself at 4 or 5. Just around the yard for many years, then 2 winters in the mountains (we didn't get very far very fast but it was fun to get him out in the wide open) This year (he is now 11) I got him a Summit 550fan and while I do think it is still a little big for him as far as the weight of the machine goes compared to his weight and strength, he actually is doing very well with it. It is too bad that the snowmobile manufacturers do not make sleds available for youths in progressive sizes like dirt bike and atv manufacturers do.
Son started on a 120 when he was 3 or 4. Been riding ever since.
Tried a 2007 phazer last year when he was 8. Wasn't bad, but he was nervous.
This year, he's ripping it up on it. AND he broke in my buddy's 2013 800. Put the first 150 miles on it.
Tried a 2007 phazer last year when he was 8. Wasn't bad, but he was nervous.
This year, he's ripping it up on it. AND he broke in my buddy's 2013 800. Put the first 150 miles on it.
Last edited:
Our kids ride in front of Dad as soon as they can wear a helmet safely and start driving about 8-10 with Dad hanging on to the kid so he can still hit the throttle, brake or control steering if needed. In MN the kids have to go through a snowmobile license at 12 then we let them ride on their own. Now, we wait until they have some experience, strength and mostly common sense before taking them in the mountains off trail. We took our oldest when he was 16 and just came back from Cooke City with our 15 YO. HAHA dropped him off Daisy within an hour of being there! He did great but there really needs to be a certain level of maturity. We also made him take the avalanche course before we left. The only sleds we have are M7's.
Hope the young man will be ok!
I've been through 2 daughters learning how to ride....here is what I've learned on the teaching process.
*I have the luxury of having 5 acres for my kids to practice riding. They make many laps in the field BEFORE they hit the trail. But, I would suggest finding an open field for them to get use to the sled before hitting the trail. I even made my 16 year daughter do that with her new M7.
*Judge their ability. Some kids catch on quickly, some take more time. Some kids have natural ability and desire and some don't.
*I ride behind my daughters. This way they don't attempt to keep up with me and ride faster than they feel comfortable. I can also see what they are doing and correct any mistakes quickly.
*Don't take them places that's best for your style of riding, take them places best for THEIR style of riding. We go places that have open meadows and good trails. I've spent a lot of time following behind my daughters doing 20 mph.
There is my .02!
My daughter made me put this...because she is a cheerleader....welcome to my world. 
I've been through 2 daughters learning how to ride....here is what I've learned on the teaching process.
*I have the luxury of having 5 acres for my kids to practice riding. They make many laps in the field BEFORE they hit the trail. But, I would suggest finding an open field for them to get use to the sled before hitting the trail. I even made my 16 year daughter do that with her new M7.
*Judge their ability. Some kids catch on quickly, some take more time. Some kids have natural ability and desire and some don't.
*I ride behind my daughters. This way they don't attempt to keep up with me and ride faster than they feel comfortable. I can also see what they are doing and correct any mistakes quickly.
*Don't take them places that's best for your style of riding, take them places best for THEIR style of riding. We go places that have open meadows and good trails. I've spent a lot of time following behind my daughters doing 20 mph.
There is my .02!
My daughter made me put this...because she is a cheerleader....welcome to my world. I know this isn't exactly the same thing but I started on mx bikes when I was about 6 and then sleds when I was 8. But we lived on a 160 acre farm and those toys were basically my babysitters. I had an 81 eltigre 6000 (fast for those that remember) and basically had the ok to ride whenever I wanted to. The first year I had that eltigre I put on 1800 miles all on the farm. I never rode on a trail until I was 21 years old. Always ditches and roads and the farm. I guess the point I'm making is that age has nothing to do with it and experience is everything. I know 30 yr olds that can't drive a car worth a damn.
Similar threads
