What age to start a kid riding ?

[Aldrich]

So my wife and I just found out last weds we are having a baby boy. I cant wait to get him into sleds and dirtbikes. ( i know a little premature ) I keep saying around 4 or 5 ( I have grew up on sleds and dirtbikes my whole life since age 6). but my wife thinks thats too early.

What age have you guys started the kids out riding on there own machines ?

I realize i cant push him to ride, I just pray he's like me !

 

[mtbroncrider]

my younger two started at 3 on a polaris 120.....

olest started riding her cat at 10 on the trails (she pays attention and more importanly listens)...she turns 14 in a couple weeks

son is working on 11 but doesnt get to ride trails yet...too immature, doesnt listen and is throttle happy...even with a 340 i can easily see him cuasing a wreck

youngest still rides the 120 as much as she can, but now pulls a tobagon around the yard with the older kids in it...LOL

all three have been riding dirt bikes for a few years now too

cant get into to much trouble with a 120 to start, even early...but i'd wait until he's walking and talking ok first

 

[PJ-Hunter]

Yep. 3

My oldest is now too big for his 120 and he's 7. My problem is that I can't find a small phazer for a fair price. Everybody wants a fortune. For what they are asking I could buy a used full sized sled.

So I gotta give it a shot on the spare sled and just block the throttle so he can't get full RPM.

 

[girlpowder]

4 or 5 isn't to early. I have to say a sled that fits them for sure. Little hands have a hard time with the throttle and the brake. So at 4 or 5 you'll be in a meadow when it's not a deep day. On the dirt bike I'd say as soon as he or she can ride a bicycle well. Proper gear and let them ride around a field.

It's never to soon to plan for future fun with your kids.
Have fun!!!

 

[arcticman31]

Straight out of the womb!!! The sooner the better . I started my kids at about 3 on our Z 120. Thinking about getting my 2 year old on it this year.

 

[m8sandman]

my kids and grandkids have all been riding since they were about 1-2, electric quads are the best way i've found to get them started. they make some tiny ones that only go about 1 or 2 mph so even if they "crash" they don't get hurt then i move them up to the little gas powered quads. is nice now they come with a key fobe type remote kill stop/start switch, no more running behind them with the tether cord!!! this along with the throttle limiter makes them very safe. make sure the little gas quad has a foot brake, hand brakes for the little ones don't work very well. just be sure to teach them safe riding habits. they have all grown up around them and see that we always wear our safety gear, and ride in a responsible manner. this way when they are finally ready to move up to something as big as a small sled they are already experienced riders and know how to steer, use the brake, throttle and to always look ahead to watch for other riders/obsticles they need to avoid. can't stress teaching them the right way to ride from the very beggining, good habits taught at an early age make for better more responsible riders as they get older...

 

[willjay989]

My son was racing mx at 5 and started snowmobileing at about 9 on a zr440.
he is now 12 and on a 2006 sno pro 440 perfect for the little guys only has a 13.75"
Track so there slim but there very powerfull so not for begginers

 

[polaris dude]

personally I rode with my parents till age 10 other than when we stopped in a meadow, then we kids could ride around and play. Once I turned 11 I drove on the trails with a parent on back till I was 13. Then I started riding by myself

 

[SwitchyD]

I'm with you Aldrich. I have a 12 week old daughter and have been looking at kitty kats all summer up until now. Thought I had a few bought but they were totally restored and were asking top dollar.
I'm hoping to find one to restore for her and then onto a 120.
After that it will be onto an indly light 340 I have tucked away in the back of the garage.

 

[BadAftertaste]

Started our girl at 2 on the two speed barbie kfx powerwheels (2.5 and 5mph) with 5mph lockout. Built some spindles and used skis off a steering downhill sled to get her used to it. Last night, I picked her up a 96 Kitty Cat that's super clean. She turned 4 in July. Probably two or three years on that with appropriate speed/lift/ski mods each year and on to a honda 200 powered mini 120 or a Snoscoot after that. We'll see.

 

[Big D rmk700]

My son drove a 120 last year at two a little with me running along side with the tether in hand!! This year at 3 he is tearing it up all by himself!!!

 

[jasnyder]

Started my kids when my daughter was 4 and my son was 2-1/2 on our kitty cat. My boy is now 4-1/2 and this will probably be his last season on the kitty cat, most likely move him to a 120 next year. He did alright when he first started but I had to follow him around pretty closely to make sure he did not run into anything. Now I can pretty much let him go by himself. The hardest thing for him was the throttle control. His hand gets tired (after an hour of riding) and sometimes the gloves make it difficult to work the throttle as well. This year for his 5th birthday he will be getting a XR50 (or something along those lines). My daughter has not shown much interest in the power toys but he can't get enough.

 

[Scott]

I started puttering around the yard on the ATV as soon as they could hold their heads up. Get em used to it early so they aren't afraid of it when you put them on there at 2 or 3.

By the time they are 4 they can ride the 120 all they want.

 

[akgiauque]

The only thing keeping my daugheter from a sled now is her momma. I am working on that and a 440 super jag for her.

 

[Yamadoo04]

I had my boy out last year and he drove all by himself at 2 years and 2 weeks old. He was only able to hold the throttle down himself for a little while. We havent had any snow yet to let him ride it now but I am sure he will do much better. I did pull him around our yard a couple weeks ago on his sled from costco and this year he was turning it and wanting me to go faster and faster. I think at 3 they can handle the 120's themsleves.

 

[Scott]

I had my boy out last year and he drove all by himself at 2 years and 2 weeks old. He was only able to hold the throttle down himself for a little while. We havent had any snow yet to let him ride it now but I am sure he will do much better. I did pull him around our yard a couple weeks ago on his sled from costco and this year he was turning it and wanting me to go faster and faster. I think at 3 they can handle the 120's themsleves.

Mine did.

 

[richracer1]

Mom had me out on a sled when I was 8 months old. It was an old 70 something Scorpion and would put me between her knees so the engine kept me warm, enough I'd fall asleep. At 6yrs I got a Kitty Cat that I wore out. By the late 70's, I was riding full size machines - 75 - 76 Suzuki Fury (before Cat started using their engines), '78 Pantera, 79 El Tigre. We continued riding these 3 machines up until about '89. I joined the AF in '90 and didn't ride again until Nov 2010 on the used '09 700 RMK I bought.

 

[cascadesnowjunky]

I started my boy out last year at 5, he rode a 1983 340 enticer. His longest ride was 28 miles, needless to say he was tired. I started him on a pw 50 when he was 3 then this spring at 6 I bought him a ktm 50 pro senior.

 

[nomasittinright]

My son got his kitty cat on his 2nd birthday and rode it until he was 7 last year when he was 8 I got him a 96 z440 and had him ride in fields every Saturday with me. I was very impressed with the way he handled it. Towards the end of the year I took him to a couple radar runs where he went 58 mph and handled it very well this year he will be riding trails with me and am planning on getting him an m5 or m6 next year

 

[shelbwyo]

Heck i had to of been about 5 or 6 when i first went with my dad. I dont know if they had 120's back then but i would have loved one. I remember hitting a huge jump with my dad on his 97 polaris one time and i loved it, riding on the front with him was the best, getting stuck on back with mom sucked haha. I remember the first time it snowed about 3 feet at our house and i took the phazer out and had a blast. Im far from an expert on kids but i would think 4 or 5 if you can get him a small sled. Once he gets on a phazer or smaller trail sled he could just run around with the wife until he starts out riding you!