"Tweener" Mountain sled build - Opinions wanted

[barefooter]

Finally thinking about doing a sled build (by myself) for my 5 and 3 year old. Thinking this is 2 seasons down the road for the 5 year old - which is likely how long it is going to take me to do it! (as my wife would say)

My 12 year old went from a Rev 120, a 380 for a month, then 300 Freestyle and now a 550 Freestyle. She has her sights on a 600 Etech Summit for next year. That 550 would be too much sled for a 7 year old just off a 120 (but I am keeping it for the $ I have into until he is 10. Then little sister would get the new build when she is 7)

I have a 1993 Phazer with a 136 skid and I was thinking on basing it on that. It has two problems. No electric start, and i cannot see a 7 year old being able to pull over one of those 485 mills. Second - no reverse. I think for a kids sled that those two are mandatory.

SledderGlen just sold me his 2000 Formula 600 which I ride around the farm. A few nights of docking through the trees got me thinking that these were great little sleds. The Skidoo 380 my daughter rode a few years ago (borrowed from friend) was a great little sled. RER reverse, electric start.

So - I thought that I could work from a 380 MXZ platform and go from there. Same basic chassis as a Summit. I'd just narrow the front end to Summit specs or a little less (make it easier to turn), and then likely put a 144 on the back of it to give it more floatation. I know the 144 might be a bit much for that mill - but I could gear it down and that would take some of the top end off it ( I think that 380 could still pull 60mph + on hard pack and I want to slow him down a bit more than that). I know I could just put a bigger track on the 121, but I don't know if that would give the floatation that I would be looking for.

I think getting parts, etc would be easy as there should be lots at the wreckers or if I could buy and old 144 summit with a melted down motor and go from there.

Make sense?

How easy to find an 380 with electric and RER?

How about the “wrecked summit”?

Anyone have one of the two above items. Or has anyone done this before and I could just buy the thing?

 

[magnet]

i would just go to a 136 2" track. sen a guy a couple years back his 11 yr old was ridin a 340 indy set up with a 136, dropped about 2" or so on the brackets. worked great sled would keep up with the big guys all day in the hills. a 144 like you said would probably be alot for that little unit. and harder to maneuver as well.

 

[Modman]

Why not try and find a Tundra or a Skandic or a Bravo? Mid range power and light, comes with reverse, not sure about electric start though, but he might be able to pull start it. You can probably retrofit a starter gear on it if it was a factory option. Already geared down and it will have a big track on it.

One of the riders on here that I know has a Bravo for his 9? yr old, I'll direct him towards this thread, maybe he can give some insight.

If you're worried about the motor being too big for him to start, the 144" track will be too much for him to get unstuck then too.

You can always toss a 340 fan from an Indy or 370 from something into the Phazer, I managed to get a modified "500" Rotax to fit in the Phazer chassis so a 340 should be easy, hardest part will be motor mounts but not really that bad.

 

[giddyup]

some great ideas, i was thinking a freestyle 300 with a 136 1.25 ripsaw track gear and clutch, would be great for them, i could even start out 121 and stretch it out as the 7yr old grows, could gear and clutch to control the speed, i think would be a fun sled, with e-start and rer. lots of 300 for sale around not many 550s

giddyup

 

[barefooter]

I keep on going back to the Phazer. The one thing I didn't like about the 300 Freestyle was that it was still a full-sized chassis and relatively big for a seven year old to ride. And my daughter was tall and strong for a seven year old when she got her 300 Freestyle.

The one big benefit starting with the the Phazer chassis is that relative to the modern iron, it is a 3/4 sized chassis. But no heated grips or thumb, no reverse, no electric start. I suppose I could get into swapping out the engine for something a little more modern, but that is way beyond my comfort zone and would likely put the cost up way over buying a used 300 Freestyle and extending the skid (which I have done once already!) or even a 2 or 3 year old Tundra. That 380 mill is way smoother than the 300 single banger.

I know that the 340 Indy lights were a smaller sized chassis as well. Did these ever come with e-start and reverse?

I know I harp on that - but after a lot of sledding with my daughter I think they are critical for you and your kid to enjoy the day of sledding. I can put up with the stucks - I would not expect a kid to even begin to be useful to pull out a stuck sled until they are 14 or 15. But half the time - they aren't stuck but just don't have the strength or body weight to turn the sled around. A little reverse becomes really useful in them being able to get out of a tight spot themselves. My 12 year old daughter is an expert at it.
Same with e-start. It gets old real fast starting their sled for the 20th time - and then going to start yours. And if you want to talk to them about something - (ie. stay away from the creekbed) - you are always shutting your sled off to do it.

I gusee my hope is for thos Premier sled to actually get built. That 300 look pretty great for a 7 yo 11 year old kid.

 

[barefooter]

some great ideas, i was thinking a freestyle 300 with a 136 1.25 ripsaw track gear and clutch, would be great for them, i could even start out 121 and stretch it out as the 7yr old grows, could gear and clutch to control the speed, i think would be a fun sled, with e-start and rer. lots of 300 for sale around not many 550s

giddyup

giddyup:

Did exactly the same thing with the first one I had for my daughter. Had Specialy sleds throw on some extensions, and Martin traded in the 121 for me for the 136x1.25 after Specialty had removed it. Put a mountain strap on, and traded the stock crap skis for a pair of Mods. Think geared down 2 on bottom end? - don't remember for sure. My daughter rode it for 2 year - from when she was 7 through 9. Has an unfortunate accident being launched from the sled deck doing 120 down the #1 after the Superclamp broke in 1/2 (Kudos to them - they paid for a replacement sled).

Ony thing - at altitude that thing could barely get out of its own way, and we do most of our riding at Sicamous/Hunters range. A 380 would have been perfect. By 9, she was ready for a more powerful sled, and I think a 380 would have lasted her a couple of more years. And like I said above, it is really still a full-sized chassis. Ali (my daughter) didn't feel any different going to the 550 Freestyle, other than the the wider front end and much more power.

 

[shawnmcgr]

I think a phazer 500 might be a little much for a 7yr old...but really depends on the kid.

I had a 92 and a 96 Phazer and it had heated thumb and grips. You could get electric start for them as well (didn't have on on mine). Your right, reverse was never available. I think because they were so light. If you put a 136x1.5 (need a 7 tooth driver) on the Phazer then it will go near any where. I think the pogo stick front end and the flat belly pan help these sleds really float.

I've got my 9 year old on a bravo and 7yr old on a poo 120. Really easy transition from a 120 to Bravo as the bravo is so low. I've riden it myself and it's damned near impossible to tip.

We don't have a ton of kms on the bravo yet and they are all trail. But I have had lots of neighbors kids on it and they love it.

Anyways, I'm happy with the Bravo as a transition sled but it doesn't sound like it will fit your needs.

 

[indydude]

I think if you find a indy lite gt it would have most of the goodies you are looking for, they come with reverse, e start, and a longer track (133.5) than a normal lite.