Best B&M Looping Model?
^Just a quick aside... Besides Kumba & Led Zeppelin, are there any other "regular" B&M loopers?
But then again, what do I know?
Funny, as I clicked on Vater's link, I remember trying to get a decent shot of Wildfire. I'm sure there are some good ones with the complete layout, but they sure aren't ones you could get from guest pathways...of course, my last SDC visit included BuzzSaw Falls.
Also wanted to mention that this has been pretty cool for a "best" topic in the sense that you can pick through the names of the coasters to get a feel for what people like (i.e., some prefer the more graceful rides while others like the constant barrage of inversions). I'm far more partial to the former, and would really enjoy a full-sized B&M invert that didn't even invert at all....just a Fire Dragon hill or two combined with Silver Bullet high-banks, maybe a drop-off-the-earth style V:BTC hill, Montu/Nemesis turn-and-dive into a trench, and some Alpengeist "swooshing." The vertical loops I still very much enjoy, just not as fond of the continuous inversions found on some of the inverts...
Why SO loopy? ;~P
rollergator said:
Funny, as I clicked on Vater's link, I remember trying to get a decent shot of Wildfire. I'm sure there are some good ones with the complete layout, but they sure aren't ones you could get from guest pathways...
That's why I love Bing maps.
Vater said:
Wildfire, and arguably Hulk. Oh, and Dragon Khan.
Whoops, forgot about Hulk. Then again, I try to forget the pain on that one ;)
Certain victory.
Hmmmm. Hard to pick just one. These are my favorite B & M:
Incredible Hulk IOA
Dragon Challenge IOA
Riddlers Revenge SFMM
Tatsu SFMM
Medusa SFDK
Scream SFMM
Batman SFMM
Kumba BGT
Montu BGT
Flight Deck CGA
These are the only B & M's I have been on. :(
Dominator/Knight Flight has a great layout. It actually has pacing between each inversion instead of back-to-back inversions like the typcial B & M loopers. Plus its floorless.
Kumba is great. It has a better finish than Dominator/Knight Flight.
Don't you worry, disneyparks. My favorite coasters have all been ones that I've been on. The ones I haven't been on? Not so much.
:-)
Though I can tell you from watching a rendered POV of a coaster that hasn't been built yet that it will suck.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
My vote goes to the floorless models, hands down. Each one has their own unique flair. Dominator/BKF (Wow...been awhile since I've used that acronym), Hydra, Kraken, Scream/Medusa all have their own fun pattern of inversions in unique terrain; well, I'd exclude Scream! due to the enthralling asphalt it sits on.
Kraken wins the battle of the four floorless models I've rode. The pop of air in the zero-g gets me everytime. Kraken's "lair" screams hokiness but it's still kinda unique.
I haven't tried a B&M flyer. Tatsu looks incredible. I'd like to get back to SFMM to try it someday.
The floorless models are pretty neat, especially in the front row. I thought the fold-away floor in the station was pretty cool too. I've only ridden Kraken and BKF, and thought Kraken was far superior. The zero-G roll is what stood out. It was such a different feel compared to the inverts I've ridden.
Riddler's Revenge felt like a ballet with inversions. Smooth, graceful. I could tell Mantis was an earlier attempt at the stand-up genre based on the center of rotation on the twists & turns. It's fun, but I always get my head smacked at least once by the restraint. I'm not surprised the stand-up coaster seems to be a dead concept.
I've ridden a few more B&M inverts than stand-up or floorless. B:TR stands out in my mind for being tight and compact. Dueling Dragons was epic, but I wonder how they each stand on their own now that they don't duel? I haven't ridden Montu or Banshee, those are 2 that I really look forward to getting a crack at.
Hulk is the only standard sit down Beemer I've ridden. And honestly, the only part that really stood out to me isn't entirely credited to B&M: THE LAUNCH into the barrel roll!
But my favorite B&M looping model has to be the wing rider... I just rode GateKeeper a few days ago and it blew me away. Amazing comfortable restraints, different ride on either side of the train, big graceful elements, and it just plain looks awesome! Just the difference of having the train flip you up and over or having the train pulled out from underneath you depending on which way the track rolled was such a cool sensation. I thoroughly enjoyed it more than any B&M I've ridden (granted I've yet to experience a B&M speed coaster)!
But then again, what do I know?
I know that they're not popular, but their Stand Ups might be my overall favorite of their offerings. There are individual examples from other types that I probably enjoy more than any one Stand Up (Kumba, Batman etc.), but I thoroughly enjoy every Stand Up I've ridden to this point. They all give the intense ride that I've only found on the best/my favorites of the Inverts and Sitdowns (the aforementioned Kumba, Batman...) I imagine it has something to do how high your position is relative to the track.
If you don't want to get beat up on a Stand Up, ride in the front row, keep your feet as far back as you can, and lean a bit forward into the restraint.
The trick was to surrender to the flow.
I've never had a real problem with stand ups (no Change/GL and only 1 ride on Mantis, and Iron Wolf/Apocalypse) but if you have to ride in specific seats in a specific way to enjoy it, I'd find it hard to call it a good ride.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
Best Model? Hm, that's tough. Gonna have to say the Sit Down's. The Incredible Hulk at IOA is incredible.
See what I did there? *Cricket Chirps*
Ill break it down according to my favorites in categories:
Floorless: Medusa at SFDK
Sitting/Standard: Kumba at Busch Gardens, Africa
Standing: Riddler's Revenge at SFMM
Inverted: Montu at Busch Gardens, Africa
Hyper: Nitro at SFGRAD
Flying: Tatsu at SFMM
Those are the coasters I could ride over and over again and never get tired of them!
I've only ridden one floorless, Bizarro at SFGAdv and one regular sitdown, Hulk.
But I've ridden quite a few of most other B&M models. I think for inverts I like Afterburn best, then the Batmen, and then the Dragon Challenge rides. Which I think are all I've ridden.
I've ridden Vortex at Carowinds, Scorcher and Green Changtern and the only one I like at all is Scorcher. Luckily I like Scorcher quite a lot.
We were only asked about loopers but for hyper/giga, I like Leviathan and then Goliath South...
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