My thoughts on SFOG Goliath

So i am not an Enthusiast, But REALLY enjoy coaster and parks so much so that i am seasonal mgmt for Six Flags.
Drove the 6 or so hours from New Orleans to SFOG for Media Day.

These are my thoughts on Goliath with no hype and no exagerations.

So heres whats up with Goliath.

If you are expecting super fast, high gforce, super thrilling then you will be dissapointed.

If you want fun, exciting, mostly smoothe and off your seat airtime over every hill, then you will love it.

There is a trim brake after the helix which kicks in after the coaster warms and speeds up. Even when this trim is on you get out your seat air over the top of every hill.

I met up with a group at the park. They had been there since 6am. I did not need to start so early. I went into the park round 9:30am. On my first ride the trim kicked in and the guys said it was the first time it was on all morn. It was in the low forties that morn so it was evident that the ride was warming up and gaining speed so the trims put the speed in check.

All my rides were in the first, second, second to last and last car. I never tried a seat in the middle of the train. As far as the seats mentioned, If you get some space between you and the restraint, you will be off the seat all the way over every single hill.

I would say that this ride is certainly all about airtime.

Now, it seems for some reason B&M may be loosing thier silky smoothness for some reason.
I don't mean rough or anything like that, at times it was kinda like we were rolling over some rocks.
I dunno. didn't ruin the ride but again not the silky smooth we seem to expect.

If you like fast fun and lots of airtime make the trip and ride goliath at SFOG.

If you want super fast thrilling and high g's you need to ride Titan at SFOT then.

I thought goliath was awesome for what it did.

"Now, it seems for some reason B&M may be loosing thier silky smoothness for some reason."

Blame the Southern Ohio Fabricators that makes the track. They changed management recently.

Yeah, the bottom of the first and second hills are pretty hard to take. The rest of the coaster is smooth, though.

Welcome back, red train, how was your ride?!

Wow, If it is the new fabricators, maybe some email to B&M will put the new fabricators in check!

Of course i am sure B&M prolly expressed disatisfaction about it already!

personally I don't think it's in the track but the way the coaster tracks on the track.

Dominator or (Batman knight Flight) has always been kinda bumpy vibrating in the interlocked corkscrews. I've heard some other B&M's have this problem as well. It's not rough by a long shot but just weird from what you expect from them.

Chuck

I thought i experienced the vibration on superman crypton at SFFT. So i don't consider the Goliath issue " rough " but certainly more than the vibration.

As I mentioned originally, Its not horibble but it seems to be getting worse over time with new rides.
It certainly surprised me when i experienced it.

It is a great ride!

Just curious, does the vibrating seem to come from the whole train, or more from the front or back?

That "roughness" started way back when Batman Knight Flight [now Dominator] at Geauga Lake was built. Every B&M built in the US since then -- and I think I've ridden most/all of them -- has that same feel...as if someone forgot to run sandpaper along the rails and they're not smooth.

That being said it is certainly not too major an issue. I mean we're not talking Vekoma or Togo rough here, LOL!

*** Edited 4/1/2006 2:02:47 AM UTC by Mamoosh***

matt. said:
Just curious, does the vibrating seem to come from the whole train, or more from the front or back?

Actually, it is worse in the middle of the train.

Mamoosh said:
That "roughness" started way back when Batman Knight Flight [now Dominator] at Geauga Lake was built. Every B&M built in the US since then -- and I think I've ridden most/all of them -- has that same feel...as if someone forgot to run sandpaper along the rails and they're not smooth.

Yeah, but it isn't that great, either. I miss the good old days when you knew what to expect from B&M. ;)

The Flying Turns makes all the right people wet - Gonch

Even though Batman Knight Flight was always a little shakey in the corkscrews, I feel like the whole ride is very shakey now-a-days, something which I had not experienced back in the Six Flags days, or throughout any B&M coaster (a little bit through dark knight @ SFNE, but not really)

Strange how that turned out.

SFoGswim said:
Yeah, the bottom of the first and second hills are pretty hard to take. The rest of the coaster is smooth, though.

That's also one of the complaints one might have about Silverstar (especially in the first valley).
So Nitro or Raging Bull don't have the same problem?

airtime for everyone

Raging Bull does have a similar problem. The drop under the lift hill vibrates every ride, sometimes much more severely than others. When you're screaming, the shaking can clearly be heard in your voice. There may be other areas where it's a little shaky, but the vibrations in that particular spot before the second turn around certainly stands out.

Mildly amused since 2003.

Seems to me like some controuversy is goin on with B&M. Either way, it still isn't as rough as a vekoma, but damn if these brand new coastrers are already being considered rough then i wouldn't expect them to age well.

Also, from reading Trip reports doesnt Scream! at SFMM have a REALLY bad shake and rumbling noise to it that ISN'T normal for a B&M. The only B&M's ive ridden are the 2 at Cedar Point so not much to compare with.

I thought off your seat air on every hill was super thrilling. Is there something else a coaster is supposed to do?

^^^For some people in this world airtime is one of the least important things in a coaster.

Take my word for it.
There will be some that will complain and not like it, cause they MAY be expecting to gray out on the helix or something. :-)

Yes, the complete off your seat air over every hill is thrilling.
But you understand what i meant right?
Most would not classify it as an "extreme thrill ride" .
Due to it's size, thats what some may be expecting and they will be dissapointed.

You gotta agree, there will be some that are not going to like this ride. Even though it is a great ride. Seems to always happen.

I did not mean to put it down by mentioning the rough edges that i felt. It was more about the observation that it is happening on the new rides. For me it would be interesting to know the actual technical reason for it.

Yes Matt,
There are thosde that think world peace and ending hunger are so much more inmportant than airtime!

Whats up with that?

:-)

Blame the Southern Ohio Fabricators that makes the track. They changed management recently.

hmmmm... must be the same management that messed up majorly with La Ronde Goliath's track in February!!!

La Ronde 2006!

G O L I A T H

You guys are too funny. I can't wait to try out Goliath later this month at Spring Fling. It sounds like MY type of coaster but I don't judge till I ride. ;-) I may think it rocks. I may think it sucks....who knows? I have heard nothing but kickass reviews about it. Chances are I will lust it.

-Tina