Ride Systems - Popular & not so popular, any surprises?

I was stood in a queue today and started wondering why some poor ride systems are immensely popular while some ride systems, which you really think provide a great ride, are not so popular.

Vekoma Motorbikes (x4 Installations): These rides are great fun, they are vastly superior to the awful Intamin equivalent and have so much potential for themeing etc. I know the relationship between Vekoma and Six Flags is non existent right now, but if they are still trying to tap into the family market - I'd say this is the ride.

Zierer Tower Launch (x1 Installations): I loved Wicked, I thought these would be snapped up in favour of launched Maurer X-Cars?

Vekoma SLCs: I guess it comes down to money (and lack of other cheap options?) when looking for an inverted coaster but I can't believe Vekoma was still selling these by the bucket load until not that long ago.

B&M Dive Machine: After Oblivion & G5 I honestly thought the Dive Machine was dead - but after a long wait B&M really reworked this ride and made it into an amazing spectacle.

Any 4D coaster: I think when this has been perfected, I can see scope for this becoming a huge market but I don't think it'll be S&S or Intamin to make mega bucks from it.

Any others?

Rick.

Re: B&M Dive Coasters-I'm actually surprised that some larger parks haven't built one of these. They don't have to take up a lot of room, and they have good capacity.

Re: 4D-I think the problem here was getting the thing reliable, and now that a 3rd is being built by Arrow, I'd like to see more of them (Loved X). I'm surprised that Intamin hasn't actually tried this out, they have the ZacSpin/Ball coaster trains and could probably do it if they wanted. Maybe if B&M end up actually doing it as rumored, it'll take off. Not sure I would want an uncontrolled spin, but I guess we'll see.

The Intamin version works pretty well! I enjoyed it, but like you said - the uncontrolled spin is a little hit and miss. The version far too short though.

I know the funny drops are what make the ride unique, I'd love to see a ball coaster with a larger layout, incorporating turns.

I'm surprised that we haven't seen more S&S El Loco coasters, like Steel Hog at Indiana Beach. I think that there are two in the US. That ride looks like a lot of fun. I need to get out there soon.

Was just on it Sunday. It looks fun, but can be painful. It is also a slow loader the way IB runs it. They have 4 cars, but I have never seen them run more then 2. When the park is dead, the line for SH can easily be 30 minutes. I mean Cornball going out with empty seats dead.

Wow. I didn't realize the issues that the ride had. That sucks.

Nothing is worse than when you are visiting a park and you come across a popular, slow-loading, low capacity ride.

Well, except for maybe dead puppies. That's sometimes worse. :p

Or put the two together. Trying to get on a popular, slow-loading, low capacity ride full of dead puppies is just about as bad as it gets...

We were at Carowinds opening weekend when a friend blurted out that when the crew sends out a train with an empty seat that God kills a kitten.

So now when ever we see a train with empty seats someone alway says there goes a train with 3 dead kittens.

I have not ridden a Motorbike coaster but they look like a lot of fun and I agree they would work well for some SF parks.

Maybe Dive Machine's aren't doing so well because now the in thing seems to be a drop greater than 90 degrees? You have coasters like Maverick, Fahrenheit and the El Loco coasters.

With SLC's, it may or may not have an impact but with what happened at Universal Studios Singapore, maybe not a lot of parks are going to be interested in them anytime soon unless they go with the old style SLC and not the new 4 across seating.

That's awesome, Dave! I'll remember that one.

The only dive machine that I've been on is Griffon, and it is my favorite steel coaster. It is simply the perfect ride, in my opinion, and I can't wait for more parks to build more dive coasters. (COUGHcedarpointCOUGH)

Got to agree regarding the El Locos. They're an ok ride. Those harnesses are ok on the swings and on the swatters but they suck for lateral movement.

I reckon the one at Flamingo Land was doing somewhere in the region of 320 rph last time I visited which is rubbish.

I hope you guys in the US get a Motocoaster soon, they're great fun - and not massively expensive, I believe.

LostKause said:
Well, except for maybe dead puppies. That's sometimes worse. :p

Ogden Edsl would be proud of you, Travis!

Darian Lake has a MotoCoaster. It is a fun little ride but more of a family coaster not a thrill machine. That is OK by me though. I even love ridding kiddie coasters.

Ah yes, that's the Zamperla version isn't it. Knotts use the same ride system for Pony Express, I believe. Forgot about those!

I half expected to see the Zamperla ride spring up at Luna Park.

Isn't Morey's "Great Noreaster" a Vekoma SLC? That thing is a quality coaster IMO.

^Not sure when you rode Nor'Easter - I haven't ridden since the retrofitted restraints, but thought it was a great SLC in terms of placement. The ride itself was a bit rough on the ears....something I imagine is MUCH improved with the restraint change - I've heard mixed reviews.

B&M Dive machines? Oblivion's "black hole" combined with Grif-FUN's layout would make an ideal ride...

FlamingoLand's motorbike kicked butt, I really enjoyed it. Better visuals since I was able to see...unlike KBF's.

Wicked....was wicked awesome. Totally loved that ride...

I had to look up Ogden Edsl, Mike. I'm glad I did. Hilarious. "Dead puppies aren't much fun..."

Griffon goes under a bridge after the first drop, Gator. Not that it's anything like Oblivion's "black hole", but it's slightly similar.

^Yeah, Travis, it's "slightly" similar. Oblivion is absolute total pitch blackness for what seems like an eternity in terms of the trackage. The total length of Oblivion is akin to larger kiddie coasters.

SheiKra, and esp. it's bigger/better/newer twin in Williamsburg are solid rides - but neither goes truly under ground...

Yeah, Oblivion is a really short ride - I kind of thing this emphasizes the drop and actual feeling of the ride. There's no dead wood so to speak, chaos from the second the chain releases you until when you hit the brakes.

I rode it about a month ago.. did they change the seats or something?