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''Motocoaster'' is a long motorcycle roller coaster at Dreamworld on the
BusinessSpectator
accessed 21 December 2008. Through to 26 March 2008, the ride is credited with increasing Dreamworld's revenue by 8.8% to A$50.68 million. Park attendance by local residents spiked significantly following the launch of the coaster, although there was a decline in both interstate and international visitors during the same period.
The ride is an Intamin MotorBike Launch Coaster. The track is long and features 18 banks, bends, and turns. Riders sit on full-scale replica 500 cc racing bikes arranged in eight cars with two riders per car. This includes 14 motorcycle seats and two sidecar seats in the rear. There are two trains, which are launched by a flywheel track. The sidecars were initially designed to be in the middle of the trains. Riders are held on the ride through a clamshell restraint system, where the top part of the bike folds over the rider's legs.
The ride has two cameras: one on the launch run, the other halfway through the ride. The ride's queue features informational decorations that teach about the history of motorcycle racing. Riders must be in height to ride on the main motorcycle cars and tall to ride in the sidecars. The ride is estimated to handle 746 passengers per hour, and has a launch speed of in two seconds due to its
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Gold Coast, Queensland
The Gold Coast, also known by its initials, GC, is a coastal city and region in the state of Queensland, Australia, located approximately south-southeast of the centre of the list of Australian capital cities, state capital, Brisbane. It is ...
, Australia. The A$10 million ride, constructed by Intamin
Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein, best-known for designing and constructing Amusement ride, thrill rides and roller coasters at dozens of international theme parks, amusement parks and other e ...
and opened to the public in September 2007, was associated with Australian motorcyclist Mick Doohan
Michael Sydney Doohan ( ; born 4 June 1965) is an Australian former Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions, World Champion, who won five consecutive List of 500cc/Mo ...
until 2022. It is the first motorcycle coaster in Australia, the first Intamin MotorBike Launch Coaster worldwide, and the first to feature life-size replicas of 500 cc racing bikes. History
Construction
The coaster was constructed in the Rivertown section of the park, on the site of the Avis Vintage Cars ride, requiring their relocation to the Australian Wildlife Experience section of the park. The ride was the first constructed at Dreamworld in three years.
Opening
The coaster opened to the public on 30 September 2007.Margaret Keech
Margaret Majella Keech (born 18 September 1954) is a former Australians, Australian Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch), Labor Party politician who served as a minister in the Cabinet of Queensland, the Government Whip (politics), Whip, ...
, The current minister for the Gold Coast, and Stacey McMahon, a 125 cc rider and spokesperson for the GMC Australian Grand Prix, were there for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mick Doohan did not personally attend the event due to participation in the Japan Grand Prix
The Japan Grand Prix was an annual professional wrestling tournament held by the promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) to determine the number one contender for the promotion's highest achievement, the WWWA World Single Championship. T ...
, but submitted a pre-recorded video in which he stated: "I am extremely proud to see the end result, I have really enjoyed working with Dreamworld, the new attraction truly celebrates and pays respect to a great Australian sport and its achievements."
Financial impact
Marketing for the ride contributed to a decline in Dreamworld's operating margins during the final two-quarters of 2007. Abstracted aBusinessSpectator
accessed 21 December 2008. Through to 26 March 2008, the ride is credited with increasing Dreamworld's revenue by 8.8% to A$50.68 million. Park attendance by local residents spiked significantly following the launch of the coaster, although there was a decline in both interstate and international visitors during the same period.
Ride mechanics
The ride is an Intamin MotorBike Launch Coaster. The track is long and features 18 banks, bends, and turns. Riders sit on full-scale replica 500 cc racing bikes arranged in eight cars with two riders per car. This includes 14 motorcycle seats and two sidecar seats in the rear. There are two trains, which are launched by a flywheel track. The sidecars were initially designed to be in the middle of the trains. Riders are held on the ride through a clamshell restraint system, where the top part of the bike folds over the rider's legs.
The ride has two cameras: one on the launch run, the other halfway through the ride. The ride's queue features informational decorations that teach about the history of motorcycle racing. Riders must be in height to ride on the main motorcycle cars and tall to ride in the sidecars. The ride is estimated to handle 746 passengers per hour, and has a launch speed of in two seconds due to its hydraulic system
Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...
, the second of its kind worldwide.Reception
In its debut year, the coaster was "narrowly beaten by a 1989 Vekoma ride for the title of world's worst steel roller coaster": the coaster ranked 356th out of the 357 coasters in the Best Steel Roller Coaster Poll. The ride was rated higher in 2008, coming in at number 278 of 392.Hawker, Mitch. Detailed Steel Roller Coaster Poll Results 2008. Retrieved on 30.12.09 fro/ref>
See also
* Jet RescueReferences
External links
* * {{Dreamworld Roller coasters introduced in 2007 Roller coasters in Australia Roller coasters operated by Ardent Leisure Dreamworld (Australia)