Bolliger & Mabillard: Innovative Crowd-Pleasers for the Masses or Intamin: Creating Today's Record Breakers and Thrill Machines

[NoChickens]

Not that I'll ever ride big droppy thing, but I can only imagine how unnerving it would be to be that high as a train goes over, and the structure sways a bit.

[The Interpreter]

Terp -- doing his thang.

Now.

For good reason.

[calakapepe]

This makes me think of RMC and wonder if their in-house restraints will prove to prevent a mishap like in the lone star state.

Was that ever decided to be ride or employee fault?

Either case, it happened.

RMC likes to push it, but let's hope they will show us that safety is paramount.

[gad198]

If given a choice, I'd MUCH rather see a B&M giga at KI versus an RMC for the following reasons:

 

Capacity.  The capacity of B&M gigas dwarf those of the RMCs.  The best RMC as far as real-world capacity is Outlaw Run, which can put through around 850 people an hour with a really good crew.  The worst B&M giga puts through around 1200 pph, and I've personally been on days where both Leviathan and Fury 325 have put through upwards of 1500 pph.  More people through each hour equates to shorter wait times.

 

Rider comfort.  Interestingly enough, the Gerstlauer trains on both New Texas Giant and Iron Rattler are very comfortable and can fit a wider range of body types.  Notice how even larger riders look comfortable.  Click the link to see what I'm talking about: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/files/tgb12.jpg

 

Contrast this to RMC's own trains on their other coasters: http://www.jenaroundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_1631.jpg

 

Notice that both sets of RMC trains have shin bars.  The ones on the Gerstlauer trains aren't incredibly intrusive, but the ones on the RMC trains definitely are.  Notice how in the second picture that the shin bar forces your legs into a really awkward angle.  The gentleman in the front row has his legs forced IN towards the middle of the train.  This becomes really uncomfortable for anyone with longer legs. 

 

Finally, take a look at B&M giga trains.  http://www.charlottefive.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMG_1AFURYfade.jpg_3_1_354DQB30_L114806935-e1427625092342.jpg

 

In which of these 3 trains would you prefer to experience airtime?  Exactly.

 

Reliability.  We've run into reliability issues on each of the RMC coasters we've ridden.  RMC coasters just seem to be very finicky for some reason.  B&M coasters are just more reliable than RMC coasters, and park maintenance workers like B&M coasters more.  I'll leave it at that. 

 

I do find it interesting that the Interpreter is the one who bumped this thread and why he did so now.  Color me intrigued!

[freaks76]

My opinion has changed alot over time here......

 

Before hand I was all about B&M, Then I got out a little more.

 

I can honestly say I really don't care the manufacture any more. As long as it gives, to me, a great ride I'm gonna enjoy it. My coaster count isn't real high (probably mid 50's) I have been lucky enough to be on several different manufacture's coasters, very few I have not enjoyed. 

 

But I also still very much enjoy the Little Dipper at Camden, so I may not be picky after all.

[freaks76]

Terp -- doing his thang.

Now.

For good reason.

Most confusing post ever.

[The Interpreter]

Mission Accomplished.

Hi, Don.

[IBEW_Sparky]

Not confusing at all, really.  Sometimes a flower pot is just that, and nothing else.

[The Interpreter]

And sometimes it covers something big.

For a while.

[freaks76]

Sometimes that plant could be a super secret spy camera straight from the F.B.I.

 

Or maybe it's just a poor old guy yelling at a plant, a senior moment, perhaps.....

 

I don't know, I don't judge.

[CoasterOhio]

Now, before Cedar Point I never touched an Intamin.

But I've been on Three Intamins now, and by god are they amazing. I'm very even between the two, but I think Intamin might be taking my vote more, it all depends on how well Valravn is.

[IBEW_Sparky]

For me, from a standpoint on building a roller coaster that does what I truly enjoy getting from a roller coaster.... Intamin smokes B&M every day of the week and twice on SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY.  The unfortunate part is, from a reliability standpoint, B&M makes the better product.  With that, and given the choice between standing in a 2 hour line to have the ride have a mechanical 10 minutes before I get on it (yes, Im looking at you TTD and Maverick) or standing in that 2 hour line to actually consistently be able to enjoy and ride.... I have to somewhat begrudgingly give my vote to B&M.

[homestar92]

I haven't honestly ridden many Intamins that have really wowed me. There are those that have, but not really that many.

I've ridden every North American Giga coaster, and the two Intamin ones rank at the bottom, MILES below the two B&Ms. Intamin seems to have managed to hit the two extremes with their Gigas. Millennium Force is slightly less exciting than a bucket of lukewarm dishwater, while I-305 so intense that I would classify it as unrideable. I rode it once, I'm good for life. B&M found the happy medium in that category. Their coasters have enough elements to be fun, while still being extremely re-rideable.

 

I've literally not ridden an Intamin inverted coaster (be it an Impulse or otherwise) that I'd rank any better than mediocre. I realize I'm in a minority, but I thought that Volcano was less fun than most Kiddie coasters. Impulse coasters are alright, but nothing I'd write home about. I'd probably say that Steel Venom is the best one I've been on because of the holding brake, but even then, it was very "meh" to me.

 

There are some great Intamins out there. I'm a big fan of Ride of Steel at Darien Lake. That said, my favorite B&M hyper, which opened the same year, blows it out of the water. And Maverick is one of the finest coasters of all time, and it's definitely in a league of its own. But honestly, I find that on average among the coasters I've ridden, B&Ms are much more thrilling.

 

Now, if I may talk for a moment about Chance/Morgan... <3

[Tr0y]

Less exciting than lukewarm dishwater is a B&M coaster after the MCBR. With my intamintitus aside, this is like comparing apples to oranges. Both Intamin, B&M and any coaster manufacture for that matter provide different rides. I just wish Cedar Fair would see that and have a coaster built by some other manufacture. (does not have to be Intamin) There is Chance Rides, Mack, Gerstlauer, Vekoma, S&S, GCI, RMC and the list goes on and on. I like having the choice with diversity, not just a bunch of "Happy Mediums".

[The Interpreter]

Is it easier to maintain a fleet of Subarus, or some Hondas, some Fords, some Saabs, some GMC pickups, a Jeep, a Crosley, four Vespas and an International Harvester?

Is it easier to deal with 1 manufacturer or 26?

Is it easier to get quantity discounts and better service when you do almost all your business with one company?

Is it best to buy the most reliable?

Is it best to buy the product with the best safety record?

Is it best to buy the product easiest to operate?

Is it best to buy the product that pleases virtually all your customers or is it better to buy the product that thrills a small segment (when it works) but is too extreme for many?

Is it best to buy the product with the most capacity?

Is it best to buy a product your competitors realize is the Cadillac of the industry but for budget reasons may not be buying much anymore, as the competitors have lowered their capital investment per location because they decided to put something in every location every year?

These and many other factors...

[stashua123]

Thanks for yet another bump! ^

 

Let us see what will happen. In 4-5 months, we will know. Though from what I have seen before, the topics you bump are almost always spot on with something new that is coming. It could be nothing but most likely it is more than nothing.

 

B&M >> Intamin for me. This forum is mostly pro-B&M but then you go to Theme Park Review and they love Intamin with a passion and think every single B&M post 1999 is "forceless", I would beg to differ. 

[IBEW_Sparky]

OK.... I agree 100% with Terps list above, and like Ive said before it makes total business sense to go with the manufacturer that they have recently, for those reasons.  I also feel that this topic from the beginning is as....futile.... as a topic started regarding PC vs Mac, in the respect that it can go downhill in a really big hurry.  I will say, that I am impressed with how civilly this has all gone.  I also feel that it was bumped, as was alluded in the bump, as a PR play to either confirm what may be in the future or to confuse.  I have my thoughts on which that was, and my thoughts are the same as they have been since any 2017 talk even was hinted at.  In regards to re-rideability, my body is internally different than most, in that I can very easily re-ride I305 as often as I can... or shall I say choose to... re-ride a B&M.  What I mean by that is, by the time my body says "OK, stop NOW and take a break" in regards to 305, I stop out of sheer boredom with any B&M Ive ridden other than Banshee.  That rides pacing and elements make it really, really fun time and time and time again, so I will definitely give them that one.  I have not ridden Fury, yet, and I have a feeling that will be one I enjoy greatly, but DB as an example is a 5 Star snore machine to me.  Im "OK" with either manufacturer being installed at any said park, because I understand fully that I am not generally the target market and I will never in my natural Lifetime have the resources to finance my type of park (90% full- on thrill machines and 21+ age requirement to enter), but looking only at the black and white of "Which Manufacturer do I as a rider prefer" I choose Intamin.

 

 

EDIT:  There is one other B&M that I could ride from open to close with a great big smile on my face.... the one that should be here instead of One-Trick-Ponyhawk.... Dominator!  I LOVE that ride, and always have.

[calakapepe]

Maybe we shan't hold our breath for a KI RMC..