Does anyone know why they removed the single position lap bars on The Racer and The Beast? With the new lap bars you don't get any air time at all.

They had buzz bars on those before?

Yep. They switched over in the late 80`s or early 90`s I believe. The trains still had the old buzzbars in 1987, as demonstrated in this 1987 image on RCDB of The Racer.

Buzz bars and a lack of seat dividers and seatbelts must've made The Beast even more intimidating when going up the first hill.

Buzz bars and a lack of seat dividers and seatbelts must've made The Beast even more intimidating when going up the first hill.

The Beast was more of a wild coaster with alot air time. The Beast gave better rides then what it is doing today. The seats had no pads or anything for your head so you just had to hold on. Well I guess I was lucky to ride it back then.

They replaced the buzz-bars with the individual racheting lap bars most likely because the old bars allowed people of smaller size and height to stand - the new ones are tailored to people of different sizes. This change at KI I guess happened in the early 1990s, but the retractable seat belts weren't added until 2004.

I guess that in the more litigious and idiotic society we live in today, we won't go back to the buzz-bars, although some coasters still have the simpler restraints

Some examples are Beastie at PKI, Stricker's Grove's wooden coasters, Camden Park and Geauga Lake's Big Dipper, the woodies at Indiana Beach, and Thunderhawk at Dorney Park.

The Beast, while it originally had the buzz-bars and no headrests (and 4-row cars), was originally equipped with seat dividers, probably the first wood coaster to do so.

Maybe it's just a Paramount thing. Keco/Taft was extreme! 8)

Someone told me that at one time on The Racer they didnt have a bar at all but I dont belive a word of that.

The Beast has never really had much air time to speak of. And I still get plenty of air riding The Racers.

Yea I leave the bar up sometimes and I can feel that seatbelt holding me in.

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The Racer has always had lap bars of either the buzz bar or single ratcheting variety.

Well for one thing the new lap bars give a better sense of being secured than the old buzz bars. I know when I went to Geauga Lake and rode Big Dipper, my girl friend and everyone else was freaking out because the bar didn't thouch our thighs. Personally, I loved it, they defineatly give a much better ride with better air.

Yes i dwould like to go back to the old buz bars becuz it gives more of a sense of vulnerability. I rode Cedar Creek Mine ride at CP and it still has a buzz bar on it.

I think that single bars are better in case there is a skinny and fat person riding. I know I am going to get off topic but I think they should take out the shoulder harness on Vortex and put in lap bars that would be awesome!

I LOVE buzz bars! My dad remembers riding The Beast back in the day, I really wish they would bring them back but there is no chance of that. I was lucky enough to get to ride The Screechin' Eagle alot when LeSourdsville was open in '02. Now that was an airtime coaster! One of the best rides I have ever been on.

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