The State of Leathal Weapon

[B&Mfan]

Hey all, Just got back from our (wifey and I) annual trek to the GC parks. While we had a great time, one issue really stood out for us this time around: How disgracefully rough LW is now. IMO this ride has really deteriorated in the year since we rode it last (2002 there were some parts that were rough but this year it I could could count the non-painful elements on one finger). Never in all the coasters I've ridden (Thunderbolt and Viper included) have I received a bigger ear boxing that the one served up to me on LW this time around. Suffice to say we only did it once, which really highlighted Movieworld's lack of depth when one of it's major attractions is effectively closed. Pretty sad situation actually, MW need to do something about it (we weren't the only ones complaining on completion of the ride).

[joz]

Lethal Weapon for quite a few years has been an on/off sort of ride. I was quite interested to see last week that one of the trains was going through a re-hab, which hopefully will smooth the ride out a bit. Thing is, what you've got with Lethal is a 8 year old Vekoma SLC. I think Movieworld have done a good job maintaining it, but with a ride like that, there's only so much you can do without replacing entire sections of track (those two in-line twists are my vote to get replaced btw). The whole spring loaded wheels probably ain't ganna work for it, and the ride looks to already be using a softer wheel compound. Like I say though, LW can go through periods where a session with Mike Tyson would be preferable, and other times when your head won't once touch the restraint.

[Psycho]

Last few years, I've noticed I can take less and less rides on LW without getting a massive headache too. Now it's down to one ride....On my second I seem to come out with my head pounding. Perhaps this is a good lesson to teach the parks to "Buy B&M"

[rappa]

Before we all go jumping on the 'praise B&M dump on Vekoma' bandwagon again I'll just say that despite being a great ride I got a severe earbashing off Scream earlier this year. So its not just as cut and dry as One = all good, one = all bad. I'll just say this, at least Vekoma have done well and got some coasters into this country, without them lets see how many we can quicly get rid of! MW = no coasters DW = 1 coaster WL = no looping coasters WOW sounds exciting to me!

[Psycho]

I'm not dumping on Vekoma....nor am I saying B&Ms are perfect.... But it's pretty notoriously known that Vekomas don't age as well as newer generation B&Ms (generally speaking) And DW would have 2 (if we count TOT as a coaster, but let's not get into that one )

[joz]

If we're ganna be like that... MW 1 DW 1.5 (Counting TOT as half a coaster, that way everyone's happy) WL none worth counting (like that isn't the case anyway :shock: ) I'm not dumping on Vekoma, they produce good, cheap rides. I even went on a couple of Vekomas while overseas, and while they weren't without bumps, they were enjoyable. However, I have noticed that their rides do tend to rate quite highly in the area of roughness. If they could get a formula to fix the roughness, I think they'd be building some of the best rides out there. Also, as DJ mentioned, its not just Vekoma that do rough rides. I've been on Meisho, Arrow, Intamin, Schwarzkopf, B&M, Pinfari and all of which have sections on their rides that are considered rough.

[B&Mfan]

Bugger, lost the post I just spent the last 10 mins typing Here the short version: Agreed Joz, rides can be inconsistent (I went on to name a few examples, Hulk at IOA was one of them) but most I have been on don't have the severity that LW does now. Then I went on to say stuff about how Vekoma do a good job for their place in the market and how good a ride DejaVu is. That will do for now.

[Ian]

ride de javu in 8 years time. trust me go on rides like grizzly at pga or the vekomas in the USA like KONG which I rode this year and you will see how good lethal is for a 8 year old coaster, and if you hold your head back against the headrest there will be way less bumping.

[B&Mfan]

I don't think I could have held my head any further back into the head rest I think the design of the Vekoma horse collar restraint contributes a little to the problem as well, if you look the standard B&M horse collar they seem to be a little more confortable.

[rappa]

Well I will go on DJV is 8 years time because its one of the best coasters I've had the pleasure of riding. I don't see anything like it from the other manufacturers. I also don't think its fair to judge the state of the ride in the future till we get there do you? As previous posters have said, you have to judge such things on a case by case basis. Lets face it, although Beamers are typicaly nice and smooth they are not doing anything really radical for the most part are they? Most of their models are improvements on something another company has initialy developed. Where as companies like Arrow, Vekoma and Intamin are pushing the boundries and bringing out new rides.

[ScReAMmachine!]

I think the roughness of a ride adds to the intensity and adds to the experience... LW is a little rough... but really what can you expect for a ride that has so many inversions??? Surely it has a few decades before meeting the fate of DW's doomed bolt.

[Richard]

Yes, roughness can be said to add to intensity, but that's only to an extent. When you're coming off with a headache, then it's too rough. Lethan Weapon has certainly lost it over the past few years. It might be good for an SLC, but I don't think it's good for the average eight year-old ride these days.

[joz]

Is it just me, or is does LW seem to be the new whipping boy now TB has closed?

[Richard]

Well, if the truth must be told, Lethal Weapon's always been more painful to me than Thunderbolt ever was. Thunderbolt rattled like crazy and had rotten transitions, but at least what your head was bumping into was somewhat soft and didn't surround your head unlike Lethal Weapon. Meanwhile Lethal Weapon is fairly decent for much of the ride, but there are some killer jolts which just thump the noggin in. Thunderbolt was like at least consistent in its painfulness throughout the ride. Look, that first drop on Lethal Weapon absolutely rocks, the banked camel back in the middle and the helix at the end are all great and perfectly smooth. Just when they decided to go upside-down, something went haywire in the Vekoma calculator. The transition out of the helix is no good too, while I'm at it. I think we just always need something there as the "painful waste of space and valuable minerals". If nothing else, it makes all of our other slightly less mediocre rides look better.

[B&Mfan]

I agree with you Rich: TB I have always thought was a little easier on the head than LW. I never did get to ride LW when it was first built but can imagine that it would have been quite a fun ride. These days you are just concentrating on staying in one piece, rather than enjoying individual elements on the ride as you go.

[GoGoBoy]

I am so sad to read all of this. The first time I went on LW I fell totally in love with the ride and so did the friends I was with. It simply felt like you were flying. I thought it was the best thing I had ever been on. Years later, I went on it again and found it to be rather unpleasant. I was hoping this was just my imagination. But, obviously it wasn't. I find it so unacceptable that this ride has deteriorated so much. I never knew a roller coaster required so much maintenance to remain smooth! I don't know who to blame - Vekoma or Movie World? I have a lot of respect for Movie World so I'd rather blame Vekoma (they seem to be responsible for a fair bit of roughness) but I get the feeling Australia has, perhaps, not yet learnt how to look after its precious few coasters. Not good enough

[joz]

I don't know who to blame - Vekoma or Movie World? I have a lot of respect for Movie World so I'd rather blame Vekoma

And as a staff member of Warner Village theme parks, I think that is an excellent decision :mrgreen: Seriously, I think that the rides in Australia (well, the Gold Coast) are looked after pretty well. Probably the best example of this, although it makes me sound biased (which normally never happens ) is Corkscrew. That ride is 21 years old and still runs smooth. LW from all accounts still runs pretty well for a SLC of its age, so I dare say your gripe is with Vekoma.

[B&Mfan]

I am still amazed at just how smooth Corkscrew is after all these years. Great job SW and Arrow!

[Richard]

The thing with Corkscrew is, you look at its wheels, and they're all reasonably shiny and new. Meanwhile, you look at Lethal Weapon, and what you've got is some pretty old grubby things. Now, what this suggests is Corkscrew uses a much softer compound for their wheels, because it wears down quicker, hence needing more frequent changes. Now, Lethal Weapon, they've had the same old things on there for months/years/forever. I was quite amazed to watch both trains, after coming out of an extensive rehab (the kind where every single nut and bolt is taken off and every single part is sorted into ice cream cartons before being entirely reassembled). that they came back with the same old wheels. This suggests they're using a harder wheel compound, which means less shock absorbing. We're really comparing apples and bananas, but I could do the same with Cyclone and Corkscrew with the exact same conclusion. The wheels you've got on a coaster really does contribute a lot to the ride you're going to get. Then again, so does the restraint, and in the case of Lethal Weapon, you're boxed in, whereas at least on Cyclone the taller people are clear so there's no ear-smacking.

[Guest Chippy]

Well what do expect from a veokoma ride most off there rides ware out quickly just look at the demon the tracks are rusty the restrants have been replaced and it always breaks down.

[thunder001]

If anyone thinks that the Thunderbolt was smoother than LW, then you are made of steel. I could only handle 1 ride a day on TB towards the end, but still can do up to 10 rides a day on LW and this was only just before X-mas. I still only find that the onesection of the ride that is rough is the entry to the barrol roll's as it throws the head to one side. Now I ride the LW with as loose a support as I can due to my size, (6ft 1in and about 108kgs) and never have a trouble with any headaches, and I still get them just from watching an IMAX movie. But we must remember that every one is different and handles the rides in a different way, so no two ppl will ever get the same ride. Food for thought.

[Guest Chippy]

Is the lw more rough then then woodern coasters becuse Ihavent been there in a LONG TIME. :mrgreen: The luna park forum is like the sydney park EMPTY well except me the construter.

[Richard]

No, it's not rougher than most wooden coasters, but it is more painful. The thing with Thunderbolt vs. Lethal Weapon is, there were techniques one could use on Thunderbolt to make the ride completely painless. On Lethal Weapon, you're strapped down and locked in. If that thing's going to strike you, then you're not getting out of it. You can put your head forward, hold it to one side, leave your restraint out a click and whatnot, but you're pretty well screwed whichever way you go. It tends to be different parts of the ride that get different riding positions too (for instance if you leave your head forward, you'll be find up until the sidewinder, and fine after that, but you're going to do some damage in that sidewinder). Post something interesting, using the English language and you might get more activity in the Luna Parks forum.

[Guest Chippy]

Hmm mabye I should spend more time and check my writing. :| Ok here it gose in SIMPLE english GO TO LUNA PARK FORUM PLEASE. :mrgreen: Try to find anything wrong with that.

[Daniel]

The word would be GOES. Gose isn't a word. It is one 'o' away from telling us what you are however Go to the Luna Park forum would be much more correct also. You're English teacher must hate marking your essays. Poor bugger would go through 8 red pens on your paper alone one thinks.