Zamperla ride will open in May
Darien Lake, Darien Center, New York, will unveil the world’s first MotoCoaster from Zamperla this coming May. With riders sat astride a motorbike ride vehicle, the attraction will provide a new and different thrill, one that American coaster riders have not yet experienced.
The prototype of the MotoCoaster has appeared for some time outside the Zamperla factory in Italy but now, after retuning, has been disassembled for shipment to Darien Lake.
The 44 feet-tall ride features a compact three-layer figure-eight layout, 1,198ft long and covers an area 159 x 67ft. Riders, secured by front and back restraints, will feel as if they are sitting on a motorcycle. The train’s 12 motorcycles will launch out of the station at a speed of 0-38 mph in less than three seconds.
“This will be the only launch ride that we have at the park,” says Brad Paul, Darien Lake’s general manager. “The speed is amazing. It’s new, it’s unique, it’s fast, and it’s fun.”
The engineers at Zamperla predict a life span of 20 years for the clutch and fly wheel launch system. Running in an oil bath, the clutch discs are easily changeable. A second such ride, the western-themed Pony Express, will also appear in 2008, at Knott’s Berry Farm in California.
