The Ninja at Six Flags Over Georgia gets the new Vekoma restraints for the 2016 season.
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@Juan Hamilton
Viper is an Arrow not a Vekoma but since Vekoma stole the track design from Arrow anyway it probably would work.
I haven't been on the SFOG Ninja, but I know of it's reputation. Based on my experience with the various boomerangs, this will elevate the ride from a credit coaster to a decent experience. It will still be shaky, but the pain will be gone.
As for putting this type of restraint on Viper or another Arrow, it is true that Vekoma trains work perfectly well on Arrow coasters. However, I am not sure if the restraints can be retrofitted to Arrow trains. Unless I'm mistaken, Ninja runs Arrow trains so we will probably know based on whether it gets all new trains or just new restraints. If the restraints can fit on Arrow trains, I could see Six Flags retrofitting coasters throughout the chain, but if new trains are required it would probably be unlikely. Viper is rough, but it's not horribly rough, and considering that ride may have a limited number of years left I doubt investing in new trains would happen at this time.
Ninja doesn't run Arrow trains, it has run Vekomas since 89 but Arrow made the trains for early bomarangs.
Jaiden, I just double checked as I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of Ninja running with an Arrow train. It turns out that the ride did originally have an early model of Vekoma train (an anomaly, as almost all Vekomas installed prior to 1997 used Arrow trains originally), but switched to Arrow trains after receiving two of the old trains from the Great American Scream Machine (the third went to SFMM). I guess we'll have to see which trains run with the new restraints this year: the Vekomas, the Arrows, or a brand new set of Vekomas.
I'm confused.
GASM is a woodie. Ninja is a steel looper.
Are you sure, AJ, that the trains are compatible?
Sorry, Tim, I should have been more specific. I was referring to the Great American Scream Machine from Six Flags Great Adventure, which was an Arrow Looper that closed in 2010 (it was replaced by Green Lantern). I completely forgot Six Flags Over Georgia has a very different coaster under the same name.
Ok. Now I understand.
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Thank Jesus that this is going down. If this works, roughness on coasters will merley become a bad aspect of tge coaster rather than something that prohibits you from riding it. Hopefully these trains will be added to arrow loopers such as Viper at SFMM.