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Kingda Ka Restraints

danmar0498

Roller Poster
The restraints on KK suck, and they hurt so much. They are so unnecessary. Is there a reason why we dont have lapbars like TTD? Sorry, but they just annoy me :x
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Intamin changed their restraint design. Nobody knows the exact reason, but it limits that chances of ride staff screwing up dispatching guests who are unsuitable for the lap bars and then subsequently dying (as happens every now and then with the lap bars) - so it's probably that.

Obviously the lap bars aren't classed as "defective" because so many are still operating. However, there is a weakness in the safety (which is purely dispatcher based) that Intamin have to overcome. If you make something idiot proof, then somebody will come along and prove that you severely underestimated how idiotic people can be ;)

Though... Well... Looking at the Furious Baco restraint failure - I'd rather leave the chances on the ride platform than the manufacturing process ;)
 

CookieCoasters

Giga Poster
Its a shame that intamin have put OTSR's on a lot of their coasters because if they have lap bars, some of their great coasters could be even better.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
There is a glimmer of hope in Skyrush's restraints, which is a lapbar that swings down to secure riders.

epcot_maelstrom2.jpg


These two are idiot proof as they further eliminate risk of loose restraints. Obviously there have been comfort issues, but that is something that I am sure can be sorted out over time.
 

Mysterious Sue

Strata Poster
Intamin with painful restraints...you don't say...?

For me, the main problem has always been the thinness of the restraint over the shoulder which bites down into my neck. Actually, I don't find KK that bad, it's worse on anything with an inversion, iSpeed being the worse offender.
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Sigh.

I would like photographic evidence of the Intamin otsr touching you guys. :p

In seriousness though, genuine question...

Me and Sue are about the same size. Why would she have issues and not me?

I actually prefer their otsr to lapbars. The lapbar pin you and come with sodding seat belts which must slow loading. The orst don't touch me. Anywhere.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using Tapatalk 2
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
^This.

I think everyone who has an "issue" has it with the neck chopping if/when you're jerked to the side, not that they're pressing down on shoulders or anything.

For me, this is why Maverick can basically **** off. Great coaster in all but the neck chopping.
 

kimahri

CF Legend
Am I the only one who doesn't get the neck chopping on them? Storm Runner gave me a graze on my collar bone yes, but that was a one off thing. And front row Kingda Ka makes it worse.
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
You folks who get neck chopping, are not not trying to ...like, roll with it?

The only one that annoys me is Rita, primarily because it's such a terrible ride, rattles and has one particular slam that catches me off guard. But all the others I've just moved with and not had an issue? Even Kanonen.
 

bmac

Giga Poster
You couldn't move with Kingda Ka's old restraints, those were so close to your neck and with the rattling launch you'd get chopped quite a bit before reaching the end. Storm Runner is also pretty bad for someone riding the first few times, but I noticed the jabbing became less and less with every ride over the course of four visits to the park in the last two years. I guess because I'm subconsciously rolling with the punches, because I really don't try and defensively ride it by pinning my head to one side or jamming my shoulders into the harnesses.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Joey said:
I would like photographic evidence of the Intamin otsr touching you guys. :p

199647_1002153887792_4555_n.jpg


There's about a 2 or 3 inch gap there, which vanishes the moment you're inverted or put through airtime (your body moves, it really does :p ). You can also see that the restraint "curve" is touching my shoulders giving me less room and "restraint touch" all the time.

I'm average height, so it really isn't hard to believe that somebody above average could be hitting those all the time.

N.B. I don;t have an issue with the restraints on Stealth, I find the ride perfectly fine - it's all the others that are an issue.
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Joey said:
You folks who get neck chopping, are not not trying to ...like, roll with it?

When you're riding something for the first time, or even the first few times, then you can't always anticipate that. You shouldn't have to anyway.

If it was a Vekoma, it would be a "head-bashing" complaint and we'd be all over it. Replace the horse collars on a Vekoma with a lap bar (a la Boomerang at Wiener Prater), and the problem goes away.

It's not a completely dissimilar issue. The Intamin OTSRs, while not as uncomfortable as an old Vekoma version, are just not designed well for sharp turns. Intamin obviously recognise this themselves as they've adjusted the design to "flatten" the edges, so to say there's no problem, when numerous people have the same issue and Intamin themselves have tried to address it, is clearly wrong, regardless of a personal "I'm ok with them" experience.
 
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