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SF Discovery Kingdom | The Joker | Roar RMC Conversion

GuyWithAStick

Captain Basic
Well with these new standards, if a test run looks slow at first, we now know it is.

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John Knotts

Mega Poster
Well I know RMCs sometimes test with different wheels until they get the right ride. Still, there is no denying that is an impressive first run.

Love the cheering at the end too.
 

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
ECG said:
Don't let first test runs fool you into thinking that's how the coaster will run once it opens. RMC (and other manufacturers) runs the coaster at top speed on the first test runs to make sure it makes it all the way round the circuit and then gradually dials it back to prevent extreme forces on riders. Storm Chaser's testing was the perfect example of this procedure (as was Mako's).
It's interesting you say that though, this is a noticeable shift from how coaster tests seemed like they were done in the past. The "OMG LOOKS SO SLOW" stereotype came from years and years of slow first tests. As I said in my post over in the Mako topic, it's an interesting change.
 

ECG

East Coast(er) General
Staff member
Administrator
It all depends on the coaster type as well. For example you won't see Gerstlauer sending a spinner flying around the circuit on the first test runs, or any test runs for that matter.
Are you sure that those "OMG LOOKS SO SLOW" videos were the actual first test runs? I don't recall parks releasing many first test run videos in the past, if they released any test run videos at all. I think the majority were done by individuals and who knows at what phase of testing they were filmed.
Then there's also the matter of perception. Almost every test run video in the past has been off-ride footage which, as most of us know, can be deceiving. Take Behemoth for example, most would agree that it's one of the faster paced B&M Hypers around, but it looks quite slow in the off-ride video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRkpdJ-ikew[/youtube]

I can recall being at Knott's Berry Farm's Coaster Solace years ago and talking about how Xcelerator flies over the top hat compared to newer Intamin launchers and some of the other attendees saying "You should have seen it testing", which is one of the reasons why I think this has been in practice for years.
 

tomahawk

Strata Poster
I can attest to watching Xcelerator test, they and people with speed guns watching it, and allegedly, they had it hitting over 100 mph. The train would launch with a portion of the train outside the back of the station so the small catch roll bac it was was quite dramatized.



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EthC

Mega Poster
I agree with ecg with them doing quick runs just to dial in the coaster although I still think this will be a fast coaster

Also here is xcelerator testing in 2002 just before it opened and then xcelerator now proves what ECG is saying :)

2002:
[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6NHkMDPx7Q[/youtubevid]

Now:

[youtubevid]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeUwsKrR0Po[/youtubevid]

Damn I would have loved to have ridden Xcelerator going at that speed !
 

ECG

East Coast(er) General
Staff member
Administrator
I'm surprised that no one posted this over the weekend:

[facebookpost]https://www.facebook.com/discoverykingdom/videos/10154189308067743/[/facebookpost]
 

EthC

Mega Poster
Yay!! This just looks amazing better then I hoped actually and some of transitions seem quite aggressive which looks great to me tbh. I can't wait to ride it in august now, first RMC and it looks mental! :D
 

Pink Cadillac

Giga Poster
hold up, hold up, go back a sec
tTXb1Fl.png

Six Flags just does not deserve this IP. I know the Joker and Ronald McDonald can easily be confused but f**king hell!

The coaster looks ruthless. I'm so glad the 2 RMCs that were almost disregarded this year have turned out so good!
 

cjbrandy

Hyper Poster
Best pre lift section on an RMC so far. Like every single RMC, it will at least be a 9/10 ride, probably a 10/10. In my opinion this looks a bit faster and more exciting than the recently opened Storm Chaser.
 

MLDesigns

Hyper Poster
Exiting the Step Up Under Flip, exiting the 180* Stall, whatever the hell that banking is entering the final inversion, etc. They're clearly designed that way, but the just look ew to me.
 

Ben

CF Legend
Yeah that looks fab.

I wouldn't worry about how some transitions look odd in videos - that's true for most RMCs and then you ride it and they're perfect.
 

tomahawk

Strata Poster
Guess I'll end up making a trip up there by the end of the year. I haven't been to San Fran since I was like 8, wife has never been, so it'll be a decent excuse at least.

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Lofty

CF Legend
I can't get excited about the facade concept for something that's been done to death before in the Halloween sector? Like, they could have created something truly unique for the Joker IP, but instead they decided to go with generic carnival clown. Bit poor now I think about it properly. The thing is, the colours of the station also don't go well with the brand colours, they should have kept it all the same rough scheme, green, purple and silver/grey, but instead, they have conflicting colours of oranges and deep reds that make it feel very 'cheap'.
 
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