A normal loop doesn’t really get the adrenaline going for hardened roller coaster fans. But when the familiar momentum suddenly gets a boost, or even slows down, and then on top of that the seat tilts, there is danger ahead. No, not really! Of course, the new Spike Fun is absolutely safe like all roller coasters from Maurer Rides. But it feels radically different.

After 30 years, many a company is getting on in years, but Maurer Rides has a passion for new things in its blood. Roller coasters, yes please, but always with new ideas. The basis is technical know-how, the ultimate goal is the enthusiasm of the passengers – and that is guaranteed.

Acceleration while inverted
Inverted with propulsion, with this new world innovation, completely new, energetic (!) elements can be developed. This is proven, for example, by the unique Omega figure. As an iconic element, it is spectacular to look at and dynamically it is arranged in such an interesting way that passengers lose their orientation and then unexpectedly enjoy the view far above, before the ride finally spirals down vertically.

Tilting in the Spike Tilt Seat
Innovation number two is the Spike Tilt Seat. Using a joystick, the passenger can tilt his seat during the ride. Depending on the ride maneuver, this causes increasingly extreme seating positions and generates a completely new roller coaster feeling.

Whether during take-off, camelback, loop, wheelie or jump – when the seat tilts, and surprisingly dynamically, it always feels different depending on the timing.

The tilt angle of the seat is up to 45°. In addition to interactive and self-determined control by the passenger, the seat can of course also be program-controlled and automatically tilted into different positions during the ride.

Powered Coaster with Spike Drive as a Train
The new Spike Fun complements the possibilities and strengths of the Spike Racing Coaster and is ready for a high transport capacity. Several rickshaws with two passengers sitting next to each other can be coupled to form a train for up to eight people.

This requires enormous power, and the Spike drive, which is now well-known in the industry, delivers it. Its powerful electric motor pushes with the enormous torque of 1050 Nm. The drive allows completely free speed regulation and that means: at any point on the track, anything is possible and anything can happen.

Optionally, a drive unit with two motors and thus double the power is possible. This brings …

• … even stronger accelerations, several times with up to 1g. This means that the thrill factor can be flexibly adapted to the requirements of the parks.
• … greater capacity thanks to a train with more seats at the same high acceleration.

With the modular rickshaw principle, the optimal mix of capacity and acceleration is found for each layout.

The electric drives work with a high degree of energy-efficiently and automatically feed the energy back during the braking process. The energy requirement is thus only a fraction of conventional launch coasters.

One seat – three options
The choice of seats is also flexible – for the operator. If the passengers need a maximum feeling of safety during inversions, this speaks in favour of classic seats with lap bars that swing down over the head. The minimalist harness variant tends to attract the thrill-seeking public with a maximum sense of freedom.

Seat option number three addresses family layouts. Seats without headrests look less brute and emphasise theming like minetrains or character designs.

All restraint systems keep passengers extremely comfortable and offer perfect lateral support with maximum freedom. Both bar and belt restraints meet the highest safety standards for roller coasters with class 5 according to EN/ASTM.

Multimedia without limits
Spike Fun also knows no limits when it comes to multimedia and is state of the art: powerful audio system, information display, video system, lighting – and all this can be combined with numerous additional features. The fully integrated multimedia packages leave nothing to be desired.

Conclusion: Whether as a family coaster in the classic Minetrain layout or a classic chase between cat and mouse, whether a thrill coaster with extraordinary inversions, a dark ride or a vertical ride: Spike Fun plays to its strengths everywhere and opens up new ride experience dimensions. Parks that want to offer something new are in the right place.

• «Previous Post
• Next Post »

---