Mick Doohan's Motocoaster

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Mick Doohan's Motocoaster
Location	Dreamworld
Park section	Wiggles World
Type	Steel - Launched
Status	Open
Opened	September 30, 2007
Manufacturer	Intamin AG
Model	MotorBike Launch Coaster
Lift/launch system	Hydraulic launch
Height	22 ft (6.7 m)
Length	605 ft (184 m)
Max speed	45 mph (72 km/h)
Duration	55 sec
Max vertical angle	90°
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Mick Doohan's Motocoaster is a 605 meter long^[1] motorcycle roller coaster at Dreamworld on Queensland's Gold Coast.^[2] The AU$10 million ride opened to the public in September 2007.^[3] The ride, built by Intamin, is associated with Australian motorcycle legend Mick Doohan and is the first motorcycle coaster in Australia, and the first Intamin MotorBike Launch Coaster worldwide.^[4] It is also the first to feature life-size replicas of 500CC racing bikes.^[5][6]The ride was heavily advertised,^{[citation needed]} and has proven to perform well at the park.^[7]

Contents 1 Construction 2 Opening 3 Economic Impact 4 Ride Mechanics 5 Notes

[edit] Construction

In the course of the construction, the Dreamworld Classic had to be relocated to make room for the ride. It was constructed in the River Town section of the park where the old vintage cars was situated.^[8][9] The ride is the first constructed at Dreamworld in three years.^[10]

[edit] Opening

The coaster ran its first official laps and officially opened on September 28, 2007,^[11][12] but did not open to the public until September 30.^[13][14][15] Margaret Keech, Minister for Gold Coast, and Stacey McMahon, a 125CC rider and spokesperson for the GMC Australian Grand Prix, were there for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.^[16] Mick Doohan did not personally attend the event due to participation in the Japan Grand Prix,^[17] but submitted a pre-recorded video in which he stated: "I am extremely proud to see the end result, I have really enjoyed working with Dreamworld, the new attraction truly celebrates and pays respect to a great Australian sport and its achievements."^[18]

[edit] Economic Impact

Dreamworld alleged that the drop of .8% in the number of foreign visitors it received during the last two quarters of 2007 was due to the marketing for the ride's effect upon the operating margins.^[19] Through March 26, 2008, the ride is credited with increasing Dreamworld's revenue by 8.8% to AUS $50.68 million. Park attendance spiked significantly following its launch, which was considered successful.^[20]

[edit] Ride Mechanics

The ride is an Intamin MotorBike Launch Coaster^[21]. The track is 605 m long and features 18 banks, bends and turns.^[22]. Riders sit on full-scale replica 500cc racing bikes arranged in eight cars with two riders per car. This includes 14 motorcycle seats and two sidecar seats in the rear.^[23][24] (The sidecars were initially designed to be in the middle of the trains).^{[citation needed]} Riders are held on the ride through a unique restraint system.^[25] There are two trains, which are launched by a flywheel track.^[26] The ride has two cameras: one on the launch run, the other halfway through the ride.^{[citation needed]}. The ride's queue features informational decorations that teach about the history of motorcycle racing.^[27]

Riders must be 130 cm (51 in) tall to ride on the main motorcycle cars and 110 cm (44 in) tall to ride in the sidecars.^[28] The ride is estimated to handle 746 passengers per hour.^[29]

The ride accelerates from standstill to 72 km/hr (40.4 mph)^[30] in two seconds due to its hydraulic system, the second of its kind worldwide.^[31]

[edit] Notes

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