The Coolest Coaster

THE COOLEST COASTER

Maybe it's because the land is so flat in the Netherlands. Or perhaps it's just that rollercoaster designers have finally recognized what we have known all along: Motorcycles are thrill rides.

This world’s first motorcycle-based rollercoaster-called the Booster Bike Motorbike Launch Coaster-is part of the Toverland theme park located near the German border. The green machine fires riders from 0-46 mph in 3 seconds at the start, then whips up, down and

sideways through a “track” about 1/3-mile long, with peak cornering forces of more than 2.5 gs, well up on your average 1-g-capable

sportbike. The ergonomically

flexible seating accommodates 4-foot-6 to 6-foot-6 riders, a much wider spread than your average sportbike, with rubber clamps at your back and thighs to keep you on board, even if you let go of the bars. Okay, so it’s not as fast as a ZX-10R, but it handles like

it’s on rails...

Mark Hoyer