Darien Lake runs full speed ahead with the MotoCoaster

Race To The Top: The MotoCoaster will be the Darien Lake's seventh roller coaster but the park's first launched roller coaster.
Darien Lake Theme Park Resort last constructed a new roller coaster back in 1999 when the park, which was then known as Six Flags Darien Lake, unveiled Superman – Ride of Steel, which currently operates under the name Ride of Steel. Now finally after nine years of waiting, park guests at Darien Lake will be able to climb aboard a new roller coaster this summer, the MotoCoaster.
The MotoCoaster will debut in May of this year and is actually a prototype, motorcycle themed, launch coaster from the Italian amusement ride manufacturer, Zamperla. With the addition of the MotoCoaster, Darien Lake will operate a total of seven different roller coasters this season.

Darien Lake’s new MotoCoaster was originally assembled and tested at the Zamperla factory in Italy where they then allowed members of the media to ride and document the new attraction to help advertise the ride’s design. Since then the ride has been dismantled and is currently be shipped overseas to Darien Lake.

Zamperla’s MotoCoaster is a compact launched steel roller coaster that stands 44 feet high and features a figure eight style design with three layers of twisting and turning track. The single motorcycle themed train will race 12 riders through the 1,198 feet of track at a top speed of 38 mph.

The MotoCoaster uses a flywheel and clutch launch mechanism to accelerate the ride’s train from zero to 38 mph in three seconds. Zamperla is advertising the coaster’s flywheel launch mechanism as being a very reliable and an easy to maintain launch system. They are able to back up this advertising campaign with the fact that flywheel launch systems have been used on roller coasters since the 1970’s.

Darien Lake’s MotoCoaster will be one of three Zamperla MotoCoasters to debut this year. Another standard model will be built at Xetulul in Guatemala, and a custom-designed model called the Pony Express is being assembled at Knott’s Berry Farm in California.