Your thoughts on Banshee restraints on Raptor

After riding Maverick this year with those new comfy restraints, I started thinking about Banshee's comfy restraints. Would you like to see the newer style of harness on Raptor, or do you like the traditional harnesses currently being used?

For me, I don't have any problems with head banging on any ride. Maybe it's because of my height, I don't know. However, the problem I do have with Raptor is that last turn into the final brakes. No matter the restraints, I have a feeling that last turn will still be jarring for me.

In the Periscope stream with Tony and Jason, someone asked about the Banshee restraints on Raptor. Jason replied that Raptor has a different type of train and the Banshee restraints won't fit.

If I were in charge of maintenance for Raptor and had the budget, here's what I'd do:

• Swap out the trains for the updated ones used on Banshee. This comes with several added benefits. The OTSRs are hydraulically secured which gives a lot more flexibility. It's got the much more comfortable vest and "cage" design, eliminating head-banging. It might fix that vibration that always gives me a headache but that's probably just the older track.
• Replace the very first brakes you hit at the beginning of the brake run with B&M's magnetic brakes. Having been on Intimidator and seeing just how quickly yet smoothly those can stop a train, I'm more confident than ever this would fix the "slam the brakes" feeling at the end of the ride. This shouldn't extra track if done properly.

Both of those are, sadly, not likely to happen anytime soon (ever).

I'd love having the Banshee style trains and harnesses on Raptor but I'm not sure they could fit on the ride as they appear to be wider trains. I think they would end up with clearance issues between the trains and the supports at certain spots on the ride.

I think the current restraints would be fine if they changed the final brakes to something more smooth. The headbanging issues seem mostly focused on that final turn into the brakes.

I'd be fine if I never got stuck in a B&M restraint for almost an hour ever again. Last night, I was stuck on Raptor half out of the station, and I got claustrophobic and pretty much had a panic attack.

I thought for sure that we'd see the new vehicles/restraints on Rougarou. It certainly could be done on the floorless model but perhaps it was a clearance issue as others have said. As for Raptor, headbanging hasn't been an issue for me lately as much as the sheer intensity of the positive Gs...specifically around the final turn. However, I had no issues with Silver Bullet at KBF last week even though it has a similar turn at the end. I found it to be much smoother than Raptor for whatever reason as well

The restraints themselves aren't necessarily bad on Raptor until you reach the brake run as previously stated. I don't think the issue is necessarily the friction brakes but, rather, there needs to be about 20 more feet of track to smooth out that sharp curve into the brakes. This will never happen for obvious reasons.

As for magnetic brakes, I don't know if this is even possible without purchasing totally new train chassis' that can have the magnetic fins built into the wheel assembly to interact with the stationary brake fins. Again, I don't know if changing the brakes themselves would do any good considering how tight of a transition that final bank into the brakes is.

At any rate, I'm still happy with Raptor as-is; it's still going strong after 20+ years.

Millennium310 said:

I had no issues with Silver Bullet at KBF last week even though it has a similar turn at the end. I found it to be much smoother than Raptor for whatever reason as well

I've ridden Raptor and Silver Bullet and I agree Silver Bullet is much much smoother, and Gatekeeper is smoother than Silver Bullet and so on. The newer the coaster the smoother the ride. I think Millenium Force has the most smooth and gradual brakes though.

Just rode Banshee, today. Between being able to ride Banshee on occasion and Gatekeeper often, I wouldn't care if Raptor was moved to another park so that there would be even more room for an even bigger new coaster.
But that's just my opinion.

I remember hearing not too long ago that they can't put new restraints like banshees on raptor. They said it would require a wider train and they cannot accommodate that.

^Is Banshee's track a different size or could they not accommodate it due to clearance issues?

Millennium310 said:
^Is Banshee's track a different size or could they not accommodate it due to clearance issues?

I heard it is due to clearance issues

And a station floor that would have to be redone to accommodate wider trains. How much wider, I don't know.

In addition to the comfy restraints, the thing I like about Banshee's train is the less obstructed view from rows 2 thru 8. I wasn't sure there would be that much of a difference but there is.

Indeed, because there are only two posts supporting the seats instead of four. It's a great design.