Raging Bull @ Six Flags Great America | Coaster Reviews
Raging Bull’s a Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster from the same designers of the popular Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure and Apollo’s Chariot at Busch Gardens Europe. So I was excited when I arrived at Great America on a dreary day in 2006. Raging Bull has a more compact twister-style layout and I was curious how it matched up to the Nitro and Apollo’s out-and-back design.
After boarding the ultra comfortable seats and pulling down the snug lap bars, the train departs and begins a long, slow 20-story climb. At the top, the track dips a little to pull the last cars off the lift hill, then Raging Bull unleashes a 208-foot drop at 65 degrees. The train reaches speeds over 70 mph and roars through a short underground tunnel at the bottom of the hill. It’s a strong opening.
Next, the train soars up into a banked curve and then back down to the earth. The following hill is a perfectly executed camel back that offers the best airtime on the entire ride.
The next few turns and hills are fun, but nothing to write home about. Closer to ground now, the train enters the mid-course brake run. The train dives out the flat brake run with an immediate drop offering some good airtime. Another short drop follows that’s equally as good and the ride sets up for its finale. The twisted, low to the ground finish is another one of Raging Bull’s best moments. Most other hypercoasters spend the majority of their time in the clouds and it was refreshing to see the opposite, especially considering how fast Raging Bull is even towards the end.
Raging Bull doesn’t quite reach the level of its sister coasters in New Jersey and Virginia, but it
comes close. The 200′ drop into the tunnel, the speed, and the twisted finale are all strong points. The swooping turns early on were fun, but I prefer the airtime hills on similar coasters. That said, Raging Bull is top-notch and Chicagoans are lucky to have one of the four B&M hypers in the U.S. in nearby Gurnee. Final Rating – 8.0 (Great) See my complete rating scale.
Raging Bull is rated ‘IN’ for Intense. It’s a 4 out of 5 on my Thrill Scale for of its height and speed.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Raging Bull? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of CoasterImage.
June 25, 2008 at 13:26
It's bull.
July 6, 2008 at 06:25
This is my favorite ride at Six Flags Great America!! It's so smooth– which makes it so much fun. Plus, the seats are really comfortable. Most people are too scared to go on it because of the first drop– but that was the best part (and I'm not even a big roller coaster person)!
July 8, 2008 at 08:27
I liked this roller coaster the best it's fun and it doesn't throw your head all over the place. Also feel very secure with the bar that comes in front of you.
June 27, 2009 at 11:45
I'm going to Mt. Olympus on monday and today i was fighting an inner battle about if i wanted to go on Hades or not. This was my first rollar coaster ever and after reading that it's drop is 20 stories ,way bigger than Hade's 13 stories, and going at the same speed i'm way more calm now….. thank god for this review.
July 20, 2010 at 09:54
Did you sit in the back row on Bull? I'm guessing not, or you would have rated it higher. The ejector air time on the opening drop is outrageous! That dip leads to cresting the hill at good speed, and you LAUNCH. I've ridden Nitro and Apollo's Chariot, and neither of them could match this result. It's the most intense air time shot I have ever encountered.
July 21, 2010 at 01:41
I vaguely remember sitting in the back and I don't remember any ejector air. I'll definitely sit there when I return to the park.
November 1, 2010 at 14:09
YES!!It's definently worth it. For me, sitting in the back row is what makes it such an incredible ride. The first drop is AMAZING! If you even just watch offride footage you'll notice the rider (and their hair) flying up on that drop.
July 21, 2010 at 14:23
I loved Raging Bull when I was there last summer. The only real problem I found with it was the brakes, like on every other coaster, are kill-joy and in some cases, e-brakes.
July 29, 2010 at 16:44
Intense, really????? This ride I have rode and had a ton of fun on, but this is not intense, just fun. It should be thrilling on your scale, not "Intense".
October 11, 2011 at 10:34
It depends on where you sit. The front and the middle aren't very intense. The final two rows, however, snap you very abruptly up and over every hill and drop. From these two rows, the coaster literally drops away from you and drags you down the first hill with both intense air and ejector time.
August 6, 2012 at 10:58
Raging Bull is pretty good but i would love to see it without the trims. Great ride tho, not as good as Goliath at Georgia or Apollo. But it could be if it didnt have the brakes on the third hill.