Best Aftermarket Shocks on the Market?

[Atkins]

Im wondering what everyone thinks are the best shocks on the market. If youve ran more than one brand, please state how the two brands compared to each other. Thanks. I only included these four options because Im not wondering about rebuilt shock manufacturers.

EDIT: Also, if you post, state whether or not youve actually ever run the suspension you're voting for.

[Cody_300ex]

Ive always been a PEP kinda guy, never had it on MY quad, but my friend has always had it on his CRF and I ride it on weekly basis. I have axis rear on the way for my 300 so i'll post a reveiw when I get it and ride with it.

[trick450r]

i voted for elka...i run elkas all around on my 450r and i just think they are a top quality shock...however i really want to try pep shocks on my next race quad...

[DeerNuts]

Jeff@quadshop recommends Elkas as the best currently offered. Im not usually influenced by what others say, but its impossible not to be influenced by what an authority on the subject says. Id have to concur and say elkas. Id like to get the triple rate recreations someday personally since I dont race and just ride on my own track/trails, woods, and field.
JMHO.

[Jersey450R]

Everyone i know with Elkas are very unhappy. One of my buddies just blew his rear out an a 40 foot triple :( . My other friend has had PEP's ordered for 6 months now through JRD. He said the difference between Elka and PEP is night and day. I've only heard good things about Axis and seems that most of the racers around here run them. Now and Elka shock reworked by Precision Concepts would be 1st on my list :) .

[G Impala 63n70]

hey guys,

My 400ex had TCS ZPS tripple rate on the front, and so did my best freinds bike, We both loved them and are actually trying to get them again for our quads since we kinda got rid of them, he got rid of his when he parted his old bike, and i got rid of mine in a time of family emergency, needed money.
On the other hand, He had TCS rear zps shock and i had a PEP shock, his had my travel but mine felt like it was more into soaking up the things i messed up on, whoops and jumps etc, i still have the PEP on my 400ex and will never, ever get rid of it it is night and day between stock and better than some,
AS for the elka part, My buddy has the elka recs on his zilla, and my tcs were night and day over them...I cant speak for all of elka shocks though ive only tried out elka rec, as for axis. they look sweet and lots of pros use them. i have no expeirince with them...Theres my 2 cents, and proof of the shocks that i described above, we loved our tcs and rear shocks
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/ohiobanshee/eaffda9a.jpg
i vote TCS all the way

[trick450r]

Originally posted by G Impala 63n70
hey guys,

My 400ex had TCS ZPS tripple rate on the front, and so did my best freinds bike, We both loved them and are actually trying to get them again for our quads since we kinda got rid of them, he got rid of his when he parted his old bike, and i got rid of mine in a time of family emergency, needed money.
On the other hand, He had TCS rear zps shock and i had a PEP shock, his had my travel but mine felt like it was more into soaking up the things i messed up on, whoops and jumps etc, i still have the PEP on my 400ex and will never, ever get rid of it it is night and day between stock and better than some,
AS for the elka part, My buddy has the elka recs on his zilla, and my tcs were night and day over them...I cant speak for all of elka shocks though ive only tried out elka rec, as for axis. they look sweet and lots of pros use them. i have no expeirince with them...Theres my 2 cents, and proof of the shocks that i described above, we loved our tcs and rear shocks
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/ohiobanshee/eaffda9a.jpg
i vote TCS all the way


to be 100% completely honest with you...TCS makes quality stuff...but i dont even consider them on the same llevel as pep,elka, axis...

[Jersey450R]

Originally posted by trick450r
to be 100% completely honest with you...TCS makes quality stuff...but i dont even consider them on the same llevel as pep,elka, axis...
Why? Because of the price? Reputation? Looks? I know of a dude who had TCS on his 400 and he loves em.

[G Impala 63n70]

yea exaclty, give us good reasoning and expeirence proof. What is sooooo differnt about tcs rather than pep, axis and elka? I thnk your just going by what you THINK, not what you know, and if you do know, id like proof because like the guy above me says, Most people dont consider them only because of the Reputation, Price, and looks. Let alone theyve never tried them. Im not arguing here, im just trying to get good reason

[Jersey450R]

the only thing about axis that seperates them structural wise is that they use special formulated metals on all components that will no dent, ding, or break. this will help with roost i guess.

[trick450r]

Originally posted by G Impala 63n70
yea exaclty, give us good reasoning and expeirence proof. What is sooooo differnt about tcs rather than pep, axis and elka? I thnk your just going by what you THINK, not what you know, and if you do know, id like proof because like the guy above me says, Most people dont consider them only because of the Reputation, Price, and looks. Let alone theyve never tried them. Im not arguing here, im just trying to get good reason

again i said "consider" which kinda says that its my opnion...an opinion is something you think...anyway i have ridden a 400ex with tcs all around and i just wasn't impressed...i consider them maybe 1 step above works...i just dont like them..the only fact i can think of is that their isn't one pro rider that runs them...

[ThumPIN_450R]

I love my pep's, axis are a good shock too but i would never switch from my peps. in my personnal experiance I absolutely hate elkas they have to be revalved in order to work like an axis or pep shock and when you're paying that much money for a shock they should be competive right out of the box

[Mxjunkie]

i rode my boss's 330r with lt axis's and I cant belive how nice they are! My older brother has elkas on his 265r and its not as nice as my boss's and they are almost the same bike.

I would have to go with p.e.p and axis, I am going to run elkas on my banshee only due to the cost of axis and p.e.ps

OHLINS ALL THE WAY!! I got them for free too:D :cool:

[dober250R]

Is Jersey 450R drunk? You can not make special formulated metals that they will not ding, dent or break. Everything has a breaking point, and I guaruntee I could break, chip and destroy an axis shock if I could use any means possible. Being an engineer, this cracks me up. This guy needs to take a strength of materials class..............

[lil400exman]

I have ridden Axis and PEP. I think those two are the best shocks. Oh I have also ridden Ohlins and works and limited time on some elkas on a stock banshee. I own PEP's because I feel they are the best. I have hardly had to do any tuning on my PEP's because they got them dialed in so close to me. I love them, the soak up the hits perfectly and they are a HIGH quality shock and they use only top-notch springs,oils and seals. I had works before and I can get much longer time bewteen rebuilds on my PEP's than I EVER could on my works.

So for me its Axis or PEP. No other brands considered.

I have always wanted to try MOTOWOZ but I just couldnt bring myself to chuck up 1,200 dollars for shocks that havent hardly been proven!:o

[Chef]

And you cant get the WOZ's anymore anyway...

[MR.BIG]

uhh oh yeah, dillweed!

[SRH]

i like my elkas theyve been good, good service too

Originally posted by G Impala 63n70
yea exaclty, give us good reasoning and expeirence proof. What is sooooo differnt about tcs rather than pep, axis and elka? I thnk your just going by what you THINK, not what you know, and if you do know, id like proof because like the guy above me says, Most people dont consider them only because of the Reputation, Price, and looks. Let alone theyve never tried them. Im not arguing here, im just trying to get good reason

I'd like a good reason too...

My bro has on Elka's and i really feel any difference what so ever... Are we here paying for a Name because pro's use it???

I hate following in line like the rest of the ducks (oh i want it coz this pro has it) crap.

Just like Nike shoes, to me they are crap and dont last for **** compared the the much cheaper and just as good looking off the wall brand.

You get what you pay for does not always hold true.

[416exmx]

These threads are funny.

[Jersey450R]

Originally posted by dober250R
Is Jersey 450R drunk? You can not make special formulated metals that they will not ding, dent or break. Everything has a breaking point, and I guaruntee I could break, chip and destroy an axis shock if I could use any means possible. Being an engineer, this cracks me up. This guy needs to take a strength of materials class..............

Well goober, Its around 11:30 now and to tell you the truth, I've had 2 beers :p . But i wasnt drunk when i posted this you moronic idiot. That was at 1:00 this afternoon. I was told what i posted by a member on this site, in which this person is very well known, respected, and knows his chit. I've heard that a few places otherwise as well, one being the website. Now, i know if i took a sledge hammer to an axix shock, i could probably make them disintegrate. But were talking about roost, not by any means possible. :mad: Stop talkin chit pusy.

[dober250R]

haha, i'm not talking ****, i'm stating the obvious..............

[Pappy]

I shouldnt even reply about this but wth....


Elka....great shock, great service.

Ride quality os good from elka, but better after serviced from a shock builder. I am not sure 100% on why, but that has been my findings. Elka seems to stand behind it's products and has a proven record of taking care of any issues that may develop.


AXIS...another great shock that too me seems set up a touch better from the manufacture then Elka or TCS or Works. There is a reason they have a loyal following and thats because they do work very well. As far as the metal quality, I think elka will take the lead in taht department but axis isnt lacking by any means.

PEP... Probably the best out of the box as far as set up, but you wait and pay for it. IMO PEP is alot lower on the quality scale but on par with performance. Form follows function would be a good statement for PEP.

TCS... I wouldnt put them on the level of the others, especially the higher end units. They are a good shock for the money.

WORKS...you get what you pay for, but I have ridden some works that were as good as any other shock built.

Thats my take on this. Its not technical, its just my expierence. A person should really do some research and get the most shock they can, it pays off 10 fold.

[Quad18star]

I guess it all depends on how much you want to pay and how long you want to wait . I've heard nothing but good things about Elka , Axis and PEP in terms of quality ... but like others have said , if you want your shocks right away , don't order PEPs . I've seen some guys have to wait months before getting their shocks . Elka on the other hand has a turnaround of a couple weeks . I'm not sure what the wait on Axis is .

When I do the suspension on my YFZ , I'd love to go with Axis , but the only thing that is probably going to keep me away from them , is that there are no Axis dealers in Canada that I know of . I think I read somewhere that Axis ATV division moved to PA or soemthing so maybe I can convince myself to get them .

Elka on the other hand is just the next province over , only has 1 tax and can get me my stuff within a day or two . I've also heard they give Canadians a bit of a discount on their products . :D

EDIT: I was able to find a Canadian Distributor for Axis and they want $1665 for a set of front shocks ... triple rate , dual adj. The guy also told me I was the first person this year to call asking for Axis shocks for an ATV :confused: . Build time would be 2-3 weeks .

Elka wants $1375 CAD for their Sport/Racing series shocks . Triple rate , compression and rebound Adj . with a build and ship of 2 weeks . $1075 for the rear .

[trick450r]

Elka has terrific customer service also...i called them up and ordered my rear end (elka elite rear shock with elka pro-dual linkage) and told them i seriously NEEDED it for the next weekend...they built it, boxed it, and shipped it inside of three days...not only that they overnighted it so assure i had time for install...when i recieved it it had no directions so we called up elka for a bit of help and they put us on the phone with THE man who designed the linkage....these two events where the nails in the coffin...i applied for a sponsorship same day...and got it.. so basically that is why i voted for elka..

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by trick450r
Elka has terrific customer service also...i called them up and ordered my rear end (elka elite rear shock with elka pro-dual linkage) and told them i seriously NEEDED it for the next weekend...they built it, boxed it, and shipped it inside of three days...not only that they overnighted it so assure i had time for install...when i recieved it it had no directions so we called up elka for a bit of help and they put us on the phone with THE man who designed the linkage....these two events where the nails in the coffin...i applied for a sponsorship same day...and got it.. so basically that is why i voted for elka..

Ya their service is top notch . I think that is the reason why a lot of people actually go with Elka for their suspension needs . I remember the first time I seen a set of Elka shocks about 6 years ago .... the company wasn't as known as it is today . I said to myself " A Canadian shock builder won't make it far in a USA dominated market " ... I guess I was Totally wrong on that one !!! :ermm:

[trick450r]

Originally posted by Quad18star
Ya their service is top notch . I think that is the reason why a lot of people actually go with Elka for their suspension needs . I remember the first time I seen a set of Elka shocks about 6 years ago .... the company wasn't as known as it is today . I said to myself " A Canadian shock builder won't make it far in a USA dominated market " ... I guess I was Totally wrong on that one !!! :ermm:

damn canucks...totally wrong with everything...

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by trick450r
damn canucks...totally wrong with everything...

I'll call Elka and make sure that the next time you need your shocks reworked , that they totally screw up your valving . :devil:

[trick450r]

Originally posted by Quad18star
I'll call Elka and make sure that the next time you need your shocks reworked , that they totally screw up your valving . :devil:


you would do that greg...that would be a typical canuck move...haha jk

[JR3]

Wow i dont know why there is so many votes for elkas. I will only buy axis or pep from now on my 2 friends that race with me bought elkas. The quadrates the best u can buy brand new tryed 50 diffrent things to get them to work right and nothing has so thye are going pep. A lot of people like Elka just caus ethe price is so good but you get what you pay for.

my 2 cents

[OutlawEX]

Well there isnt no such thing as the best shock to go with. THere are 4 things you must look into.

1) Price.
2) Service. Incase of some revalving or customer support to help you .
3) Warranty? And wait on parts getting serviced?
4) How do they perform. Bad or Good. Really hard to have a middle in this

Those are some things that help me buy

[tdsongster]

I got my elkas from C&D about a year ago and have been completely satisfied with them.

I am curious about the new light weight fox shocks. Is anyone runnning those and how do they compare with the Elkas?

PS Support those who support ATVRiders...

[R3Concepts]

Take your pick which one do you want to ride? PEP bike below.:D

[R3Concepts]

Ok heres the deal: PEP is the best out of the box, bolt on and race any class you want shock, PERIOD, Wayne is a shock genius..We've got the new bike that has Axis triples, dual adj..Another good shock, but is a little harder to adjust and get spot on, but Andy @ Axis has been a huge help..Elka is by far the worst out of the box, poorly valved shock, I set up a bike (450R) for a local rider and it took me FOREVER to get them setup halfway decent..TCS is run by Todd Davis who is/was one of the best shock tuners Race Tech had, and he branched out to start TCS, his shocks are well made and nice pieces..They are lacking the sag of PEP and the quality of an Axis..Its funny that people compain about PEPs wait or lack of service..Ive gotten all 3 sets of shocks, in less then a month, you HAVE to stay on Waynes *** or he wont remember your order, find out the PO # and use that when you call..When the guy on the phone says Waynes not here or he's in the back, you are talking to Wayne..Little secret for you all..Also theres never been a time that Ive called Baldwin that Mark didnt take our call for a little Q&A, so for me. thats quality service, since MB is part owner of PEP.

1. PEP
2. Axis
3. TCS
4. Elka, eh?

[Out_Sider]

i voted Elka, because they are the best IMO, but not out of the box! Elka doesn't quite have a grasp on valving yet, but i believe Elkas have the best bodies and whatnot IMO, but Precison concepts or other shock companies need to dig into them before they are "The Best SHock" all in all i think PEPs are the best out of the box, but i'll always run Elka

[Allen]

I have ran just about all of them and IMO they are all great...especially if your a novice rider. What sets the companies apart is the customer service, and Elka is no. 1 in that department.

Just my 2 cents

[WORCSYFZ199]

I love my Elka's work perfect and everything, I wear out before they do, they are set-up for a pro and work perfect for me (expert rider) up until I get worn out and slow down, but that's my fault not the shocks, they work beautifully

[eldercyclerep]

I voted for elkas. but i have works triple rates on my bike right now and they are really good shocks for what i paid for them $0

[400grl]

My TCS triple rates and my husband's were both valved spot on from the box......... and my rear rebuild is awesome! My husband says they feel better than the triple rate Axis shocks he ran all last season. I had Elka's before this, but they were never quite valved right for me - I was constantly battling arm-pump in every race - didn't realize the problem until my husband worked with me and couldn't even bottom out my quad! I never had them revelved, I sold my 440 before then.....so I don't know what they would have felt like if they had been set-up correctly. I'm sure really nice........

I agree with the post about figure out what is important for you when buying shocks, and match up the right company for what you need / looking for. For me it's price, customer service, shock set-up and quality. If I had the cash in hand and was asked to choose again, I'd go with TCS again in an instant. Todd knows his valving!!

[Lethalhonda2]

My vote all the way is Axis.I had Elka first , and even though they have great turn around and service their setup always seem to need some adjusting.Now that I have 1 bike with Elka and the other with Axis I can really feel the differance.Elka has come along way from when they started I'll give them that, but my vote still goes for Axis,plus I can drive to Reading PA which is alot more convenient than Cali..

[Dave400ex]

Like a few guys have mentioned, my Elka's done by Precision Concepts I feel are the best shocks. I don't want to ride on anything else...