Ok whats the deal

[Ex_Rider43]

Heres my bike, it looks very nice until you ride it. Complete Walsh bike with the Savior swingarm and but it handles like poop.







http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/ex_rider52/rebuild114.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/ex_rider52/rebuild113.jpg


I tried everything , I sent the rear shock back to elka so they rebuilt it and changed the spring setup , feels even worse than before.


Im not kidding , last year I raced a GT thunder link with the stock rebuild and it was waayyyy better . Let's not forget about the front too : STIFF. You know the saying Ride Hard Ride Elka.... exactly , it cannot be harder on my arms , my back and my whole body. This 18k bike rides like a old crap.


My friend bought one of Richard Pelchat's 2005 YFZ , elka elites and the usual parts on every MX atv out there. Now this is the way 3000$ worth of shocks should work. Too bad WE cant get the valving and setups the pro's can get. I guess we arent paying enough. That thing was no joke I still cant beleive it.

Im sending the shock one last time this week to Elka. I will let you know.

For guys with savior swingarm , are you satisfied or is this thing an overpriced POS ? and also what brand of shock are you using ?

[bwilson624]

Have you tried adjusting the rebound and preload to make them softer?

[Airik79mx]

your shocks are junk, i'd either send them to GTThunder or buy PEP's or Fox.

[bwilson624]

Hold on man. There is no sense in calling his shocks junk. Just cause a few people don't like them doesn't mean no one does. Elka is still a great company. But as you say, so is PEP and Fox.

[Ex_Rider43]

Originally posted by bwilson624
Hold on man. There is no sense in calling his shocks junk. Just cause a few people don't like them doesn't mean no one does. Elka is still a great company. But as you say, so is PEP and Fox.



Sorry something went wrong i created another topic so I edited my first post.


And yes right now the shocks are pure garbage.

[Airik79mx]

Originally posted by bwilson624
Hold on man. There is no sense in calling his shocks junk. Just cause a few people don't like them doesn't mean no one does. Elka is still a great company. But as you say, so is PEP and Fox.

They are worthless from Elka.. If someone like GTThunder does them they feel good.

[bwilson624]

So did you adjust the preload and rebound or not? I've rode plenty of Elka setups and they all had a very plush ride. Maybe just yours are junk or maybe its operator error.

[coryatver]

Elka can't valve a shock... GT thunder only revalves stock shocks now.

[Ex_Rider43]

The rebound is real joke man , its set at the fastest setting and I can see the wheels coming down VERY slowly when Im going off a jump.


The preload is set right. Its there to set your ride height not the plushness of your shocks. Sure I could get them softer by putting less preload but the front end will be way too low compared to my rear so this will cause the ''buck'' of the rear end.

[bwilson624]

Well, if you don't race XC or do a lot of trail riding with ruts in them, you could adjust your preload to sit lower in the rear to match. Thats what I did and now it sits a little lower- lower center of gravity, faster through turns. Just trying to help out man.

[Ex_Rider43]

I know but I cant go any lower in the rear too... this pisses me off too because I like my bikes low to the ground.

[Chango]

Don't send them back to Elka, send them to precision concepts.It's in ElCajon Ca.

[bwilson624]

Me too man, thats where I was coming from. Sorry I didn't know you had that low already. Good luck. Maybe try sending them to Derisi Racing to revalve. As far as I know they still do aftermarker revalves. I don't know though. Thats probably what I would try.

[kbass24emtp]

Originally posted by bwilson624
Me too man, thats where I was coming from. Sorry I didn't know you had that low already. Good luck. Maybe try sending them to Derisi Racing to revalve. As far as I know they still do aftermarker revalves. I don't know though. Thats probably what I would try.

Derisi can revalve Elka's. He also works on Custom Axis.

[JH Racing]

We can also do Elkas Have tryed changing the main springs Elka likes to use way too stiff main springs and yes valving could be better for sure

[Dave400ex]

Send them to Precision Concepts. Made a night and day difference on mine.

[Santo DeRisi]

Originally posted by bwilson624
Me too man, thats where I was coming from. Sorry I didn't know you had that low already. Good luck. Maybe try sending them to Derisi Racing to revalve. As far as I know they still do aftermarker revalves. I don't know though. Thats probably what I would try.

We can do the Elka revalves and since we have been running them this year on our team it has helped us a lot more in R&D so we are getting everything dialed in great! If anyone needs any help just let me know.

[fandl450r]

Originally posted by Airik79mx
They are worthless from Elka.. If someone like GTThunder does them they feel good.

I have to agree, I have never had a good experience with Elka, every shock I have ever rode, has just been a piece. Maybe after a rebuild it could be better. One question I have to ask is how can a shock be built for the Walsh linkage when the leverage ratio changes as the shock pivots?

how much for gt thunder to revalve stock 450r shocks?

can they make them Lt by any chance?

[mx3mom]

Just sell me that ol thing and let me worry about the shocks. We need a practice bike!

[brandonpeake]

I hated elka i had 3 bad sets but I would hsve the fronts worked on then the rear and vice versa. It was first the front is stiff send the front now the rear bucks swap links etc
I sent it all to GT got the front snd rear done together and it is the best hsndling quad i have ever had, and its standad travel I got plenty of friends with new axis Lt and KT arms wanting to trade for my used srtuff b/c it works great,
I got my bike from spincr4hire so heactuslly sent it to laz so he can vouch as does others

I had an 04 with revalves andi thought it was working great compsred to stock found a deal on some new front elkas sold my stock fronts got the front elkas cheap and it made my quad un rideable