elkas? good or bad....

[krt400ex]

i have beenhearing ppl say that elkas suck compared to axis or PEP...so what is the scoop...why wouls top pros like Natalie be using them then? i was gonna get a set...maybe even the elites, but i don't want to waste my money. i do mostly xc stuff...thanks

[MO-EX-RIDER]

they get a bad rep from the valving when they are new..many guys say buy used and have them revalved for you

Natalie uses them because he's sponsored. I can get discounted Fox or Elka through Houser and I'm probably going to go with Elka.

[Wildbrain]

Elkas work just fine for me.

[JW450R1]

i have had elkas for 3 years now.i have had no complaints with there products.they also have a good tech support line.i'll never go back to works,custom axiss

[KingpinsEx]

Elka, Custom Axis, PEP, and even some other's make great shocks. They all have been around for a while and know what they are doing. Each one makes a great shock, so basically what i would look for when getting a set is price. Which elka is most likely going to be the cheapest and i would defeintly recommend them, espically for cross country riding. If you look at any GNCC event so many run them, i think that is their speciality. I just have the standard travel thriple rate piggyback fronts and they preform flawlessly...however many of the top pros run them because of one thing, MONEY. Elka gives out huge sponsorships, but their riders still do great regardless. Believe me they would not be running a shock that "sucks" compared to other brands at that level and you will not be wasting your money if you get a set.

[400exstud]

Best investment I have made to my ATV.:D

[infantry317]

Mine are good, but I'd go PEP next time

[4TraxRider]

I got mine new, 3 years ago for a 400ex, tripple rate with remote rezzies, comp adj. for +2 arms and they hung too low in their stroke and felt like they were for a 125lb kid racing C class. Sent them back and told them the same info I gave them the first time and they came back fine. Maby they were broken or got misslabeled at the factory or something, but were great after that until I sold them.

[northwest Texas]

My bro-in-law was so dissatisfied with his that Colby just revalved them. He couldn't get them fine tuned and they were so bad I wouldn't ride his quad. I'm anxious to see the results.

[04TRX400EX]

Originally posted by KingpinsEx
Elka, Custom Axis, PEP, and even some other's make great shocks. They all have been around for a while and know what they are doing. Each one makes a great shock, so basically what i would look for when getting a set is price. Which elka is most likely going to be the cheapest and i would defeintly recommend them, espically for cross country riding. If you look at any GNCC event so many run them, i think that is their speciality.

He basically said what I was going to. I feel that there are a lot of great shock companies out there: Elka, Axis, Pep, Fox, Motowoz, but it depends a lot on what you are going to do. For example, if I were to build a MX quad, I would likely use Custom Axis or Pep because I feel that they "specialize" more on MX. Since you are building a XC quad, I say go with Elka. XC or GNCC seems to be Elka's area of focus, and a lot of top riders use their shocks. I have Elka's that are setup more for MX and I really like them, but I like my buddy's Elka's setup for XC a lot better.

In general, I have been very please with my Elka's. I recommend them to anyone, regardless of what people say about them. It is critical to get them built to you however. I think that people have valving problems with Elka's because they are not honest in how they want them built (saying they weigh too much/too little, wanting a harder MX valve but expecting soft XC feel, etc.) Just be truthful with yourself and whoever builds them.

[KingpinsEx]

I agree with that totally. I know when elka's first came out their valving was set a little too stiff from the factory but that was a long time ago and they must have it dailed in by now. I think the reason people think the vavling is off is two main reasons. One like said above, they are not honest, such as asking for trail shocks, but able to handle jumps. And not realizing that for "some" jumping they are going to be sacrficing some plushnes as if they said just trails. Of course with any shock some fine tuning, if avaiable is usually need to find the sweet spot. The second reason is people may not know what to expect from aftermarket shocks. They are great but people who are trying aftermarket shocks for the first time prolly often have to high of expectations of what they are getting. That is not to say everyone who says their valving is off does not know about shocks, im sure the occassional mishap happens. But if your buying new they should fix the valving for free i would imagine and after riding them you get a better idea of what you want instead of what you thought you wanted...