Who agrees that ELKAs are crap?

[korniev]

I tried those shocks both Sport/racing and Elites and even when they were revalved and resprung, I was not at all satisfied! I mean why would anyone buy shocks that you still have to work on?
I ended up buying Motowoz, however I am not here to give them extra ads, I just wanted to say that what Elka is good at is marketing, but not making top shocks.
I think that people who tried Stadium, Motowoz and other top noch shocks will agree.....

[aaronqjones]

You have lost your mind.

[bradley300]

lol, no he hasnt. they arent crap, but i think there are penty of brands that do a better job

[korniev]

Obviously they are better than stock, but out of all aftermarket shocks they are probably the worst!

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by korniev
Obviously they are better than stock, but out of all aftermarket shocks they are probably the worst!

I wouldn't go that far either. They're still better than most works shocks IMO. They are a nice shock, but they have room for improvement. Calling them total crap is a little much.

[04TRX400EX]

Originally posted by korniev
Obviously they are better than stock, but out of all aftermarket shocks they are probably the worst!

The worst :confused: I don't think so. Elka puts a lot of time and money into designing and manufacturing top-quality shocks. Now I won't disagree that there are common issues with valving from the factory but they are by no means the "crap" shock of the aftermarket. For those of you that do think this, you have to give them credit for marketing "crap" to all those pro riders (regardless of sponsorship) and all of the thousands of other riders who have Elka shocks on their quads. Don't generalize a negative experience as a terrible shock. There are plenty of other factors that go into it that may result in an unsatisfied customer (riding style for example).

[mxracer99]

PEP PB1 , check it out

[Ex_Rider43]

Crap , maybe not but the worst coming from the factory ... absolutly.



'' For those of you that do think this, you have to give them credit for marketing "crap" to all those pro riders (regardless of sponsorship) and all of the thousands of other riders who have Elka shocks on their quads.''

The pros dont get the same shocks that we get ( people who pays for them ). They build a generic shock and you ride it. The only thing I can tell you is to ride another quad with another brand like Pep , stadium or Fox ( never tried axis motowoz or noleen ) and your elka's are going to end up in the For sale section here or on ebay.

I rode a 2 or 3 quads with Elka that IMO were very good , I mean for the price that we pay, but unfortunatly they were the TOP SECRET and PRIVATE pro valving that is not available to the public so I said screw them and got another brand.

[HiperEX]

elka seems like a nice shock but i chose motowoz over them i just got them in the mail today wow very very nice shock, will get them mounted up tomarrow or maybe even later today

[HiperEX]

well heres a pic of my of one of the motowoz shocks, very happy what other companys out there send you the shock adjusting tools and a free tshirt

[korniev]

Originally posted by HiperEX
elka seems like a nice shock but i chose motowoz over them i just got them in the mail today wow very very nice shock, will get them mounted up tomarrow or maybe even later today

I repeat again that I am in no way trying to give free advertising for Motowoz, but seriously changing from ELKA to Motowoz one feels more difference in performance than changing from stock to Elka! Believe me you will be amazed! Please let everyone know about em!!!!

[korniev]

By the way which aftermarket shocks do you guys consider worst than ELKA? I do not see any! I am not trying to say ELKA is very bad, but seriously which shocks?

[DOHC]

Elkas arnt bad, there one of the best, i personly dont like suzuki but im not going to say hey suzuki sux, cause they dont and this is the same thing. Everyone has differnt prefrences maybe u dont like them but the guy beside u at the track does. Its all personal prefrence

[xsr_racing28c]

works... lol

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by korniev
By the way which aftermarket shocks do you guys consider worst than ELKA? I do not see any! I am not trying to say ELKA is very bad, but seriously which shocks?


I already said in my post....

[bwamos]

Originally posted by xsr_racing28c
works... lol

You realize those PEP's you are running are rebuild Works shocks, right? ;)

Works arent bad shocks.. they are just set up terrible.. lol. A good revalving and they are some very good shocks.

["THE ShoP"]

all you people that say elka's suck must be retarted an not know what a good shock feels like or have the wrong setup for you bike.they are definatly one of the top 3 shocks to get

this is such a useless thread, crap like this should be deleted

[Ex_Rider43]

Originally posted by DOHC
Elkas arnt bad, there one of the best, i personly dont like suzuki but im not going to say hey suzuki sux, cause they dont and this is the same thing. Everyone has differnt prefrences maybe u dont like them but the guy beside u at the track does. Its all personal prefrence


oohhh really ?? do you own set ?

I had 3 sets of elka , the best one were from 4 years ago on a 400ex with burgard a-arms ST a-arms. they were smooth , they felt great and the bike was predictable.

the ads in dirt wheels looks good I know , and the red anodized part with the black but this is not what makes a good working shock , If jon natalie runs them ,it will not make the set you receive a good set either.

Go out and try another brand on your riding partner's quad.

[DOHC]

Originally posted by Ex_Rider43
oohhh really ?? do you own set ?

I had 3 sets of elka , the best one were from 4 years ago on a 400ex with burgard a-arms ST a-arms. they were smooth , they felt great and the bike was predictable.

the ads in dirt wheels looks good I know , and the red anodized part with the black but this is not what makes a good working shock , If jon natalie runs them ,it will not make the set you receive a good set either.

Go out and try another brand on your riding partner's quad. I dont have them on my 400ex but i had a set on my 300ex buddy ive ridden on them and plus i wasnt bad mouthing them im buying a set for my 400ex in 2 months i like elka!

[northwest Texas]

I wouldn't go so far as to say they're crap

They look really cool though.


I can think of many other places I can waste the money other than giving it to Elka.

[korniev]

Originally posted by "THE ShoP"
all you people that say elka's suck must be retarted an not know what a good shock feels like or have the wrong setup for you bike.they are definatly one of the top 3 shocks to get

this is such a useless thread, crap like this should be deleted

Wll obviously, you are running ELKAs all around! Nobody would expect you to say anything bad about'em:))) But serioulsly go out there and try even Axis or if you really wanna be amazed try Stadium or Progressive suspension. Then you will realize why we say Elkas aren't worth it....

[JW450R1]

Can some-one help me understand something...
What is on the inside of a aftermarket shock,that is different then a Elka that is sooooo much better?:rolleyes:

[pudamac12]

a lot.

[korniev]

Originally posted by pudamac12
a lot.

Not a lot, actually everything!

["THE ShoP"]

Originally posted by korniev
Wll obviously, you are running ELKAs all around! Nobody would expect you to say anything bad about'em:))) But serioulsly go out there and try even Axis or if you really wanna be amazed try Stadium or Progressive suspension. Then you will realize why we say Elkas aren't worth it....

I have tried axis an there for sale rite now(great shock)...I help out at a local ATV/dirtbike shop an also work on atv's at my own place.I've setup probly somewhere like 20-30 differnt combos of shocks an a-arms on differnt bikes,an the elka LT seems to out perform all the othe LT kits I've tried.I can take my elkas to XC races hit up the track an even the dunes all in the same shock an they still ride great on all terains,now on the other hand my LT axis are only good for what there set up (XC)take em to the track an they suck.elkas are good all around everywhere you take em...now sometimes the shocks do suck.but whenever that has happend they never realy gave us a problem correcting there mistake.you can even have them do them to you exact weight an riding style but it will take a little longer to get them cause then they have to actually take em apart.you just always have to ask for the shock to be set exactly for you not just a 130-170lbs. rider.I know thats how it should be but hey I guess the guy who owns elka is a moron

[korniev]

Well I can not disagree, however I am only talking about MX though!!! Sorry not to mention before

[firefighterjosh]

ok this is how I see it...........


ALL SHOCKS ARE CRAP FROM THE FACTORY!!! There better then stock but....if you put a little money into sending them off to somone liie Derisi or GT Thunder they are 100 times better.

Alot depends on shock builder too.

Its all in setup.

[korniev]

Well that is the issue, you relly do have to send Peps, Fox, Elkas to guys lie DeRisi to make them perform way better, however with such manufacturers as Progressive, Stadium or Motowoz one do not need to send shocks anywhere!!! Sending them out might even make'em worst!

[firefighterjosh]

Originally posted by korniev
Well that is the issue, you relly do have to send Peps, Fox, Elkas to guys lie DeRisi to make them perform way better, however with such manufacturers as Progressive, Stadium or Motowoz one do not need to send shocks anywhere!!! Sending them out might even make'em worst!

You may be right.....but I can not see a shock being that good from the factory....unless they take you weight and hiegth and riding type in cosideration when you buy them;)

[korniev]

More than that!! You actually fill out a HUGE form where you state not only your hights weight and so on, but also all the performance that you want to gain from your shocks, your style of riding, your experince and a lot of tricky Q's along!!
Definitely if you just buy shocks streight from the shelf, you should send them out to GT or RISI )))

[JW450R1]

The way i look at it is.
If you have to play with the fine tuning alittle who cares.
Do you think the pro's just throw a bije together and it's perfect.
NO, they throw it together and then they start fine tuning it to perfection.All shocks have the same stuff inside.it's all in the valving.Once you get it right no matter what name is on the outside of the shock is,it's right.But know you no how it all works too.The guys at Elka might be setting there shocks up for a different feel.Maybe that's for a reason.Maybe it perfect for me and not you.Well i have elka's and i love them.it took some time to set them up,but now there great.

[Pappy]

I believe Elka could possibly do a different valving set up, however most of the issues we have ever had with Elkas were related simply to the rider NOT running hard enough to use the shock. (in other words a softer or more plush ride was needed if not going WFO)


Never, repeat NEVER have I had an issue with an Elka after Derisi, GT Thunder or C&D have re worked the shocks, which in a sense is what you are buying when you purchase an AXIS, PEP or Motowoz set up, a shock more tuned to you.

Could Elka do it better? Sure, and feedback is something they should be looking for, but saying they suck is kind of a lame statement.

[4five0BOI06SE]

Originally posted by JW450R1
The way i look at it is.
If you have to play with the fine tuning alittle who cares.
Do you think the pro's just throw a bije together and it's perfect.
NO, they throw it together and then they start fine tuning it to perfection.All shocks have the same stuff inside.it's all in the valving.Once you get it right no matter what name is on the outside of the shock is,it's right.But know you no how it all works too.The guys at Elka might be setting there shocks up for a different feel.Maybe that's for a reason.Maybe it perfect for me and not you.Well i have elka's and i love them.it took some time to set them up,but now there great. well well well someone finally sumed it up for all u riders that think the world revolves around YOUR quad.alota these guys probly are still upset with themselves that they went out an purchasd the shock an did'nt even know how to tune them properly or have them sent to a specialist like gt for the revalve an tune.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by JW450R1
.All shocks have the same stuff inside.


Not quite, maybe next time do a little research...

Pappy - agreed

[bradley300]

Originally posted by 4five0BOI06SE
well well well someone finally sumed it up for all u riders that think the world revolves around YOUR quad.alota these guys probly are still upset with themselves that they went out an purchasd the shock an did'nt even know how to tune them properly or have them sent to a specialist like gt for the revalve an tune.


you can turn as many knobs as you want, but the shocks from elka, axis, ohlins.... will never be as good as the shocks from gt thunder or derisi. most aftermarket shock companies are not valving for your weight specificly, only about a 15lb. tolerance of your weight, where gt, derisi are valving with 5 lbs or less. they also ask ALOT more questions than elka which is critical in getting them set up correct. elka just wants to know what quad set up and how much you weigh and what kind of riding. gt and derisi also want to know your class, ride height you want, what size tires ( which is REALLY important if you want the correct ride height) wheelbase, weight bias, rider height, wheel size and offset.

the more info a builder has, the better the shocks will be and elka dosent ask alot

[d3ktrix]

I've ridden factory valved elka's and I was very surprised at how rough they were. Was not impressed at all, every little bump hammered through the bike.
IMO I would rather have stock revalves over factory valved elka's.

But the first time I rode an axis setup I fell in love. While I was chasing my friends around the track, it felt like I was cheating. It felt like there was almost no feedback from the bike. I could stay on the gas much harder and longer with out getting tired or feeling like I had to hold onto the bike for my life.
After I rode that bike I went home that night and started shopping for suspension :P

After about 2-3 months of research I went with motowoz.
I love these things, feels like I'm ridding a Cadillac.
The first day I was testing them I was front casing the deepest woops I could find like 4th gear pinned on purpose.
You can't even tell you hit something until the back end hits u in the ***. lol (stock rear so far)

I pissed of my friend that was riding with me that day cuz I did nothing but talk about how amazed I was with them.

And motowoz asks u a million questions when setting the shocks up for you, I'm surprised they didn't ask for my mother maiden name and SS # :P

[bradley300]

Originally posted by Pappy
I believe Elka could possibly do a different valving set up, however most of the issues we have ever had with Elkas were related simply to the rider NOT running hard enough to use the shock. (in other words a softer or more plush ride was needed if not going WFO)
.

sounds to me like elka valves the rebound too fast then?

[bradley300]

Originally posted by Pappy

Never, repeat NEVER have I had an issue with an Elka after Derisi, GT Thunder or C&D have re worked the shocks,


this just validates the thread that elka's are crap from the factory

[bradley300]

Originally posted by Pappy
, but saying they suck is kind of a lame statement.

how is that? if i'm paying for what elka calls a "custom set upshock just for me" why the hell do i have to spend even more money just so someone that isnt elka go thru the shocks and make them what they are suposed to be to begin with?

and another thing, i KNOW yann from elka is on this site at least occasionaly, i think it would go a long way for someone that high up in the company respond to at least a few of these elka bashing threads. like you said pappy, they could use some feedback

BTW, ive only been on here 5 years or so, and still havent figured out how to use multiple quotes in one post:confused:

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by bradley300


BTW, ive only been on here 5 years or so, and still havent figured out how to use multiple quotes in one post:confused:

me neither:ermm:

[korniev]

Originally posted by d3ktrix

I love these things, feels like I'm ridding a Cadillac.
:P

That is a great way to put it!!! Definitely feels like Escalade:)))

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by korniev
That is a great way to put it!!! Definitely feels like Escalade:)))

Somehow I dont think thats the cadillac he was referring to...

[korniev]

He was right, riding Motowoz feels like riding a Cadillac!!

[MO-EX-RIDER]

my $.02....as an elka owner mine came in on the stiff side for my riding....are they junk? no they performed better than stock, but after colby @ c&d worked his magic on them, i'm extremely happy with them now. and the revalve was'nt as much $ as most people think!!

[quad2xtreme]

My new Stadium Suspension shocks are great. I can't believe the difference. I can feel a difference just from changing the low or high speed compression 2 clicks.

I have a set of Elkas on my 400ex. It doesn't seem to make one bit of difference whether the dial is turned all the way in and then off 2-3 clicks or if you just turn it out all the way. I've had them rebuilt 3 times by Elka and it didn't seem to make a difference. They are pretty shocks though. :D

My advice to anyone buying shocks is to talk to several people who service the various brands. They certainly aren't all built the same on the inside.

/Jon

[pudamac12]

Originally posted by MO-EX-RIDER
my $.02....as an elka owner mine came in on the stiff side for my riding....are they junk? no they performed better than stock, but after colby @ c&d worked his magic on them, i'm extremely happy with them now. and the revalve was'nt as much $ as most people think!!

i believe what everyone is saying is that if elka is still asking top dollar then they should be taking the time to set them up as well as the other companies. They are only hurting themselves if they are too ignorant to not listen to the people and think that they can keep sending out improperly setup shocks and then just sending new springs to fix every problem with setup that they have. I dont think that you should have to spend any extra money when paying that much for any shock out there including works.

[ckasper18]

As far as shocks go how manyrides you have on them best shocks in the world motowoz almost sounds like you do more with them shocks then intended i have several different sets of shocks and they all serve there purpose dun rode the motowoz a few times nice shock but not on race quad i had to send them in to get revalved but still nice from the start just like my elkas fox and pep setups.no body is perfect not even you

[400exrider0004]

bradley300 unless you had your shocks revalved by GT, I talked to Santo about the info they need when revalving shocks. He did not include all of the things you listed. He did mention weight, type of riding, how you ride, and if you run aftermarket a-arms.

Now I disagree when you guys think ELKA is total crap. Apart from being one of the leading companies in the motorsport world, more than likely selling more product than any other suspension company, and being a very respected company....did you take a second to think that the reason for your bad suspension setup might be because of you. Do you tell Elka that you a better rider than you actually are, and that is why your setup is bad? When you say something you aren't you will get a stiffer ride and in the end be unhappy with the company that sent you the product. But this is your guys opinion and this is mine.

[korniev]

Originally posted by ckasper18
the motowoz a few times nice shock but not on race quad i had to send them in to get revalved but still nice from the start j


First person I see that says this! Probably you got them used and that is why you had send them to get the rebuild

[ckasper18]

Originally posted by korniev
First person I see that says this! Probably you got them used and that is why you had send them to get the rebuild Wrong again you jump to conclusions way to fast

[korniev]

Whatever man, you can be happy to be the first person on this forum to not REALLY like Motowoz shock!!
Congrats!!!

[400exrider707]

Can we just let this thread die now?:ermm:

[Chino886]

Originally posted by 400exrider707
Can we just let this thread die now?:ermm:

I agree!

Ride what you like! If you don't like one shock don't buy it! I have not ridden them all so I did not come in here to tell you what I thought!

I still have several brands, styles of shocks to try.

:devil:

[ThePhantomRider]

A great shock should do the following.

1) Have the ability to be set up exactly how the rider likes....


2) Within that initial setup, have the adjustability to compensate for most track conditions as well as changes the shock may go through in a race.

3) Be durable enough to last for any given race be it MX, XC, Desert etc.

The thing is to be able to keep it simple.

Wether you are in the camp of 3-4 spring setups and 5 adjusters to get somthing right or another company that can do as well or better with 1-2 springs and a couple of adjusters, just find what works best and stick with it.

TPR

[ckasper18]

Originally posted by korniev
Whatever man, you can be happy to be the first person on this forum to not REALLY like Motowoz shock!!
Congrats!!! There you go again I never said i did not like them they are nice shocks there just not on the race bike

[reconmaster]

honestly if you want your shocks done to your specs buy them and get them fine tuned same thing as your motor you can sink the money into find the best pipe but without the fine tuning of your carb its not gonna work 110% to your standards
i haven't ridden any aftermarket shock outside of elka and i honestly couldn't complain a thing about them sure as heck was alot better than my 300ex set up