I think my Elkas are jacked up

Well I've seen lots of thread about how bad their elkas are or were before they sold them,,yada yada yada. Not this thread...nothin but good things to say.. For some reason they worked flawlessly and never gave me any problems..:confused:


I went to a full set of elkas all the way around and had them mainly setup for XC over MX. This weekend I got the chance to use them on the MX track for the first time. I truly can't say enough about these shocks and how well they perform in both the woods and on the MX track. I did have to make some adjustments but nothing major or time consuming. For those that have had problems in the past I dont' understand why. If your bottoming them out..tell the guys your ordering them from your fat like i did,,,don't be skeert. Tellin them your 150 when your really 210 with gear on i'm sure will make a difference in how they perform.. I am thoroughly impressed and VERY pleased with the purchase of the elka's and I'm glad i went with them over other brands on the market.. The time frame from when i ordered them to my door was around 10 days or less and they were setup perfect for me right outa the box..:macho

I didn't know what to expect from them on my first trip out and takin big jumps but I guess they did a pretty good job because I finished in 1st place...:muscle:

[Pappy]

i dont believe ya cuz elka sucks:eek:

[Doibugu2]

Man, I thought you were going to tear them a new a hole or something. I figured maybe you realized they were broke or something.

My elka's did cause me to go over the bars this past weeked. I had to stop all of a sudden because someone was heading straight at me while on a trail. I had ridden on them a couple of times and new they were a little too soft, and I was just to lazy to click the knob a few more times to stiffen them up. Well I slamed on the brakes on the hill and because they were so soft the front end compressed so much it threw me over the bars. So after that I turned the knob a few more clicks and it's all good now. (could have been the beer, too:devil )

Rico talked me into these dumb things, and he wasn't even there to see me wipe!

(but I'm glad I got these over an exhaust first)

[Pappy]

lol....he earned a jackass award and the first hatfield ride is still a few days away:devil

Originally posted by Pappy
lol....he earned a jackass award and the first hatfield ride is still a few days away:devil


ROFLMFAO....:devil

[RiPPiNiTuP7]

Very nice Rico :macho

[Ex'r Marlin]

Big congrats on a first place finish!:)

I don't know how many different Elka shock revisions they have gone through, but I noticed several changes since I got mine in December of 2001.

I too am very pleased with my setup "right out of the box" with no concerns or issues to date.

Friends that got theirs months after me have had some issues:
The front shock plastic crossover / spacer used shattered. (Mike Brown)... Elka replaced.
The rear shock lost its' charge for unknown reason. (Mike Brown) He did not know it until he rode mine and felt a huge difference... But since recharge... All is well.
Setup not to his liking. (Lenny, 440ex4me), but after several adjustments, and hours of dialing them in, he loves them.:)

Note: I know Elka keeps working on perfecting these shocks. Hopefully whoever gets a set of aftermarket shocks has the luck that I have had.

Best wishes Rico!:)

Way to go Rico :macho

I had asked you this on another thread but are you saying there wasnt anything that you would change in the set up for running mx other than the ext clickers?

Have to think that if handles the big jumps etc it cant be all that plush on the trail obstacles and stuff.

I know if I was to be looking at riding mostly mx I would be revalving and deff adding more rebound to the fronts etc.




Setup not to his liking. (Lenny, 440ex4me), but after several adjustments, and hours of dialing them in, he loves them. Its still an ongoing process and I dont expect it to ever end, and yes I think there great especially for the price.

The difference between this set up when I first got it to now that I have dialed it in 80% near perfect is amazing. I think that since suspension set up is as important as it is confusing makes it something that you need to get into. I have rode on shocks that the owner loved and I thought I was getting beat up, so everything is relative to what you know or are used to. I am not any syspension pro or what ever but I know when my arse is getting thrown around by the quad and not working properly.

Maybe if we all thought about how this all works and what is going on in our own quad we would be better able to fix the problems instead of complaining. Its too bad that there isnt better info on this avail for us as that would help also.



Now the problem is how to figure out getting that other 20% dialed in :D

[YZROOSTINYA]

u callin my momma fat?

[AtvMxRider]

Rico who did you steal that trophy from? ;) :devil :D . J/P congrats on the first place. Did you get any pics of the race?

[wyndzer]

He didn't tell ya'll that he was the only old man there did he:devil

[Rip_Tear]

Scared me for a second RICO! Glad to hear you like your elka's! For those of you having problems, if you haven't already, get them rebuilt and see how they are after that... (Elka rushes too often, their company isn't big enough for quads etc..) I plan on getting Elka shocks, but that won't be for a while now. Good job on the race Rico! :)

[QuadTrix6]

nice rico ;)

[Brad]

congrats

how much $$$$$ did u win?

[wyndzer]

Originally posted by Brad
congrats

wat was the purse?

??? He was carrying his purse and wearing his dress:eek2:

Lenny...doing both MX and XC i gotta deal with the shocks not being able to fully perform as they can. Before the mx race i stiffened the preload just a tad,,and up'd the compression 5 clicks out from full hard,,front and back. I still haven't spent the time to do all the minor minor tweaks..i'm happy right now and really don't have the time or place to do the final adjustments..but i am takin note of all the changes i am making for different racing area's and terrain. I just deal with it and roll with the punches.. I can definitly ride faster with these shocks at both MX and XC compared to what i had before so there is no negatives on this end what so ever. The shocks are working exactly like i had them built I think...but what do i know..I'm starting to ride faster and win races so it's big thumbs up from me...:D

So Lenny...are you comin to Hatfield with marlin or you gonna stay home and iron yer skirt...:eek: :devil

[z400ACDC]

Just think how fast you could be with Axis:D

Originally posted by z400ACDC
Just think how fast you could be with Axis:D

What is Axis??:confused:

[Pappy]

Originally posted by Rico

So Lenny...are you comin to Hatfield with marlin or you gonna stay home and iron yer skirt...:eek: :devil

id say marlin would show...but lenny:rolleyes: he is a fair weather rider and i dont think he can handle all the entertainment:devil :blah

[z400ACDC]

Originally posted by Rico
What is Axis??:confused:

If you look at the front of the pro GNCC and GNC, you will see! Go KY KULT:macho :blah

I am gonna sum it all up in one word LMFGDAO


You guys are too much.

[Chef]

Hey, if they look good enough on there, then who cares if they work or not!:p

What entertainment, you gals puttin on a show?

[Dave400ex]

I also have had nothing but the best of luck with my Elka's. They have been top notch so far and I have had no problems to date. They work, look, and feel the same as the day I got them. I have messed with the settings and got them even better for XC riding.
What do you guys look at/for on the shocks to see if everything is how it's suppose to be still?

Originally posted by z400ACDC
If you look at the front of the pro GNCC and GNC, you will see! Go KY KULT:macho :blah

GO KY WILDCATS....:blah


Chef...the new TT quad is lookin a little pissed off.....:bandit:

[Pappy]

Originally posted by 440EX4me
What entertainment, you gals puttin on a show?

there is always a show at hatfield:devil

the legend and the drunk guy

wyndzer and the firewood chic...I SAID FIRE WOOD:cool:

errrrrrrrdaaaadddyyy and that screamin chic:confused:

and more that i cannot speak of in mixed company:o
--------------------------------------------------------------------


chef....them springs have got to go
:scary:

[Ex'r Marlin]

Question Rico:

Are you saying that you noticed an improvement with your new setup over your Works front shocks and your rebuild rear?

i dont see much of axis no more its elka elka elka a lil pep and tcs

[Ty's400]

How did those new Kenda tires work out for you? Do they work and hook up good?

[Mr_Bub400ex]

good job rico... man i wish i lived down there so i could go riding with all of ya..i vote for an edmonton alberta ride!!

Originally posted by Ex'r Marlin
Question Rico:

Are you saying that you noticed an improvement with your new setup over your Works front shocks and your rebuild rear?

Yes..hands down. The other setup worked great too but I can really see a difference with the new elka setup. Also the other setup I had was strickly for MX and now that I"m doing more XC i decided to have them setup a little more for XC. I can fully understand what Lenny is asking..i just don't have the cash to run 2 full sets of shocks for 2 types of racing..one type of racing is expensive enough..:ermm:

I can say one thing..the harder you ride the elka's in the rough stuff the better they work..Not saying they don't handle all the small stuff cuz they do with ease..but If you ride like a girly-mon then these are not the shocks for you...WFO is were elka's shine I think...:D

[Sparks425Ex]

I agree. Mine are working 110%

[user101]

i agree with ya 100%

[user101]

:D :eek2:

[Dave400ex]

User101 how did you get your Front end to sit higher? Mine sags like a mofo?

[Mr_Bub400ex]

u probably have ur shocks set up with SSD for the guy above me ^^^ i dunno if u can take it off or not

[Dave400ex]

Yeah I do have SSD I could try messing with those top adjusters...

run 2 full sets of shocks for 2 types of racing.

Never even thought of that :)

How about 2 quads one for XC and the other for MX :D

[bandit390]

Your elkas might not be jacked up. But the price is.

[raptor_02]

ELKA's rule. ASK DOUG GUST:D :D

[cjpoole1]

Originally posted by Rico
What is Axis??:confused:
Something you would probably still be waiting to recieve:eek: :)

[QuadTrix6]

Originally posted by cjpoole1
Something you would probably still be waiting to recieve:eek: :)

how longs the wait ?

[user101]

dave, me shocks have the ssd. i ordered them from the Quadshop and i have never changed hem. i will take a close up pic of the shock when i get home today

[400grl]

Here's my baby with the Triplerate 0-preloads....lookie how low it is! I LIKE IT!!!! I, too, love my Elkas. No problems here......

[QuadTrix6]

Originally posted by freeride132
i dont see much of axis no more its elka elka elka a lil pep and tcs


what shocks did the last site sponsor carry ?...ELKA...they pushed elka so people bought that...;) then people push what they buy so.....you know how it is on the forum, what you got is the best

[400grl]

My boyfriend has new Axis dual rates on his Rappy......I like them, but am surprised that they don't make triple rates and that they aren't s adjustable as my shocks.......why doesn't AXIS make triple rates? Or do they and I'm just blond?:rolleyes: :D

[Doibugu2]

Originally posted by QuadTrix6
what shocks did the last site sponsor carry ?...ELKA...they pushed elka so people bought that...;) then people push what they buy so.....you know how it is on the forum, what you got is the best

Thats a load of crap. When I bought my Elka's they were a lot cheaper than Pep or Axis. I would never wait 5 months for a set of shocks, even if I didn't ride during that time.

I bought mine because they were the cheapest, most of the people here liked them, and I could get them in unders 2 weeks. I also did not go through the QS.

[400grl]

I bought Elka because they were just a little more than the Works shocks, but I had heard much better quality. And I only had to wait a little less than two weeks for them......plus they looked nice. I didn't buy them because of this site........:confused:

Originally posted by QuadTrix6
what shocks did the last site sponsor carry ?...ELKA...they pushed elka so people bought that...;) then people push what they buy so.....you know how it is on the forum, what you got is the best

[Pappy]

it used to be about the price. but when i buy my next set i will buy axis thru the QS. elka is a great shock but since the price increase ill just add a few dolla's and get the axis

[Dave400ex]

Yeah Elka raising the price up was very dumb on their part. If I was looking at LT I think TCS or PEP would be the way to go because they charge the same as the standard shock price. Axis and Elka need to look in to that. I still think Elka and Axis offer some of, if not the best LT shocks, just at a higher price...

[Pappy]

Originally posted by Pappy
it used to be about the price. but when i buy my next set i will buy axis thru the QS. elka is a great shock but since the price increase ill just add a few dolla's and get the axis

i just compared my prices...ill stay with elka :cool:

[QuadTrix6]

Originally posted by 400grl
I didn't buy them because of this site........:confused:

I was talking about most of the people not all. i know some didnt but a lot of people went through the quadshop because Jeff praised them and had many good experiences with them.

[QuadTrix6]

Originally posted by Doibugu2
Thats a load of crap. I would never wait 5 months for a set of shocks, even if I didn't ride during that time.

Who has a 5 month wait?:confused: Last i checked PEP was 2 :blah And if you go at the right time you can get them in a month :eek: and i know Axis has a shorter wait then PEP

[Taco]

Originally posted by QuadTrix6
I was talking about most of the people not all. i know some didnt but a lot of people went through the quadshop because Jeff praised them and had many good experiences with them. Last i checked most people have went with Elka b/c of the high quality and cheaper price.

[Chanman420q]

3 questions...

1. Rico did u say in your first post that u should get them dialed in at a lower wait then what you are..?

2. Axis doesnt make tripple rate? or is that just because its a raptor.. like the 300ex blaster, banshee they can only have double rates.

3. I forgot

Ok I wasnt gonna do this (caues I am gettin tired of repeating myself) but one last time.

Every single shock brand that has been discussed in this thread is a quality product that will perform well, and extremely well if everthing is set up right.

I dont think many people would take the time to do the research on shocks and suspension that I did just over a year ago. I looked into pricing, performance, delivery, rider feedback, valving design, track record, repair and rebuild expense, customer service, shaft size, rezz types avail, piston travel and lots lots more.

Much of the information I needed wasnt avail. for direct comparison like on performance or feedback from riders who had used more than one shock on there quad etc. , so I had to look more into design, finish and materials used etc. There was also a large amount of importance on service as I had come to the conclusion that spring rates, valving and set up would all come into dialing it in and that I would need the help of the shock and suspension mfg's to get this right and might even need to have some things changed for optimum performance.

So no the site sponsors had little if anything to do with my final decision beyond there own experiences with various shocks etc. but Chad Duval winning the overall on triple rate elka's did have an effect on the performance issue in favor of Elka.


Maybe what we need to do is get a quad to do some testing on and then get all the major mfg's to "lend" a set of their a-arms and shocks etc and we could do some performance and install type testing to see what does work better, but I doubt it would ever happen cause the "element of suprise" does work to the mfg's advantage. I mean that in order to find what works better you have to buy them all and thats great for sales .

[400grl]

Well - it's cool having several race quads in our family and different preferences when it comes to aftermarket parts.....we get to compare our stuff with each other. For instance - my boyfriend had White Bros WP shocks at first on his Raptor (after the stockers, of course). They were nice, but I was surprised that he paid so much for them and they were only single rate shocks (they are now discontinued). We were looking for shocks for me, and I finally decided on the Elkas.......I got them and LOVE them. They are set up just right for me and the applications for which I use them.
A little time goes by, and we get a killer sponsorship deal from AXIS........I decided to keep my Elkas even though I could have gotten my AXIS shocks for a tremendous deal. That's how happy I was with my Elkas. I gave over my "deal" to my boyfriend, who went with AXIS (because it would have been insane not to take them) - he waited 5 weeks for his shocks (not a bad wait at all, I think!) and talked to the gentleman building them a few times (VERY NICE GUY!!!! - AXIS has great customer service!!!) and now he has them on the Raptor. I was surprised that they were not triple rate.....and I don't think it's because he has a Raptor - I just don't think they make a triple rate shock. At least not yet.........

His AXIS are beautiful, well crafted shocks - and a vast improvement over his single rate WP's........but because they aren't triple rates, they just don't feel as cushy as my Elkas. So - basically, it all boils down to personal preference....at least for us.

Now we get to do a real comparison over time - I'm curious to see how our shocks perform side by side....we ride the same terrain and race the same races, so it should be a pretty fair test! I think these days, the shock makers are getting very competitive with each other, and the differences between the brands just aren't as marked as they were, say, 2 or three years ago...........

:rolleyes: Don't really know where this post was headed once I read it over!!!:D Just thinkin' out loud, I guess!!!:blah ;)

[Dave400ex]

Axis does make a Triple Rate. Go to K&K ATV.com and check out Axis. They are listed...

[400grl]

Really? Kewl! I'm there- I'll check it out!:eek2: :D

Don't really know where this post was headed once I read it over!!! Just thinkin' out loud, I guess!!!

Dont worry bout that we can see the blonde hair :D ;)

[400grl]

LOL!!!:D oooooo....and I saw some triple rate AXIS.....yuuuummmmmmyyyyyyyy:devil

[lil400exman]

that's what i got 400grl i got axis triple rates 19 long travel on +4's:eek2: ;)

[400grl]

If I could find that drooly smiley face I'd post it riiiiiiiiggght here!
---->

[Dave400ex]

Raptor must only use dual rate Axis...