GNCC Pro Rider #14 Andy Lagzdins
My Elka long-travel rear shock and two-piece linkage showed up last week. Tony and I installed it on my practice quad right away to hopefully get some time on it before the West Virginia GNCC this coming weekend. Some obvious differences from the old parts were the dual-rate spring, a 1 1/2" longer overall shock length, and the rebound adjuster now located on the side of the shock clevis. Everything went together smoothly, and no extra parts or modifications were needed. The only modification needed for some quads would be swingarm skidplate clearancing. All the linkage bearings and seals are included and installed.
Off we went to the local thrashing area to set up the shock. We set the ride height where we usually have it at 7 3/4" with rider. The compression and rebound settings come unadjusted from Elka, and we set them by doing laps around the motocross track and making adjustments until it felt right. When we were done, it felt at least as good as the setup I have been using.
The next day we went racing at Foot of the Mountain in PA. The track was very rocky and rooty with alot of small sharp hits all through the woods sections. The setting we had ended up with on the moto track was a little harsh for this kind of terrain, but it was good enough to finish 2nd overall behind Chris Borich, although I was 3+ minutes behind him at the finish. The shock really soaked up the chopped up straights well, and with the settings I had, it's strong point was hard high-speed hits. The new linkage, which hangs lower than before, did not make a difference when riding the quad. The angle of the linkage deflects real well, and even though I don't run any protection under the linkage, there wasn't that much damage after the race. The track was one of those where you see skidplates and other quad parts laying on the course as the race goes on!
A view of Andy Lagzdins Elka Dual Pro Linkage installed on his Duncan/Roll 470R
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