Fox Racing Shocks Review...

[daveinva]

... is coming soon.



Sorry to be such a tease... ordered a set off eBay last night, should have it here early next week. To establish the baseline, I ride a 2010 RS with stock shocks set at max *and* the Evo anti-sway bar installed. We'll see soon enough what the Fox shocks do for me.

Oh, and because I know I'll hear the "why Fox?" soon enough: because *someone* had to go first, duh.

I didn't want to do the RT shocks upgrade, others have done that before and reported back. I'd have loved to go the Elkas route, but let's face it, money *is* an object, and I admit that I have a hard time buying the "entry level" Elkas-- I'd always feel like I should bought the better, more expensive Elkas (I'm weird that way).

That, and frankly, I swore I was done putting any more big ticket items on my RS. I strongly suspect that an RT is in my future in the next few years. I know that if/when I pull the trigger on the RT, I'm going ALL OUT on upgrades for it, to include the Stage 5 Elkas. For the time being, however, I just wanted to do reasonable and affordable upgrades, and I think (hope?) the Fox are in the "sweet spot" to last me a couple of years of fun riding.

Verdict soon...

[5PYD3R]

So I assume it is ok to put Fox shocks on 2008-2010? Keep us posted because it is definitely something I would like to do. I feel the same as you about the Elka's. Definitely cant just get entry level!

[daveinva]

So I assume it is ok to put Fox shocks on 2008-2010? Keep us posted because it is definitely something I would like to do. I feel the same as you about the Elka's. Definitely cant just get entry level!

*Should* be okay... at least that's the opinion around these parts. Legalese likely required the disclaimer that they're rated only for 2011-2012, but I'm expecting them to fit just fine on the 2010. We'll see soon enough .

[Chitown Newbie]

I had a local dealer (Jim Potts - good guys) install Fox shocks last Saturday...I have 11 RS.

Ryde on the corners was pretty smooth but I need mire than 30 miles to test them fully...I will write a review as soon as I get more time on them.

[daveinva]

The shocks, they are installed!

Ordered them last Sunday off eBay, used this seller:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Can-Am-Spyde...item2a15cee73e

Great price, and they arrived here in Northern Virginia today via standard UPS. I knew they were here today via tracking so I snuck out of work a little early to run home and install them. (shhhh )

Installation was simple enough, literally anyone can do it (I used a 15mm socket and a 15mm combo wrench, that and a jack is all you need). Removed the foglight panels to expose the shocks. Jack up the front of the Spyder to free the wheels. Unbolt the stock shocks, bolt in the new ones. Easy as anything, albeit a bit time consuming (about an hour) simply removing tupperware/unthreading bolts/etc., etc.

I don't have a torque wrench handy, so I just tightened them up as good as I could get them. I'm taking the Spyder in for my 6K service next week, I may have my tech just do a once-over the bolts to ensure they're at spec.

Oh, and for the record: they absolutely fit on a 2010 RS. No install issues whatsoever.

That said, the front page of the installation instructions has a slew of disclaimers on them about how they're rated for 2011-2012 RS Spyders only, installing them on earlier Spyders may upset the VSS, etc., etc. Again, I get why they say that, but I gather the same would be true of *any* aftermarket shock, i.e. you're running the same "risk" by installing Elkas as you are by the Fox shocks.

Anyway, had just enough time after the install to make a late afternoon run down the George Washington Parkway. Nothing severe in the twisties department, just your normal well-paved blacktop, but an easy benchmark for me since I ride it constantly.

My initial thoughts:
-- They're niiiiiiiice
-- Not *dramatically* so, however. The leap in performance from not having an Evo swaybar and putting that on was a bigger leap than replacing the stock shocks with the Fox shocks. If both of them together are a 100% improvement, I'd put the sway bar *at least* 60%, if not 70% of the improvement.
-- I adjusted them to max stiffness to start (I've always ridden my stock shocks at max, why change now?). Adjustment is easy-- just jack up the Spyder to unload the shocks, then you can hand twist the shock adjuster, simple as that.

With the Fox shocks you definitely feel a bit more bumpage at the front riding over rough roads. Not unsettling, never uncomfortable (bumps at the *rear* wheel suck far more, as every Spyder rider well knows), but you can certainly feel them over the stock shocks.
-- That all said, they're niiiiiice.

I only rode about 40 miles on them, a more thorough review will come after a longer ride I hope to take this Monday, but within miles I noticed plenty more stability on smooth roads (that "riding on rails" effect), and I was taking offramps and turns at least 5-8 miles faster than I did with the stock shocks. Whereas before I still spent time taking those fast turns by shifting my butt over to the inside and hugging the tank with my knees, now I was taking those same turns faster *just by leaning my upper torso* (and still hugging the tank), no butt shift was necessary.

That, my friends, is an improvement in handling.

Anyway, for $400 and an easy install, the Fox shocks seem like they'll be a great upgrade for any RS owner. I'll have my final verdict after my next big ride through some *real* twisties...

[pro10is]

Thanks for the review. Can't wait to read more.

[Sarge707]

Thanks for the review, Being fairly New I think more will come and the more choices the better!

[daveinva]

As promised, a few more thoughts on the shocks...

Rode out to West Virginia yesterday-- wild AND wonderful, indeed!-- and spent a few hours and about 270 miles putting the shocks through a healthy workout.

My initial verdict is confirmed: a solid upgrade to the stock shocks. Again, nothing dramatic; obviously improved handling, but nothing that makes one go "HOLY ".

I will say that the better shocks do make me ride a little closer to the "edge" than I'm used to. Meaning, with the stock shocks and swaybar upgraded, I'd take a 35 mph corner ~45 mph leaned off to the inside and feel pretty well-planted, with margin to spare.

With the Fox shocks, I can take that 35 mph corner ~45 mph square in the saddle, ~50+ mph leaned off inside... BUT at that higher speed I don't feel quite as planted as before, i.e. I'm taking the corners faster, but I don't believe the Spyder has as much margin as before. I never did lift the wheel/trip the Nanny yesterday, but I definitely felt like I came much closer to doing so than I have since back before I first put the Evo swaybar on.

Interestingly, part of the great fun in riding the RS is how much "feel" comes through the bike once you get used to it. I could tell how much grip I had on the road in corners just through the way the bike felt against my inner thighs, I could tell when the rear wheel would kick out a bit and when I'd get away with gassing it through a turn, or when I'd have to roll off throttle/hit the brakes. While I've felt that kind of connection before on the RS, the Fox shocks definitely "translated" a lot more of that feeling to me than the stock suspension. I admit, it was a bit disconcerting at first how different the bike felt, but over time it got more addictive (of course!).

Lastly, for those thinking of going this route, I think the Fox shocks are about as much as anyone would want to do without also upgrading the rear shock as well. If I gave any more upgrade up front I think that'd overwhelm the rear suspension, right now it seems to be at the max the rear wants to handle.

Bottom line: they're worth $400, money well spent.

[pro10is]

Great review, thank you! It finally sheds some light on how the Fox shocks perform. Please keep us posted on any further thoughts.

Do the Fox shocks raise the height of the front end over stock? The Elka shocks raise the front by 2-3 inches and I was wondering if the Fox shocks do the same.

[daveinva]

Great review, thank you! It finally sheds some light on how the Fox shocks perform. Please keep us posted on any further thoughts.

Do the Fox shocks raise the height of the front end over stock? The Elka shocks raise the front by 2-3 inches and I was wondering if the Fox shocks do the same.

Ya know, I had read that about the Elkas just before I installed the Fox shocks, I was worried that would happen to me. That said, I haven't noticed any height increase-- if there is any, it's minimal.

[pro10is]

Ya know, I had read that about the Elkas just before I installed the Fox shocks, I was worried that would happen to me. That said, I haven't noticed any height increase-- if there is any, it's minimal.

Good to know. An increase in height would be very undesirable for a multitude of reasons.

Ever since the Fox Shocks became available from BRP I've been wondering why BRP didn't go with Elkas for a factory approved performance shock upgrade, especially since Elka is a fellow Canadian company located right in Quebec, same as BRP. Elka had performance shocks readily available for the Spyder. I've always assumed BRP went with Fox due to the lower cost. However if Elka shocks raise the height of the Spyder by 2-3 inches, BRP may have rejected this as a design issue. They would of course be concerned of the net effect of the shocks on the VSS parameters. Raising the front end would also raise the center of mass, which in turn might lower the total available traction, which would mean the VSS would have to be recalibrated. They would not want to have to provide a different level of VSS software for Spyders that had factory approved performance shocks installed. This is all speculation of course but it does make you wonder.

[zrc]

While we might have Elka's on our mind, the Fox brand might be a name that draws in people from other walks of life. Something more "hey I have heard of that..."

Marketing marketing marketing.

[daveinva]

While we might have Elka's on our mind, the Fox brand might be a name that draws in people from other walks of life. Something more "hey I have heard of that..."

Marketing marketing marketing.

Yeah, my understanding is that Fox is a big name in the ATV world, i.e. hasn't BRP/Can-Am been using them as upgrades for a while on their ATVs? If so, then the synergy is understandable.

[zrc]

Yeah, my understanding is that Fox is a big name in the ATV world, i.e. hasn't BRP/Can-Am been using them as upgrades for a while on their ATVs? If so, then the synergy is understandable.

I hereby fine you 5 dollars for the use of the word synergy to discuss this situation. (I <3 words that are made up like synergy, and I understand you didnt make it up, but someone somewhere did and they are appaulding you now!)

[daveinva]

I hereby fine you 5 dollars for the use of the word synergy to discuss this situation. (I <3 words that are made up like synergy, and I understand you didnt make it up, but someone somewhere did and they are appaulding you now!)

Hey, you're the one who brought up marketing, I had to speak like a marketeer.

[Trooper]

To make a very long story short, Elka's focus since our existence has been the strictly aftermarket with customized suspension that caters to the customers direct needs rather than the OEM market which Fox has focused on.

As for the raised height, the current vehicle suspension setup is incredibly unstable, hence why we have had so much success selling our products. Our development was based around the feedback that came directly from the customer base that ride the Spyders. We listened and came up with a solution that worked best amongst the many configurations that we tried, including using progressive or duo spring rates....which did not provide enough stability; the BIGGEST issue at hand with the stock machines.

[daveinva]

As for the raised height, the current vehicle suspension setup is incredibly unstable, hence why we have had so much success selling our products.

Hyperbole, methinks doth protest too much...

(No one is claiming the Elkas aren't a huge improvement, but... c'mon man ).

[reggystan]

Ok, I'm going to chime in here with the Fox shocks but not on an RS but on my RT. Most will probably scratch their heads why I put the Fox on my RT but for me it was an experiment as I feel the damping on the factory shock just really does not do the bike any justice. One thing I noticed right away is how the RT likes to wonder all over the highway at high speeds even with the low 23" windshield. So I ordered a set of fox a couple months ago and put it on the RT. Right out of the bay I noticed the RT still rode just as comfortably as it did before but it really stiffened up the bike considerably from side to side sway. You can test this just when the bike is sitting still, pull on the bars and shake the bike vs a stock or even that from other aftermarket shocks and you can tell the Fox shocks are very firm compared to all the others. Ride it and you will feel the difference right away. High speed runs on the highway is now very predictable and the bike does not get blown away from the wind or even passing the big trucks. I was quite surprised to say the least and these shocks were made for the RS?

So to just give the RT a fair shake I had a chance to ride a new stock RT the other day and I took it for a nice long ride on the highway. Right from the start I can already feel a difference and how the bike was being pushed around and how soft it feels even with the air shocks cranked all the way up. This assured me that I made the right choice. I've let other RT owners tried it and as soon as they go down the block they can feel a difference. They ordered up a set that day. The Fox shocks kept the existing ride height and did not raise the RT any higher. One would think when your going down at highway speeds you want the bike to be as low to the ground as possible as to not create lift from the bottom up. This just makes good sense as all sports cars hunker down low during high speeds to eliminate wind lift. Some even lower on their own above certain speeds. For the money you can't beat the $400 that it cost for this setup. So I hope this little tidbit of information helps some of the RT owners as well.

[Sarge707]

[pitbull]

The ride height raise is a huge plus. Being able to adjust the damping is a big plus! We sell both fox and Elka, you can save money by buying fox is a good product. Elka maybe a bit higher but do give you more, stock shocks let you crank on the spring, same as the fox. Elka allows you to adjust on the hydrolicas aswell as the springs. Back to the ride Height, raising the front end a couple of inches put the A-arms in the proper position running slighty downward to the wheels. We offer both shocks and sell Elka hands down over fox. Bottom line, Elka is behind you and for you, working hard to keep us in the best supension available. Its a 16,000.00 to 30,000.00 ryde it's worth the investment to have the best.

[spyder stryder]

As for the shocks if each brand has the same valving on compression & rebound there would be no difference in
how they control the roll or the sway of the spyder. This is controled by the anti roll bar & the spring rate.The
shock will control how fast the weight rolls from side to side as in roll over & rebound back. In stock form the
spring & shock package is on the soft side for high speed handeling an it gives the spyder a floating around feel.
As the spyder sits in stock form lets say the lower & upper arms are level with each other & the ground.This will
give what is refered to as ground level roll cener height. If the spyder has a center of gravity height of lets say 40"
above ground with a 0" roll center then you will have a 40" moment arm which will cause it to roll a lot very easy.
If you raise the spyders ride height up the inner piviot points will raise heigher than the outer piviot points & this
will lower the roll center. Lets say it drops 2" below the ground level with the same center of gravity height you will
now have a moment arm of 42" & this will cause the spyder to try & roll more ( longer lever to pull weight over).
If the spyder was lowered so the inner piviot points drop below the outer point the roll center will raise up. Now
lets say it is 3" above the ground with the center of gravity at 40" then you will have a moment arm of 37" &
less leverage to pull the weight over thus less roll. Keep in mind the anti sway bar & springs control how much it rolls
& The shocks control how fast the roll happens & how it rebounds. No matter if two shock companys or ten companys
are building the shocks if they use the same valving you will have the same results or so close 99.9% of the guys can't
tell the difference.I bet this will open a very large can of worms & probley even hurt some feelings. A complete tuned
suspension will out work a half azz on any day.Just be careful about going to far as you will get some bad results.

spyder stryder

[spyderdmb1621]

I AGREE with Reggie- I liked what he did with the fox shocks on the RT so much, i did the same, I put the Fox Shocks on my RT-S and its a huge difference...strongly recomend.

As for the shocks if each brand has the same valving on compression & rebound there would be no difference in
how they control the roll or the sway of the spyder. This is controled by the anti roll bar & the spring rate.The
shock will control how fast the weight rolls from side to side as in roll over & rebound back. In stock form the
spring & shock package is on the soft side for high speed handeling an it gives the spyder a floating around feel.
As the spyder sits in stock form lets say the lower & upper arms are level with each other & the ground.This will
give what is refered to as ground level roll cener height. If the spyder has a center of gravity height of lets say 40"
above ground with a 0" roll center then you will have a 40" moment arm which will cause it to roll a lot very easy.
If you raise the spyders ride height up the inner piviot points will raise heigher than the outer piviot points & this
will lower the roll center. Lets say it drops 2" below the ground level with the same center of gravity height you will
now have a moment arm of 42" & this will cause the spyder to try & roll more ( longer lever to pull weight over).
If the spyder was lowered so the inner piviot points drop below the outer point the roll center will raise up. Now
lets say it is 3" above the ground with the center of gravity at 40" then you will have a moment arm of 37" &
less leverage to pull the weight over thus less roll. Keep in mind the anti sway bar & springs control how much it rolls
& The shocks control how fast the roll happens & how it rebounds. No matter if two shock companys or ten companys
are building the shocks if they use the same valving you will have the same results or so close 99.9% of the guys can't
tell the difference.I bet this will open a very large can of worms & probley even hurt some feelings. A complete tuned
suspension will out work a half azz on any day.Just be careful about going to far as you will get some bad results.

spyder stryder

[spyder stryder]

I know most of you guys understand that if you could lower the seat on the spyder that this
would lower the total center of gravity which will help a lot. Lets say drop the seat height 10"
if possible & you could control the roll a lot better. Would be nice but not happening.
Just look at it this way a 250# rider goes through several turns & you moniter the roll of the
spyder then use a 150# rider this rider will cause less roll at the same speed. The suspension
has to be tuned for the weight that will be transfered on roll. heigher center of gravity stiffer
suspinsion, lower center of gravity softer suspinsion. Just for the heck of it do you spyder riders
know the different results between these three shock valvings? #1 5 compression 5 rebound
#2 3 compression 5 rebound #3 5 compression 3 rebound.

spyder stryder

[spyder stryder]

Ok, didn't mean to kill the thread or scare everyone off.
As i have said before any shock that is valved correctly
will do a good job. Not knocking any product or anyone
on here. As for myself i wouldn't raise the spyder up any
heigher than the factory height setting. If anything possibly
lower it just a bit. Heck what do i know about suspension.
Just be careful about the stiffeniss you can over do it &
cause yourself a problem.

spyder stryder

[pro10is]

Ok, didn't mean to kill the thread or scare everyone off...

You haven't scared us off. You know your stuff and although they're a bit of a tough read, your posts have been some of the best on the subject.

Here is my take on some of the issues raised in this thread:

Height:
I can't possibly see how raising the height is good, the physics say otherwise. Roadsters benefit from as low a center of mass as possible. If you raise the height you increase load/weight transfer and reduce total available traction. If you raise the height to increase the spring stiffness then you must offset the loss before you see any gains.

Spring Stiffness:
Stiffer springs are advantageous -if- you are willing to trade some ride comfort for reduced roll, reduced lateral load transfer, and better total available traction. However stiffen them too much and not only will you get a jarring ride but the springs will no longer be able to properly absorb bumps and thus track the road. Traction will be reduced and handling will be compromised. In the case of the Spyder, the weight of the driver and passenger is significant and the spring rate should be matched best as possible to account for the total weight.

Use of the Fox Shocks on a RT:
The RT is significantly heavier than the RS. Use of the Fox shocks which have been calibrated only for the RS is not recommended. Elka offers shocks calibrated specifically for the RT.

Fox Adjustable Shock Kit #219400403 vs Elka Stage 1+R vs OEM:
Both brands use stiffer than OEM springs. Stiffer springs may help reduce roll, sway, load/weight transfer, and increase total available traction, -but- at the cost of some ride comfort. Elka offers a customized spring rate based upon the specified weight of the driver/passenger.

Both brands have finer spring preload adjustability than OEM.

Both brands have superior hydraulic dampening over OEM. They employ harder valving to improve handling, again at the cost of some ride comfort. Elka has adjustable rebound dampening for finer tuning of the shock to your riding style. Fox #219400403 does not have this feature. Fox shocks are gas charged to minimize aeration of the hydraulic fluid to ensure performance and to provide slightly softer valving to attempt to maintain comfort while improving handling.

Elka offers personalized support, is a Spyderlovers sponsor, and a regular contributor to forum discussions. Elka offers a range of shock options, both front and rear, for all Spyder models.

Fox #219400403 shocks are sold and endorsed by BRP for use on RS 2011-2012 models only and will not adversely affect the factory Vehicle Stability System. Use on earlier RS/GS models and on all RT models is not endorsed by BRP.

Owner reports on Elka shocks in this and other Spyder forums are plentiful and have been favorable overall. The data is empirical only, no scientifically fact based information has been offered.

To date there have been only a few owner reports on Fox shocks in this and other Spyder forums. They've also been favorable overall. The data is empirical, no scientifically fact based information has been offered.

There have not been any reports to date of a failure of either brand on a Spyder application. However long term reliability is unknown. Both brands are rebuildable.

The Elka Stage 1+R list for $695 (front). The Fox #219400403 lists for $449.