ELKA problem

[anthony422]

Really like my Elka shocks I purchased thru pitbull but got direct from ELKA, ..... shocks may have 750 miles , One leaks so I call ELKA and they tell me the miles on the shock is irrelevant and all that matters is how long I've had them, so that being said its out of warranty. So off to West Virginia to be serviced at my expense.... Its not about the money, but Eric from ELKA tells me that they need to be removed and serviced every year,and we should know that, its in the paper work. Shame on me for not knowing I have to remove my expensive shocks every year and get them repacked,... sorry not really what I had in mind. Eric tells me if you want to drive a Ferrari you have to change the oil...correct? just pretty poor to me

[Tom in NM]

. . . . but I sure as Heck would not replace them with something that requires that kind of pampering.

Thanks for the heads-up. Sorry you had to learn it the hard way.

Tom

[Chupaca]

must be why the guys around here going to the high tech shocks are using Race Tech. Does seem a bit much that you have to service them every year...must be in the fine print somewhere. Seal can dry out if not used in time but a lot of time. Thought they were better company then this...:banghead::banghead:

[Mazo EMS2]

And to think I was pondering getting a set....No thanks, after seeing two threads in two days about bad quality and bad service. Perhaps they're having growing pains??? Don't know, but count me out til they get it together. removing and serving a shock every year, regardless of miles,???? WTH?

[Marker]

Never heard of that before.

Here is Elka Maintenance chart page 15 and 16 right off their web site http://www.elkasuspension.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ELKA-OWNERSMANUAL-MOTO.pdf
(http://www.elkasuspension.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ELKA-OWNERSMANUAL-MOTO.pdf)

[Retired 2012]

Wow,
So the oil and the seals need to be replaced every year.
I think for the average spyder rider that is a lot of work and added cost.
Sounds like they expect these to be raced or jumped a lot, I certainly won't be doing any of that.
Sorry about your unusable shock. What other shocks are you thinking of using?

[Bee Mera]

And to think I was pondering getting a set....No thanks, after seeing two threads in two days about bad quality and bad service. Perhaps they're having growing pains??? Don't know, but count me out til they get it together. removing and serving a shock every year, regardless of miles,???? WTH?
WOW, count me out too!! :shocked:

[oldgoat]

Me no likey!!!

I'll limit my maintenance to keeping them clean. I'm not a friggin' millionaire ( well maybe I am, but a mean one).

[anthony422]

I kid you not ... Not only am I sending them out to a third party in West Virginia in sending both .... I don't trust it. I don't do very well with these Canadian companies love the people but business wise they just don't get it ... It's an expensive shock you can't tell me I have to yank it for service every year because it's a performance shock it's insulting ... And trust me I heard it .. And of course my expense shipping loss of machine ect quite a joke and I love the shock it's just a shame

[anthony422]

My take is this ... It's your name and reputation clearly you don't mean to sell a product that fails after under 1k miles .... I'm sure their shock was meant to be more durable , therefore FAIL
That being said as a company you take responsibility and do the right thing which should be .....send a direct replacement with a paid return label which allows the customer to swap and reship quickly and they should apologize for the damn hassle of jacking the machine and doing the work when I should be riding .....and you are aware which coarse was chosen ... Holy smokes what a great business move thata boy

[900Dave]

I kid you not ... Not only am I sending them out to a third party in West Virginia in sending both .... I don't trust it. I don't do very well with these Canadian companies love the people but business wise they just don't get it ... It's an expensive shock you can't tell me I have to yank it for service every year because it's a performance shock it's insulting ... And trust me I heard it .. And of course my expense shipping loss of machine ect quite a joke and I love the shock it's just a shame

I also sent mine to WV (Impact Solutions) I think was the name of the company. No problem there they treated me well got back to me fairly quickly when I called or left an email. I also had them back (shocks) in about 10 or 11 days. I sent them the leaker and the other front shock to have it serviced. I had 7 or 8 thousand miles on the shocks.

I also missed the fine print about the yearly rebuilds. How disapointing!!! The shocks perform above expectation but $85 a year per shock and I have 3 of them. I am not happy about it. I did not send my rear shock out as it did not leak. I will see if I can make it two years on that one.

[MEP]

Not good. Thanks for this information.

[Centurion]

Thanks for the information from everyone, I don't think these two posts can all be isolated incidents. It sounds to me like a very poor product and poor customer service.

[PMK]

As a motorcycle suspension tuner since the mid 70's, I will say the Elka recommended rebuild interval is fairly routine and common with most brands.

I won't praise nor condemn Elka, I have seen pretty much every brand have leaks and seal failures happen prior to the recommended service interval.

Stinks, but it is real. Hopefully the shop gets you setup with no issues.

If it matters, since you are paying for the service work, it may be better to order some spare seals, and then just let a quality suspension shop that is local turn them around in a day.

PK

[JerryB]

Hi PMK,

Re: As a motorcycle suspension tuner since the mid 70's, I will say the Elka recommended rebuild interval is fairly routine and common with most brands.

Not an argument, only a question based upon your experience. Are you saying this for what might be termed 'high performance' shocks or are you saying this for all shocks, including the factory supplied items?

I've had cars/pickups go 200k miles with factory shocks.

Jerry Baumchen

[PMK]

Hi PMK,

Re: As a motorcycle suspension tuner since the mid 70's, I will say the Elka recommended rebuild interval is fairly routine and common with most brands.

Not an argument, only a question based upon your experience. Are you saying this for what might be termed 'high performance' shocks or are you saying this for all shocks, including the factory supplied items?

I've had cars/pickups go 200k miles with factory shocks.

Jerry Baumchen

Jerry, FWIW, the shocks you mention, supplied as oem on a car or truck, and can not be taken apart to service do not apply. There is nothing that can be done, unless you modify them, so they are disposable.

Does the oil breakdown and seals wear in non rebuildable shocks also? The answer is yes. Also, many of those are low performance and stress the fluid less, so it does last longer.

Will an Elka or other high performance series shock last a long time. They certainly can. I have worked on stuff that had not been apart for many years, simply replaced a main seal and fluid and went many more years.

The Elka and other shock manufacturers 12 month interval is a recommendation. It is not a requirement.

The average Spyder is not punishing the front shocks in most cases. Like a car, the shocks move very little unless encountering a bump. These 12 month, and sometimes less intervals are based on more of a performance situation where the suspension is more intensely used. It is published though, so it does allow Elka to make a case by case judgement if there is a true warranty claim.

Elka having the stuff sent to a service center in the US is actually good customer service. They have removed customs and delays there. The shocks are simple by design and should be an easy rebuild. $85 per shock is very reasonable, assuming it includes parts and fluid. That gives the tech about 45 minutes per shock to log the incoming settings paperwork for spring length, and clicker settings plus visual inspection. Then remove the spring, degas and disassemble. Clean and inspect all parts. Replace seals, reassemble while servicing fluid and N2. Not sure what seal Elka uses on the main shaft for a seal, but some of them can retail in the $10>$15 range, others can be inexpensive. The fluid often is high end, and can retail as high as $25 per litre.

For comparison, and I have not read the warranty info. Since a Ford Raptor comes equipped with Fox suspension as oem. I wonder if they have a recommended service interval on those shocks and if they fall outside the oem warranty items.

PK

[Roadster Renovations]

Sorry for your experience with them. As an auto mechanic I replace struts and shocks with ones that come with a lifetime warranty all the time. Rarely do they fail. Not sure why a performance product can't be built that way also. As for me, I will continue to use the factory shocks and my spring stiffeners.

[JerryB]

Hi PMK,

Thank you for the explanation. I learned something today.

However, I think I'll stick with my less-performance factory shocks. For me, removing/shipping/re-installing once a year is simply not acceptable.

Jerry Baumchen

[PMK]

Hi PMK,

Thank you for the explanation. I learned something today.

However, I think I'll stick with my less-performance factory shocks. For me, removing/shipping/re-installing once a year is simply not acceptable.

Jerry Baumchen

FWIW Jerry, we still roll on the oem shocks with a BajaRon swaybar.

I would like to upgrade. I have spoken to Elka and doubtful it will be them or Fox, but you never know. I have dealt with Race Tech and would expect theirs to be more expensive than Elka. Not sure what Progressive is or may offer, but they can build nice stuff when they focus on it.

My hold out is for Ohlins. I have spoken with them and they don't quite have an interest yet, maybe the F3 will spark it. Otherwise they are a custom build.

For what oem shocks cost, seems they do make a lot of sense.

PK

[Tazzel]

And to think I was pondering getting a set....No thanks, after seeing two threads in two days about bad quality and bad service. Perhaps they're having growing pains??? Don't know, but count me out til they get it together. removing and serving a shock every year, regardless of miles,???? WTH?



LOL I find this discussion funny. Because if the above were true, none of us would have Spyders since many here talk about bad quality and bad dealer service for our Spyders. I guess then we would not have a problem with shocks!!!!

[900Dave]

Thanks for the information from everyone, I don't think these two posts can all be isolated incidents. It sounds to me like a very poor product and poor customer service.

Not a poor product at all. They will outperform (in my opinion) any other shock out there that you can purchase for you Spyder. I just hope all these oil leaks we are hearing about including mine was maybe a bad batch of seals:dontknow:.

[Marker]

I also sent mine to WV (Impact Solutions) I think was the name of the company. No problem there they treated me well got back to me fairly quickly when I called or left an email. I also had them back (shocks) in about 10 or 11 days. I sent them the leaker and the other front shock to have it serviced. I had 7 or 8 thousand miles on the shocks.

I also missed the fine print about the yearly rebuilds. How disapointing!!! The shocks perform above expectation but $85 a year per shock and I have 3 of them. I am not happy about it. I did not send my rear shock out as it did not leak. I will see if I can make it two years on that one.

http://www.elkasuspension.com/support/authorized-service-centers/

Where you sent your shocks for rebuilding is an authorized service repair center in the USA see my link above

[900Dave]

http://www.elkasuspension.com/support/authorized-service-centers/

Where you sent your shocks for rebuilding is an authorized service repair center in the USA see my link above

I knew that before I sent them there.

[Centurion]

..... shocks may have 750 miles , One leaks so I call ELKA and they tell me the miles on the shock is irrelevant and all that matters is how long I've had them, so that being said its out of warranty. e

I respect your opinion but if it looks like a duck and smells like a duck....

[finless]

OK so here is a question. Can a user rebuild Elka shocks themselves?

It doesn't look like it would be that hard depending on the tools needed?

Probably minimum would be a arbor press?

Bob

[Trooper]

Hello all,

Thank you your feedback, both positive and negative.

I will attempt to clear up alot of the misconceptions about our products, and about suspension in general. I apologise if I have not been able to clear this matter up sooner, however I am here in Missourri at Spyderfest and have been unable to respond earlier.

Sometime between October and December of 2013, we received a large batch of seal heads from our supplier which should not have made it past our quality control but unfortunately did. Hundreds of shocks were built with these seal heads and many of them made it onto a shock order that were sent out to Spyderfest 2014. Unfortunately some of you purchased those shocks at that event and have experienced some leaking issues with those shocks. Not all have experienced problems, but some have.

That being said, let me assure you that even though our warranty states one year, all of those shocks can be traced back with a serial number that is engraved on the shock, and that all those shocks will be repaired under warranty at $0 cost. We have always stood by our products, and have always been honest and fair with our customers.

As for the service intervals, all high end suspension manufacturers will recommend regular service intervals to get the best performance out of your shocks as possible, however, this recommendation is aimed more towards the offroad industry as suspension components generally take more abuse where the oil breakdown is accelerated. There is absolutely no need for you to have the oil in your shocks replaced after every year, on your Spyders as the type of riding your suspension is exposed to is nowhere as severe as you would find in the offroad market.

To respond to Anthony422, your shocks will be repaired at our West Virginia service center (Impact Solutions) at $0 and you will be reimbursed for your shipping charges.

As for the others who have added to this thread, you are welcome to respond with any additional questions or comments you may have. I will only be able to respond at the end of the day after vendor village at Spyderfest closes for the day.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience.

Regards

John Ilkiw
Elka Suspension

[finless]

John, so what about users servicing themselves please?

Is that even possible?

Bob

[Trooper]

In order to service them, you need the following:

- vacuum machine ( not a hoover or shopvac) to bleed the air out of the shock
- access to nitrogen
- replacement seal head
- high quality shock oil
- the precise amount of oil volume
- the knowledge and know how to rebuild a shock without damaging it.

or

Sending your Elka shocks to a certified suspension service center to have it done properly.

[PMK]

John, so what about users servicing themselves please?

Is that even possible?

Bob

Bob, the real answer is it depends...Depends upon which series of shocks you have whether they have reservoirs or not. Depends on how comfy a person is in regards to opening a high pressure shock. Depends upon how organized the person doing the work is.

To explain further, Rezzy shocks separate the oil from nitrogen via either a bladder or piston. Some shocks without a rezzy will also have a piston, but not all. If I recall correctly, when I spoke with Elka, they stated their non rezzy shocks were emulsion style, and John can correct me if I am wrong, which allows the gas and fluid to coexist in the same chamber. For this style, you do not need a vacuum bleeder. These are very simple to service as you pour in a predetermined amount of fluid and install the sealhead, then pressurize with N2.

Since it is recommended by Elka to use a vacuum bleeder on rezzy style shocks, that is the optimum way to accomplish a bleed of the fluid. In all honesty though, the suspension industry has done hand bleeds for decades before we ever did vacuum bleeds. I have been doing vacuum bleeds on motocross shocks for over 10 years now. It is better for several reasons. In the end though, it would be easy to hand bleed and obtain excellent results if the person accomplishing the work understood the task.

Most people do not have Nitrogen available to them with a proper gassing setup. A lot of DIY MX guys will build their shock and have a local suspension shop gas it for say 10 to 15 dollars. Like all suspension tuning, if the gassing is done wrong, you can have problems. The Spyder having two front shocks need proper balance, part of this is a good bleed and proper gassing.

There are also specialty tools that allow the tech to accomplish a quality rebuild with no damage. Can a DIY go without them, certainly, but the risk of damage does exist. Outside of that, you are looking at parts and fluid. I am not sure what brand / spec Elka uses, but as I mentioned most times this fluid is over $10 per litre. As for seals, John would know best how Elka sells spares. In regards to replacing the entire sealhead this may be a best practice since it contains the bearing for the shaft, however it is common to not always replace the bearing in a properly designed shock and simply replace the seal itself. The flip side is that in these instances, the suspension is constantly torn down and inspected frequently such as in a race use type situation.

Hope this helped. The Elkas are no doubt popular and a quality product. Bob, being from California, you may want to look up Race Tech in Corona. Besides selling suspension products to all sorts of moto types, they offer training in suspension rebuilding and suspension tuning. Also, Paul Thede, the founder of Race Tech, published a book a few years ago. The Suspension Bible, and in it there is all sorts of good info.

To close, since this is getting long, high performance suspension is not something to consider lightly. Realize that companies that do this, whether manufacturer or service centers understand the inner workings. Consider that failure beyond a simple leak can be dangerous or even deadly, so before you open that shock, understand 100% of what you are doing and do not cheap out or cut corners.

With almost 40 years of building shocks and forks on all sorts of vehicles, I have seen some crazy crap come across my eyes. Often making me wonder why this did not end badly...

Have fun and be careful.

PK

[jcthorne]

Thanks John, really appreciate the straightforward and honest response. So glad this turned out well, love your product and its nice to be able to recommend it to others.

[finless]

Thanks for the info!

Looks like that is a DIY project I wont be doing :)

Bob

[Tango]

John it was great to meet you in person and chat a while between installs. I knew you were upset about the responses here. And you would respond in a positive manner. :thumbup: The change in my Spyder is immense. :ohyea: Sometimes we don't realize how much time you spend on the road. :popcorn: Tom :spyder:

[Tango]

So Anthony, and all the naysayers. Where are you now? :dontknow: :lecturef_smilie: John went out of his way to help you. :hun: Tom :spyder:

[anthony422]

uhhh I'm here ! and my machine is in the air after removing them. As far as Elka is concerned I'm glad they are doing the right thing .... 50 bucks to ship out of pocket, labor to remove and reinstall and loss of machine during riding season...... yes a hassle, but I'm a big boy i'll get through it. Keep in mind, I would have never said a word except Elka did tell me out of warranty and you can send to service center at your cost for shipping and repair.... so now..i'm sure you wouldn't be very happy now would ya...Thank you John

[Lou]

It is recommended that the gas shocks on a snowmobile be rebuilt around 2,500 - 3,000 miles - Basically every year.
Put Elka's on my RT-S at the end of last year, will have them rebuilt before next season.

[Tango]

uhhh I'm here ! and my machine is in the air after removing them. As far as Elka is concerned I'm glad they are doing the right thing .... 50 bucks to ship out of pocket, labor to remove and reinstall and loss of machine during riding season...... yes a hassle, but I'm a big boy i'll get through it. Keep in mind, I would have never said a word except Elka did tell me out of warranty and you can send to service center at your cost for shipping and repair.... so now..i'm sure you wouldn't be very happy now would ya...Thank you John

Happy? No. Would I have blasted them here without talking to John? No. You didn't know where the factory team was at the time. SPYDERFEST! The fill in person at the factory didn't help matters either. And where are your stock shocks? You could be riding on them. Free shipping, free repair. Glad it all worked out for you. :thumbup: Tom :spyder:

[Bob Denman]

:agree:
There's no doubt that this couldn't have popped up at a worse time; everybody was in Missouri! :shocked:
I think that John's response to this issue has been more than generous! :clap: :thumbup:

[900Dave]

Thanks for the responce John.
I did not purchase mine at Spyderfest last year. But I did purchase directly from Elka shortly after. I also had a leaker this spring. The leaking shock was repaired for free by Impact Solutions in very short amount of time. Including shipping both ways I had them back in less than 10 days. I sent the second shock back for rebuild as I wanted both shocks to act the same. I paid for that one.

KEEP YOUR OEM SHOCKS! I lost no riding time and it only takes me about 25 minutes to switch out the shocks.

[finless]

Just an observation like many I notice here on SL when there tends to be a lot of the same reports (like the E showing on the dash recently with 2014 and up).

This season there has been a rash of complaints about leaking Elka shocks!

What triggered me posting this was two things. One I just got off the phone with a friend of mine and his are leaking! Two, this has been reported on SL now SEVERAL TIMES over the last month! Just something I have noticed.

Now I am not saying Elka's got a problem just pointing out this is the most posts and users even on Facebook I have ever seen before posting this issue before.

Bob

[anthony422]

Thanks they did take care of it ... wish they would have taken that approach from the beginning ... really don't know John, but Eric told me It would be my expense to fix really don't mind maint, but not after 500 miles. Any how the shocks are on the way back. did reach out to John I regards to shipping which I paid to get them there haven't heard back... PS I did finally put the OEM's on for the weekend, really reminded me of the bouncy ride

[Tango]

Thanks they did take care of it ... wish they would have taken that approach from the beginning ... really don't know John, but Eric told me It would be my expense to fix really don't mind maint, but not after 500 miles. Any how the shocks are on the way back. did reach out to John I regards to shipping which I paid to get them there haven't heard back... PS I did finally put the OEM's on for the weekend, really reminded me of the bouncy ride

Anthony glad you kept the original shocks. Smart move.:thumbup: John is a good guy. The one you spoke to? Well.....:lecturef_smilie: Tom :spyder: