Rough ride

[spyder01]

Ive been thinking about getting a set of Elkas for the front of my 17 rtl,Ive already got the sway bar but I still feel that in high speed turns if you make a slight correction it kinda wants to over correct and then your not holding that nice steady line thru the turn and the bike is swaying back and forth a little bit.I feel that the problem is bump steer but there isnt any way to fix it bc its a design flaw that BRP just doesnt want to spend more money to redesign.Anyway if the shocks can keep the chassis from swaying side to side just a little bit better than stock I think this will help it to maintain its line thru higher speed turn but that will also make the ride stiffer than it is now which is why Im still just thinking about this and the fact that Elkas had so many leaky seals.So for all of you that have Elkas do you think they made for a rougher ride overall and do they still have this leak problem or is that a thing of the past.FYI the bike has been laser aligned and it has Vredsteins on front,Kanine on back and we drive 2 up only do long distance tours usually in the Appalachian mts.Ive put 22k on in 2.5 years so I think Ive figured out how to steer it but its still quirky.

[canamjhb]

From you description it sounds like you are gripping the handle bars too tightly. Over corrections are a symptom of that. I had Elkas and they did improve the ride somewhat. But they will not compensate for over corrections in turns. And they are prone to leakage. Both mine did. There are numerous threads posted here about improving riding technique. Do a little research and practice. Cheaper and more effective that shocks. Good luck..... Jim

[spyder01]

From you description it sounds like you are gripping the handle bars too tightly. Over corrections are a symptom of that. I had Elkas and they did improve the ride somewhat. But they will not compensate for over corrections in turns. And they are prone to leakage. Both mine did. There are numerous threads posted here about improving riding technique. Do a little research and practice. Cheaper and more effective that shocks. Good luck..... Jim

Thanks for responding,Im not over correcting,I got past that about 21k miles ago.You didnt say when you bought your shocks but Im only concerned with shocks that are new bc Im hoping that Elka has solved the problem with the leaky seals.Im not sure what you mean when you say that these shocks improved the ride,like in what way?I would expect a little less of the pogo ,see saw,swaying,whatever you want to call it,simply due to the stiffer valving and the firmer springs,but what I really want to know is it going to be any rougher like when going over train tracks,I think these are a little rough stock,at least compared to most 2 wheelers,just a little.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thanks for responding,Im not over correcting,I got past that about 21k miles ago.You didnt say when you bought your shocks but Im only concerned with shocks that are new bc Im hoping that Elka has solved the problem with the leaky seals.Im not sure what you mean when you say that these shocks improved the ride,like in what way?I would expect a little less of the pogo ,see saw,swaying,whatever you want to call it,simply due to the stiffer valving and the firmer springs,but what I really want to know is it going to be any rougher like when going over train tracks,I think these are a little rough stock,at least compared to most 2 wheelers,just a little.

IMHO - Elka or any other performance shock won't improve the Comfort feeling of your ride..... they arn't designed with that in mind ..... The PSI you are using plays a noticeable part though. Using Auto tires require a lower PSI in ALL the tires ..... For the Most comfort I suggest 15 front 17 rear.... Try it , you might be pleasantly surprised. I have seen a number of films that show how much a wheel can deflect due to extreme " lateral G forces ", using Radial tires ... during these tests the Tread of the tire still stayed ( essentially ) Flat, affording great traction .... these were Professional films not DIY for U-tube. ..... Mike

[spyder01]

IMHO - Elka or any other performance shock won't improve the Comfort feeling of your ride..... they arn't designed with that in mind ..... The PSI you are using plays a noticeable part though. Using Auto tires require a lower PSI in ALL the tires ..... For the Most comfort I suggest 15 front 17 rear.... Try it , you might be pleasantly surprised. I have seen a number of films that show how much a wheel can deflect due to extreme " lateral G forces ", using Radial tires ... during these tests the Tread of the tire still stayed ( essentially ) Flat, affording great traction .... these were Professional films not DIY for U-tube. ..... Mike

I know you know your stuff but Im not looking to improve the ride,I just dont want to make it much worse.Im sure the cornering will be better which is what I want but not if its gonna ride a lot rougher on standard country roads.Ive tried every possible combo of tire pressure,I only ride 2 up and like it best with 20 up front and 30 in rear.I also adjust my rear air shock to the road,I like all the way soft on the interstate but bump it up to medium when on twisties and full hard for off road,sometimes I even crank up the preload on the front springs if Im gonna travel on a rocky road where I might need a little more ground clearance.

[larryd]

I have Elka's and had them repaired twice for leaks...I also have BajaRon's spring kit on my spare set of OE front shocks...I have ridden extensively with both...My recommendation would be save yourself some $money$ and go with Ron's set up...I can't tell the difference...Maybe some others with BajaRon's set up will chime in with their thoughts...larryd

[Navydad]

I have Elka's and had them repaired twice for leaks...I also have BajaRon's spring kit on my spare set of OE front shocks...I have ridden extensively with both...My recommendation would be save yourself some $money$ and go with Ron's set up...I can't tell the difference...Maybe some others with BajaRon's set up will chime in with their thoughts...larryd

[Steve W.]

I also adjust my rear air shock to the road,I like all the way soft on the interstate but bump it up to medium when on twisties and full hard for off road, ...

Hopefully you are aware that you are not adjusting the spring rate at the rear?
You are adjusting the ride HEIGHT by adding air.

For a more comfortable ride, go with the highest setting, especially when 2-up.
The rear suspension only has 6 inches of travel available. If you start at the lowest setting (which might be about 3 inches from bottomed-out), then add 2 people, you will start out with about 1 inch of travel, then the auto-adjust will kick in and take you back up to the 3-inch height. When you hit a bump or dip, that wheel will travel three inches then STOP. Setting the ride height to the Medium position might set it at a 4-inch height. Hit that same bump or dip, you will have a little bit of margin, but only if you had barely hit the limit on the Low setting. With the ride height set to full height, it might be about a 5-inch setting. Hit that same bump or dip again, that extra travel will make it SO much more comfortable.

.

[Peter Aawen]

Hopefully you are aware that you are not adjusting the spring rate at the rear?
You are adjusting the ride HEIGHT by adding air.

......

I certainly hafta agree with everything else you said!

But be warned about that last bit!! Especially if you've converted your air bag height levelling system to a manual system, or adapted the system to allow it to pump just a tad more air into the air bag at a given height, there is definitely a pressure beyond which the air bag's 'ride height adjust' ability becomes 'maxed out' and over-loading your Spyder when it's already at max height or pumping in any more air pressure beyond that is just going to rattle your fillings out and pummel your kidneys into submission!! (No kidding, but please don't ask me how I know this... It's embarrasing enough admitting that I DO know it!! )

Suffice to say, the air bag can take WAAAAYYY more than the 90 or 100 psi recommended max pressure in the manual, but there's a bloody good reason for not ever running it any higher than 100 psi - unloaded or fully loaded, 100 psi at Max height is more than ample! I'll leave it at that, cos I've got an urgent need to go visit the little boys room, & atm I hafta do that while Child Bride is well outta earshot - cos sure as heck if she hears the agonised groans that particular wee visit will entail, she'll come to check on me.... and I don't think the 'I ate baby beets last night' excuse will wash for the third week running - especially since she's the Chef who cooked last night!!

[spyder01]

Hopefully you are aware that you are not adjusting the spring rate at the rear?
You are adjusting the ride HEIGHT by adding air.

For a more comfortable ride, go with the highest setting, especially when 2-up.
The rear suspension only has 6 inches of travel available. If you start at the lowest setting (which might be about 3 inches from bottomed-out), then add 2 people, you will start out with about 1 inch of travel, then the auto-adjust will kick in and take you back up to the 3-inch height. When you hit a bump or dip, that wheel will travel three inches then STOP. Setting the ride height to the Medium position might set it at a 4-inch height. Hit that same bump or dip, you will have a little bit of margin, but only if you had barely hit the limit on the Low setting. With the ride height set to full height, it might be about a 5-inch setting. Hit that same bump or dip again, that extra travel will make it SO much more comfortable.

.

I do know that Im adjusting ride height,my 17 rtl is not automatic,you have to push button and you see a bar graph on dash with 5 bars that show the level you choose.I choose 1 bar for interstate bc with the rear down low it causes the caster angle of the front suspension to increase just slightly,but enuf to make the bike feel a little more stable at high speed.I dont have any problem with bottoming out on most interstate roads that I travel on.When I get onto regular roads that have dips and ruts I run the rear at the 3rd bar so it wont bottom out.I feel that the rear end setup on my bike is not too bad and Im going to leave it alone.I already have Baja Rons SW and his spring adjusters up front and while they have helped just a little with the feel of the front end,its just not enuf for me.Im ok with the way it takes bumps.it could be a little less harsh but I can live with it.What I dont want is to actually make it feel substantially rougher than it is now.What I do want is to make it hold its line just a little better than it does now in high speed sweepers.Im not sure that I can achieve that without making the front feel stiffer when hitting bumps.I know there are several mfg of shocks but the Elkas seem to be the cheapest and still have the adjustable rebound but Im worried that they still suffer from the leaky seals so I was hoping someone who has purchased a pair recently could give their opinion on the way they feel and how many leak free miles they have so far.

[Steve W.]

I do know that Im adjusting ride height,my 17 rtl is not automatic,you have to push button and you see a bar graph on dash with 5 bars that show the level you choose.

When it left the factory it was auto-levelling, what happened? My wife's '17 RT-S has the same system. You use the button to change your height selection, but the system will auto-level to that height once it's selected.

When you have a few moments, please try something. If you are by yourself, this works very nicely at night, where you can shine your headlights across a yard or driveway.
1. Park the bike so the lights are shining across your surface, notice where the upper cut-off is.
2. Place some chock blocks ahead of and behind a wheel so the bike won't roll.
3. Start the bike.
4. Put the bike in gear.
5. Remove the parking brake.
6. If you are on the bike, get off.
7. Step onto the rear floorboards. The rear of the bike should go down, making the headlights go up.
8. The compressor should kick on, levelling the bike.
9. If the compressor DID kick on and level the bike, step off the rear floorboard, the rear of the bike will go up, making the headlights go down.
10. You should hear air escaping from the air bag, eventually bringing the bike back to level.

Pressing the ride height control will make changes to where the headlights are pointing, but should react the same to all the above actions.

Most people will probably never observe the action of the auto-level system. Because the engine has to be running, transmission in gear and the parking brake off, most people will already be moving down the road and won't notice the subtle changes going on underneath them.

My son and I had some fun testing the system on my wife's bike. Just to fully test the system, we both stood on a rear floorboard. Together, we are well over 30 stone, so we were testing the limits.

.

[fatboy]

m2 shocks are worth everypenny

[spyder01]

m2 shocks are worth everypenny

What’s so great about them and does the bike ride firmer or the same as stock