Elka Suspension

[Trooper]

Hello Folks,

My name is John and I work for Elka Suspension. We did previously have a rep. log on here to represent us but he is history so I thought it would be wise to chime in.

Since the change here we have kind of neglected the forum and I will be the new guy...:helpsmilie:...to offer any assistance possible for any technical enquiries or concerns about our products and services. I know that Lamonster and Matt from Kewl Metal have done a good job taking care of us on this forum, but I thought an "official" Elka guy couldn't hurt. :chat:

P.S. By the way, I am the new guy here but I have been with Elka for about 5 years or so, and am the goofball that is responsible for the motorcycle product dealings. I am an avid rider, and certainly understand your passion, as I spend countless of hours figuring out how I am going to hide my latest upgrade spending from my wife for my bike.

So that being said, fire away with any questions or concerns you may have. I can also be reached at the office at 1-80-557-0552 ext 257 or at [email protected]

Regards,

John
Elka Suspension

 

[Lamonster]

Thanks for stepping in John. I'm sure there are a lot of questions.

I have one. Can you tell us a little about the duel rate spring and if that can be added to the Elka's for the Spyder and if there would be any benefit in doing so?

 

[VaughnCat]

welcome
Just sent you an email requesting info.

Cat:doorag:

 

[Trooper]

Hey Lamont,

The spring kit that you have posted is a kit that we had developed for use on utility vehicles like the Can Am Outlander 400 or the Kawasaki Brute Force 650, where the front suspension was a McPherson strut with a coil, kind of like a car suspension. We had developed a dual spring configuration upgrade to add more plushness to the ride and adjustable preload which the stock did not offer.

This type of setup on a Spyder would give initial plushness to the ride; however will create a significant amount of body roll, which from our dealings and understanding of the needs of the Spyder community, is the biggest problem with the Spyder in the first place.

We had tinkered with a dual rate spring setup when we originally designed the shocks, however we realised that a single rate was much more responsive and was able to better manage the roll over issues.

I hope this helps.

 

[Lamonster]

Good to know. I'm very happy with the setup I have now on my RT with the 300lb spring. The reason I asked is I see where Works Performance is offering a duel rate spring for the RT.

Hey Lamont,

The spring kit that you have posted is a kit that we had developed for use on utility vehicles like the Can Am Outlander 400 or the Kawasaki Brute Force 650, where the front suspension was a McPherson strut with a coil, kind of like a car suspension. We had developed a dual spring configuration upgrade to add more plushness to the ride and adjustable preload which the stock did not offer.

This type of setup on a Spyder would give initial plushness to the ride; however will create a significant amount of body roll, which from our dealings and understanding of the needs of the Spyder community, is the biggest problem with the Spyder in the first place.

We had tinkered with a dual rate spring setup when we originally designed the shocks, however we realised that a single rate was much more responsive and was able to better manage the roll over issues.

I hope this helps.

 

[Trooper]

welcome
Just sent you an email requesting info.

Cat:doorag:

The answer is coming your way !!

 

[Trooper]

Good to know. I'm very happy with the setup I have now on my RT with the 300lb spring. The reason I asked is I see where Works Performance is offering a duel rate spring for the RT.

Thanks Lamonte.

Oh, by the way...saw you on TV up here the other day. There was a report on the Spyder meet in Magog this summer, and had I known I would have had you pop by and visit the shop. Maybe next year? :dontknow:

 

[dave01]

Welcome aboard Trooper. Its going to be great having you on the site to answer the very few questions that Lamont doesnt have the answers to.
Seems the Elka setup will really help the bodyroll that the Rt has. I know Doc and Lamont love thiers.

 

[Lamonster]

Thanks Lamonte.

Oh, by the way...saw you on TV up here the other day. There was a report on the Spyder meet in Magog this summer, and had I known I would have had you pop by and visit the shop. Maybe next year? :dontknow:

I plan on being there next year too. :doorag:

 

[Trooper]

I plan on being there next year too. :doorag:

Great !! Then pencil us in on your agenda/ Iphone/ Ipad/ GPS/ notebook for a visit to the shop.

:thumbup:

 

[docdoru]

Installed on the RS http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9158&highlight=elka and had only one problem (solved)http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21183&highlight=elka .
A full service is required after 75K miles? :dontknow:

 

[canam9]

welcome John, give you a call tomorrow. :ani29:

 

[Trooper]

welcome John, give you a call tomorrow. :ani29:

No problem. I am in the office from 9 to 6 EST.

 

[SpyderFun]

Welcome!
Nice to always have an official Tech Rep to bounce things off of!

I would simply ask that given Elka shocks can be installed on either product (RS or RT) that we keep a definite distinction between which bike is being addressed. This should limit confusion and repeat questions.

Just my 2-cents....

 

[canam9]

Just got off the phone with John at Elka, John got right back to me and answered all of my questions about my new Elka suspension, that btw look first rate. Thanks John. Cheers :thumbup: :ani29:

 

[Eraser]

Welcome aboard Trooper. Its going to be great having you on the site to answer the very few questions that Lamont doesnt have the answers to.
Seems the Elka setup will really help the bodyroll that the Rt has. I know Doc and Lamont love thiers.

I spoke with John earlier this morning and he helped me select the gear for my RT.I should see the new shocks in 2 weeks.
Thanks for the advice Trooper!

 

[Bob Denman]

Now THIS guy I like!! :2thumbs:

 

[Trooper]

I spoke with John earlier this morning and he helped me select the gear for my RT.I should see the new shocks in 2 weeks.
Thanks for the advice Trooper!

I think you actually spoke to Yann, but I am glad he got you taken care of.

:thumbup:

 

[Eraser]

Whoops!!! Old age and hearing issues I suppose!:roflblack:Thx.Yann!!!

 

[Trooper]

Installed on the RS http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9158&highlight=elka and had only one problem (solved)http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21183&highlight=elka .
A full service is required after 75K miles? :dontknow:

A shock service to a certain extent is subjective to the type of riding that you do so to give you an exact mileage mark is difficult, but 75K miles is quite a bit of mileage before a full service.

Think of your shock as a car engine...the more you ride you car, the quicker the oil will break down and lose its viscosity. When your oil loses its viscosity, then it becomes thin and offers less protection to your engine and creates more heat, less power, etc, etc.

The oil we use is a hydraulic aircraft mineral oil which has a very high thermal capacity high antiwear characteristics that conventional shock oils do not have. That being said, it is not completely maintenance free. We usually recommend a service after 40k to 50k miles for our motorcycle products or after 1 complete race season for optimal performance, but keep in mind a rear shock on a race bike goes through the ringer and it is a single unit, whereas the Spyder shocks work in tandem and share the load...and unless you are racing the thing, well then you can rest assured that they will last a few seasons before requiring an oil change.

Now, concerning the bolt in the images you have attatched, this is a flaw in the design of the Spyder in terms of load and leverage ratio on the rear pick up point, and not a flaw in our shock. We had to start providing heavier sleeves because of this. This problem would have occured whether or not you are running an Elka shock.

It hope this helps answer your question. :dontknow: