New Elka shocks

[Farmboy]

I having a prob. finding that "sweet spot" on mine. I am a little guy and out of the box they was to stiff, set on the bike and the do not move. hit a hole and you would think that the whole dash was going to be thrown off. I loosen off the springs and I get body roll. I guess I will get it some day... any input would be great. I stand at 140 to 145 lb. my wife at 125ish. 2010 RT

 

[jdouglasross]

I haven't considered the Elkas only because the pricing seems to be a secret. After dropping $30k on the new RT Limited, $1500 for Corbin seat, and several hundred in additional lighting in the last 2 weeks (and I didn't go to Spyderfest) I don't know what the budget can spare or the real worth of the shocks. If they stop the crosswind and semi-truck induced swaying they might be worth buying. But at what price?

I HATE web sites that make you send a quote request. I spend thousands $$$ on-line every year for my farm & sawmill business and my expensive ham radio addiction and NEVER buy when I have to request a quote first just to get a ball park figure on cost. I hope Elka reads this.

What price did you guys pay? Which model did you buy?
opcorn:opcorn:

 

[matcomike]

I too have to applaud the good folks at Elka.
When I first got my RT-S, I felt that the handling was dicey and sometimes downright scary! The sensitivity to buffeting was terrible. The machine also exhibited a strange "double roll" when cornering. It felt that the machine would roll, then the tires would roll. It made for some shaky jig jogging while cornering hard.

Well... Ekla to the rescue!! They are worth every single penny! They completely transform the handling. Stable as granite at high speed and in windy conditions. The cornering is like a go cart now. The best thing is that sideways "bobble head" motion is gone!!!

Bravo! Bravo!

 

[Farmboy]

my up date

I having a prob. finding that "sweet spot" on mine. I am a little guy and out of the box they was to stiff, set on the bike and the do not move. hit a hole and you would think that the whole dash was going to be thrown off. I loosen off the springs and I get body roll. I guess I will get it some day... any input would be great. I stand at 140 to 145 lb. my wife at 125ish. 2010 RT

Install shocks, put jack under frunk and you want to raise front of bike about 1/2 in. befor the wheels come off the ground. if not ether, tighten or loosen the springs equally to get that 1/2 in of travel. NOT the travel of the shocks, but of raising of the front of bike. I had to loosen 5 turns on mine, but I don't weigh much. Then I found that sweet spot on the bottom adj. at 20 clicks closed from fully open. Mine rides great now. This advice came from Cowtown this past week over the phone.

 

[matcomike]

Farmboy, do you do this with you on the spyder? Should it be done loaded for two up if that is the way you ride most often?
I called John at Elka, and he said that there was no need to set the "sag" on the spyder. I do feel the ride to be a bit "flinty" if you know what I mean.

 

[zeebill]

Gee what exactly is the price to overcome the stock shocks inability to do the job they are supposed to do with these miracle after market shocks? Bill

 

[matcomike]

I bought the stage 5 fronts, and paid about $1800.00 shipped. I think the stage 1s start around $500.00 plus shipping.

 

[Farmboy]

Farmboy, do you do this with you on the spyder? Should it be done loaded for two up if that is the way you ride most often?
I called John at Elka, and he said that there was no need to set the "sag" on the spyder. I do feel the ride to be a bit "flinty" if you know what I mean.

I did it that way because they wer fully extended and when I hit a hole, there was no "down travel" It would shake me and the bike violently. I do not have any "sag", I just have 1/2 of travel be for the tires start to come off the ground when I put a jack under it. 'unloaded'.

 

[SilverSurfer]

Super hard ride and a 'Klack'

I've had Elkas on the front of my RT-S and they're fine. Ordered an Elka REAR from John and had it installed by my dealer. Two issues: (1) They played hell trying to integrate the new rear Elka with the RT-S's Automatic Suspension Control (ASC). (2) My RT-S now rides hard as a rock in back. Very stiff, and whenever one crosses a little rut in the road or the edge of a driveway at low speed, one hears a little "Klack."

The pre-load and rebound on the rear shock were set at the factory. The shock came with the spacer that's supposed to be used. I had no extra parts after the install. Sounds like everybody out there's happy; yet, I'm concerned. I mean, with a lift and BRP-qualified techs, how many ways can one screw this up? Is it screwed up?

If someone knows something I should be looking for, please e-mail me here or at [email protected].

Thanks!

 

[bluestratos]

Only one down side, I have so much more confidence in the corners now I am regularily lifting a wheel, lol.. No biggie, I know what to expect and it looks cool according to the guy that was following me, lol..

 

[Tru-Blue]

I know this is a loaded question so here goes. What level of Elka's in the front is recommend? Cost vs function? I figure the stage 1 is way better than stock which is what I have now.

Thanks,
A Happy Spyder Lover :spyder2:

 

[Huntindawg1962]

I thought the Spyder was supposed to have active systems to prevent the wheel lift? Not the case with the aftermarket shocks or does it happen anyhow?

 

[bo9roadking]

I know this is a loaded question so here goes. What level of Elka's in the front is recommend? Cost vs function? I figure the stage 1 is way better than stock which is what I have now.

Thanks,
A Happy Spyder Lover :spyder2:

I have the same question. I'm running the stock shocks on my 2012 RT and I'm looking at the Elkas. It looks like Cowtown is putting the stage 1 or stage 1+ on most RT's, but some people are running the stage 5.

 

[zeebill]

I thought the Spyder was supposed to have active systems to prevent the wheel lift? Not the case with the aftermarket shocks or does it happen anyhow?

Spyder is not supposed to lift a wheel according to conversations I had with a field rep. PS I have lifted the front wheel a couple of times with just the stock shocks and higher air pressures in the tires. Another negative thing about the higher tires pressures to make it stable and enjoyable with stock parts is tire wear. I have around 10,000 miles and I am down to the wear bars on the rear tire already. Bill :yikes:

 

[bluestratos]

There have been several posts on here from people reporting they lifted a wheel with stock shocks. Not sure if the Nanny gets involved until after the wheel leaves the ground. I only lift on tight corners so the lift never lasts long enough to be sure but I believe I felt the nanny recently as I when through a roundabout but I think this was more to do with the back tire breaking loose since the front never really left the ground.

The first time it left the ground for any distance was when I was leaving the city of Hope, BC. I made a right turn on to the 30 MPH highway when I realized the Harley that was coming my way was doing more like 50. I throttle don to get out of his way and about 1/2 way around the left wheel came off the ground about 6-8" and stayed up until I finished the corner. I let released the throttle so not sure if the Nanny was involved or not, it happend too fast.

I would not doubt the shocks have some part in this, they lift the front end about 2" to get better geometry for the suspension. This makes for a higher center of gravity so you will reach the moment of tipping a bit sooner. You can lower the front end with shock adjustment but then the cornering will suffer I am told.

 

[pro10is]

I thought the Spyder was supposed to have active systems to prevent the wheel lift? Not the case with the aftermarket shocks or does it happen anyhow?

The VSS (nanny) acts on sensory input it receives in real time but it can only counteract problems just so quickly. If you are an aggressive rider or act very suddenly you can get wheel lift with both stock and aftermarket shocks. That said, the VSS is specifically calibrated to the OEM setup. Any changes you make to the suspension may confuse it to various degrees.

 

[pro10is]

I know this is a loaded question so here goes. What level of Elka's in the front is recommend? Cost vs function? I figure the stage 1 is way better than stock which is what I have now.

Thanks,
A Happy Spyder Lover :spyder2:

If you want a comprehensive answer to your question please start a new thread and specify what your style of riding is, how much you're willing to spend, and which Spyder model you have. The more info you provide the better someone will be able to help you.

 

[Luckyme]

When I test rode the Spyder for about 45 minutes last week, the floaty, wondering feeling at highway speeds was unnerving to me:yikes:. Len is setting up my new RT Ltd. with the Elkas today, and I'll pick it up Thursday. I'm pleased there was a fairly easy (albeit not cheap) fix for this. Love all the reports of before and after, although all of my getting familiar with the Spyder will be post Elkanization. Which should make those initial learning miles easier to absorb.:thumbup:

 

[bo9roadking]

When I test rode the Spyder for about 45 minutes last week, the floaty, wondering feeling at highway speeds was unnerving to me:yikes:. Len is setting up my new RT Ltd. with the Elkas today, and I'll pick it up Thursday. I'm pleased there was a fairly easy (albeit not cheap) fix for this. Love all the reports of before and after, although all of my getting familiar with the Spyder will be post Elkanization. Which should make those initial learning miles easier to absorb.:thumbup:

The floaty, wandering feeling is precisely why I'm looking at new shocks. I set my stock shocks to the maximum stiffness setting (5)and it is much better than it was when the shocks were set at the third adjustment. I feel more confident cornering and riding at highway speeds now because the spyder feels more planted and stable, but I'm looking for additional adjustments with a new shock to dial in the suspension more.