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Recommend any Rear shock replacements other than the $$$ Elka's??
- Thread starter Dmetcalf
- Start date
BajaRon
Well-known member
I thought that kind of money was too much as well. Until we started to build our own shock series. It boils down to the hard fact that a good shock is going to cost you. Just no way around it. This is why most OEM shocks are just adequate, at best. Many aren't even that. Manufacturers shave a lot off the price and it gets you out the door.
The harsh reality is, you live with what you have, or bite the bullet and get what you need. I'm with you, I wish it were different too. But wishing has never gotten me very far.
The harsh reality is, you live with what you have, or bite the bullet and get what you need. I'm with you, I wish it were different too. But wishing has never gotten me very far.
Mikey
Well-known member
Trust me, if you bite the bullet, you will not be disappointed in any way! I want to believe BRP has maybe seen the light after putting some great rebuildable shocks on their Canyon, and Ryker, maybe they will start doing it to the rest of the line up! The bag and shock combo are great when it's new, but it will fall on its face after a few years; the compressor or bag will fail, the shock starts to lose its guts after a while, and you don't have as nice a ride as you used to! Put a nice aftermarket shock on and you can dial it in to your style of riding, and when it starts to fade, then you can have it freshened up and have a new ride all over again for a lot less money! You will have something you can fix and adjust to suit the way you want it, instead of something you just have to get used to because that's all you've got, no other option! Good luck!!
Dmetcalf
Member
I’ve got 35K miles it my 16 RTL and so far
the rear suspension is still working fine; but I too am starting to get wary about how much longer it will keep working. I love the difference the front Elka shocks made in the handling, and I’m quite sure the rear Elka would have the same result for me. The high price has me on hold though!! Why so much for a single shock is my question??
agolder
New member
I have WIlbers up front on my 2022 RTL and absolutely think it was worth time and money! Since my wife put a limit on how much I can spend, I am going to switch the back over the winter when I do a lot less riding.
Dmetcalf
Member
Good to know. Thanks. Any discounts are worth a look, especially if the quality is there!
troop
Well-known member
CloverHillCrawler
Well-known member
I love my Wilbers. I was hesitant at first due to the cost, but after installing them, along with a BajaRon sway bar and the Quatrac tires, provide an amazing ride. It's a little bit more of a hard ride, but the control is amazing. No drifting in corners and no bottoming out with a pillion on board.
Dmetcalf
Member
Dang, that does look like a high quality product!! Thanks.
CloverHillCrawler
Well-known member
Another reason I choose those over the Elkas, is that with the Elkas, they have external reservoirs on them, which in my mind, if they are not needed then they are just something else in the chain that can fail. The Wilbers are a high quality, precision made item that does not require external reservoirs. They are tuned to your specs, as they will ask you some questions when you order them, and they will be built specifically for you. All you have to do is bolt them on and you are ready to go.
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BajaRon
Well-known member
Elka makes a rear shock without external reservoir. And that external reservoir brings dampening adjustment out to where you don't have to climb under the bike to make adjustment. So it is functional, and it will not reduce the reliability or longevity of the shock
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CloverHillCrawler
Well-known member
I have the external hydraulic preload adjuster on mine, you can see the red handle right underneath the seat on my sig pic.
I am quite sure the Elkas are of high quality and many people swear by them, but I will stick to my philosophy of sometimes less is better when it comes to Murphy's Law.
I am quite sure the Elkas are of high quality and many people swear by them, but I will stick to my philosophy of sometimes less is better when it comes to Murphy's Law.
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BajaRon
Well-known member
No problem. You're paying the bill so you get to apply whatever philosophy you like.
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CrazyCooter
Member
Elka's for the RT don't have an external reservior or a compression clicker or I would have gotten those options. The only failure points added are the hose and a couple more O-rings. They have been around a long time and the product speaks for itself. My biggest issue with Elka was a slight irritation with the language barrier and no direct access to a tech.
Remote preload adjusters are cool, but I just got the right spring rate installed and let the air bag adjust for changing loads as needed?
I see Ron is partnered up with JRI which is also a class act, I just couldn't get behind their low supplied spring rates and no rear shock option yet?
Remote preload adjusters are cool, but I just got the right spring rate installed and let the air bag adjust for changing loads as needed?
I see Ron is partnered up with JRI which is also a class act, I just couldn't get behind their low supplied spring rates and no rear shock option yet?
CloverHillCrawler
Well-known member
Ikon from what I hear is a good low cost alternative, and I wanted to buy a set before I bought the Wilbers, but I could not get any for the F3 from the US distributor at the time. Also at the time (early 2023) if you did a search on google for Elka's and M2, you would come back with a lot of stories stating that people were having issues with leaks on items that were less than 2-3 years old, and the costs to rebuild them were almost as much as buying a new set. I understand that has changed now with the Elka's, and we all know what happened with Marcus and the M2's.
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Mikey
Well-known member
At the end of the day most people don't need all of the button and knobs and just want to set it and forget it! The shock and air bag in the rear work well when they work, crap when they don't, for what you spent for the bike you should have got more in my eyes. I say it doesn't make any difference what make or model you go with, your ride is going to get better! And it will be rebuildable, that's a big plus in my book. I have a new S2S, it will have some new shocks just as soon as I get over the sticker shock of buying it. I remember what my last bike felt like when I did it! BRP put some good suspension under the Canyon, maybe they're finally getting it?!
troop
Well-known member
My prior post (#8) shows my Wilbers 640 on my 2022 RT S2S. No remote adjuster on it. I did have the remote preload adjustable Wilbers on my 2019 F3S. Although built to specs in Germany, both Ted Porter's Beemer Shop (CA) and EPM performance (NJ) are USA distributors and complete service centers for Wilbers. My local suspension shop used to be an Elka vendor, but no more, due to quality control issues. They highly recommended Wilbers for my Spyders, even though they don't sell them.
CrazyCooter
Member
I get it... most people riding these things are not "performance enthusiasts" and can be satisfied when it starts and moves on its own power. The complication of too many adjustment is just too much.At the end of the day most people don't need all of the button and knobs and just want to set it and forget it! The shock and air bag in the rear work well when they work, crap when they don't, for what you spent for the bike you should have got more in my eyes. I say it doesn't make any difference what make or model you go with, your ride is going to get better! And it will be rebuildable, that's a big plus in my book. I have a new S2S, it will have some new shocks just as soon as I get over the sticker shock of buying it. I remember what my last bike felt like when I did it! BRP put some good suspension under the Canyon, maybe they're finally getting it?!
I'm looking forward to throwing a leg over a Canyon and having the ability to tune the OE suspension rather than having to toss it all and start over.
BajaRon
Well-known member
Springs simply hold the machine up to the required ride height. Once this is done, additional spring rate can create a harsh ride. While this may improve handling, it does so with a downside.
The other way to control unwanted suspension movement is with improved hydraulic valving inside the body of the shock. A heavier spring doesn't cost any more than a lighter spring. So, the less expensive way to control suspension movement is a heavier spring. But the better ride approach to controlling unwanted suspension movement is a better, and more expensive, valving design.
JRi knows what they are doing. We told them we wanted both great handling and a very comfortable ride. I suggest you try the shocks before you pass judgement on the spring rate. Or ask those who are running a set of our shocks.
Shock performance is the sum of it's components. With a years worth of actual road testing. I think we got it right.
We are currently working on a rear shock. Like the fronts. We don't want to rush the process.
We totally agree. And that's why we set about to build a shock that we think does both. Because the average rider doesn't understand compression and rebound, or the bias that these 2 settings need to work properly. We asked JRi if they could incorporate both settings, with the proper bias, into one single adjustment. And they did.At the end of the day most people don't need all of the button and knobs and just want to set it and forget it!
So, now these two tunable settings are combined into one, clicking knob, easily accessible, without tools. The rider can experiment, if they like, to fine tune their suspension. Or, they can set it and forget it. But either way, that option is available. And you don't have to be a suspension guru to get it the way you want it.
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