Last Updated on Thursday, 18 March 2010 11:19 Written by Seven Sunday, 01 November 2009 01:00

 

YFZ TEST WITH ELKA SUSPENSION

We tested the ELKA Suspension on the YFZ 450.
Remember this is a modified YFZ with Nitrous.The YFZ had been shipped along with another 35 quads and 8 dirt bikes as well as 3 Side by Sides.
They arrived after 3 days traveling in the back of a trailer.
We unloaded them excited to ride.

First things first I rode across part of the desert to get the feel for the new set up.
I noticed the back of the quad seemed to be bucking a little.
I called in the expert, Tyler.
Setting suspension is a real art, I had them set at Jody's (Performance ATV) but they needed a little fine tuning.
I described the feed back I was getting.
Tyler set to work, he adjusted the rear. We took and loosened the collar on the spring and wound it back until we added three threads to the length of the shock, thus making it a little softer, we then softened the dampening and adjusted the re bound.
I took it for another ride, it felt a lot better but still didnt seem right.

Tyler rode the YFZ, he came back and adjusted the front suspension, he tightened the fronts by 2 threads making them a little tighter (harder)
I went back out and rode it again.

It was perfect!
We tested the ELKA suspension, at high speed with and without Nitrous, the stability over the sand and speeds in excesses of 80 mph was so good we was actually finding drifts in the sand so that we could get some air on the front wheels!!!

We ran the great China wall (the pinnacle of Glamis for hills) I rode the whoops at the bottom and didn't even shut the throttle till I reached the top!

My conclusion the ELKA suspension, and this is from the people I was riding with as well as me.
Everyone said that this year was the best they had seen me ride.
I am not going to tell you I am the best rider I am good but ELKA suspension has made me a very very good rider.

I now have the confidence not to shut the throttle every time I see a wash or a rough ahead of me, I actually open the throttle.

I have ELKA suspension on my YFZ and my Brute Force and people have ridden my Brute Force and gone to Jody's at Performance ATV and purchased them for there own quads.

The only thing I would recommend to anyone is that, if you want comfort at high speed and low speed you need to purchase the higher end shocks.
I did find at low speed it was rough across the ruts, but all said and done we didn't have low speed dampening on the YFZ Front shocks only the rear.

Would I recommend and purchase ELKA?
Every time I purchase a new quad Yes I would make sure it was one of the first products that I got for it.

It's all about the suspension, doesn't matter how much power you have if you cant get to lay it down.

We have taken the YFZ through trails and to the far reaches of California all the way down to Mexico, we have taken the Brute Force all the way to Utah, we have ridden every type of terrain, we have ridden it brutally and we have ridden it hard.
It is my honest opinion suspension makes it happen, as people have been telling me for a long time "its all about the suspension"
I would recommend ELKA to anyone that asks me.

Elka can be found here:

ELKA SUSPENSION INC.
1585-M, De Coulomb, Boucherville, Quebec, Canada, J4B 8J7
Phone: 450-655-4855 or Toll Free: 1-800-557-0552 (U.S. & Canada only)
www.elkasuspension.com

Jody Performance ATv can be found here:

Performance ATV llc
14 Dimiceli St
New Windsor NY12553
Phone # (845) 534-5479
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Maddog

 

Product Review and Install for Elka Suspension

I have always been told for years from all the guys and always passed the message on to others. Of all the things you can do to your ATV, suspension is the most important. I truly believe this from experience, and I found out the hard way in Glamis California riding the dunes. I have a very tuned YFZ450, racing against standard 450's across the whoops and high speed I was always last.

Why?

Because everyone else had better quality suspension or custom built units. Yes I know there are a few riders out there that could beat anyone on a uni-cycle, but I am talking for the majority of riders. So my quest was to find a unit and a company that would build me a custom unit for me and me alone. I looked across the web and we all know how long that takes, everyone has their opinions and sometimes going to forums just makes it harder to choose. I finally choose ELKA SUSPENSION.

I was talking to Jody at Performance ATV and so it happens he is a dealer for ELKA SUSPENSION. So we made a few phone calls and Sebastian at ELKA SUSPENSION was kind enough to give us a set for review for my Kawasaki 750EFI Brute Force 2008. We are still currently testing ELKA Suspension on my YFZ. Due to the fact that we will be in California for testing in February.

Jody asked my weight, height, and riding style. Remember they are building these units for me and the quad I ride. Elka Suspension does not make off the shelf components, everything they make is custom built.

They arrived in a very well packed box to save from delivery damage, which to me is important, I hate getting things in the post that I have been waiting for and they arrive damaged.

Jody unpacked them set the ride height and set the valves to a beginning state, this is a ball park figure and needs to be adjusted on the machine with the rider sitting on it, also they can be made harder and softer but that is for the individual to set after riding for a while and is a personal preference.

I have been back to Jody at Performance ATV on more than one occasion and he has adjusted them for me.
Jody is very good, if you go to him and explain what the quad is doing he will calculate that into tuning the suspension to your riding style, and believe me he is very good at it.

So Jody Set the Elka suspension for me and installed them to my Kawasaki Brute Force 750EFI
I rode my Kawasaki hard through all types of terrain from woods to the trails in UTAH
and loved every minute.
I would recommend Elka Suspension.

PROS:
Took the roll away from my machine
Gave me more control at High speed
More comfort at high speed
soaked up bumps

CONS:
Only really one gripe which isn't anything to do with the product we tested.
But personally I would have gone for a Set of ELKA that had slow speed Compression as most of the riding is done through the trails at the lower end of the speed spectrum.

OVERALL RATING: 9 Stars
Great product from ELKA SUSPENSION, even though only stage one I have greatly improved my riding even to the point people are asking me to ride it and agreeing it is so much better. My overall placement in the pack when we are hard riding has increased by 4 places, this is due to ELKA SUSPENSION.

PRICING:
FRONT: $495/pair
REAR: $495/pair (independent suspension vehicles)     With Optional
Rebound Adjustment:
$695/pair (front or rear independent suspension)

FEATURES:
36mm body, 16mm shaft
Custom Valving
Rider-Specific Spring Setup

SPECIFICATIONS:
The Stage 1 shocks feature the same quality components and careful craftsmanship as our higher-end series. They are custom-built for the rider’s weight, riding style and preferred terrain, with custom spring set-up and valving. While they don't provide as much adjustability, they can greatly improve your ATV’s performance and handling. You get the same performance and benefits of our racing shocks, only with less adjustability.

For recreational riders on a more modest budget, the Stage 1 greatly enhances the overall handling and performance of your quad. These value-packed, easy-to-use shock absorbers are some of the best replacement shocks you can buy for your ATV. They will provide maximum comfort and performance in a carefree package. They feature a threaded preload adjuster which is easy to use. They are perfectly suited to your personal needs, so you spend less time tuning and more time having fun riding.

ELKA SUSPENSION INC.
1585-M, De Coulomb, Boucherville, Quebec, Canada, J4B 8J7
Phone: 450-655-4855 or Toll Free: 1-800-557-0552 (U.S. & Canada only)
www.elkasuspension.com