Feature Product: Elka Suspension
Aug. 9, 2018
UTVUG Staff
Elka Suspension, in collaboration with the team at UTVUnderground, is presenting this awesome video featuring four of today’s top Pro UTV racers on the west coast: Beau Baron, Mike Cafro, Matt Hancock and Jamie Kirkpatrick. This video features great UTV riding action in the Dunes of Glamis, showcasing Elka Stage 5 UTV shocks in a 2.5” body size front configuration and 3” body size rear configuration with remote reservoirs on different Polaris RZR vehicles.
Elka offers aftermarket fully adjustable coilover shocks for a wide variety of UTV, from utility models to the latest race ready high power turbo models. With setups tuned and ready to install out of the box for your riding style (race, work, recreational, dunes or even desert), the Elka shocks are engineered to enhance every aspect of your vehicle.
Elka's approach to UTV suspension
For work & utility / recreational use or OE replacement Owners of crossover UTVs such as the Polaris General, Honda Pioneer, Yamaha Viking and Can-Am Defender are looking for a good compromise between a work & utility vehicle vs. recreational play machine. The stock suspension on those vehicles is also a compromise, using hard springs to allow payload with soft shock tuning for comfort. When used for fun spirited riding, this kind of setup makes the suspension feel stiff and harsh initially without providing enough hydraulic protection against big impacts and weight transfers. When used for work or with high payload, the ride will be too soft and will bottom-out easily. Elka's solution is to provide the optimal spring setup for the driver's main intended use and adapt the internal hydraulic valving to match the specific needs for that type of riding. The result is a much more comfortable ride that provides increased stability, performance and protection against impacts. We often recommend our Stage 1 or Stage 2 shock upgrades which can significantly improve the ride. Priced aggressively, those options are often cheaper than the OE replacement shocks from the manufacturer while provide all the benefits of a high-quality aftermarket product tuned for your personal needs.
For sports and dune riding
Aggressive drivers and dune enthusiasts quickly reach the limits of the stock suspension, often bottoming hard and lacking proper control of the vehicle. Elka's Stage 3 and Stage 4 shocks provide the capability and adjustability to unleash the full potential of your vehicle. Both models include an important feature that is often overlooked since it's hidden inside the shocks; the low-speed compression adjuster integrates an exclusive internal blow-off circuit that provide extra plushness upon bigger impacts. This design is simple, easy to use and highly effective.
Dune riding in UTVs has some unique needs in terms of suspension. Although sand seems soft on top, driving over sand ripples actually creates high-frequency bumps that can overwhelm the stock suspension and cause headshake and nasty vibration. Transitioning between dunes also requires more hydraulic damping to prevent running out of travel and traction. Elka's dune-specific tuning provides optimal damping both in compression to maintain proper chassis clearance and in rebound to keep those tires driving the power for more efficient climbing. The extra low-speed damping also helps smooth out those big jump landings.
Elka shocks can bring new life into an old UTV, but they can also change dramatically the handling on newer vehicles as well. Most drivers don't believe they need better shocks until they have tried properly tuned suspension. This upgrade provides a night-and-day difference in terms of comfort, performance and adjustability.
For racing applications
Elka's Stage 5 are the ultimate racing shocks, providing full control over all suspension parameters:
- Dual high & low-speed compression adjusters, allowing precise tuning without compromise
- Rebound adjustment to achieve optimal traction and straight-flying over jumps
- Ride height / spring preload adjustment to dial in ground clearance and center of gravity
- Spring crossover adjustment to control chassis attitude and transfers
Elka benefits vs. stock suspension
- Eliminates the harsh ride and provides increased plushness and comfort
- Provides a stable, predictable ride that feels solid and compliant, gives the rider more confidence and capability to tackle any kind of obstacles and terrain
- Greater stability, less weight transfers, reduced body roll during cornering, less squatting during acceleration and less diving while braking
- Better protection against bottoming-out on harsh impacts, potholes and g-outs
- Eliminates vibration and head shake
- Wider range of adjustment, more effective and precise
- Increased speed performance, more traction and grip in loose conditions
- Increased traction in all conditions, reduces wheel slip and torque steer
- Maintain the stock ride height with the ability to adjust higher for better ground clearance or extra payload or lower for more stability while riding more aggressively (via spring preload)
- Added versatility by allowing optimal ride for both work/utility and fun/play
- More capable and durable, more consistent ride with fading
- Fully serviceable, can be refurbished as new while stock cannot be repaired
- Turns your UTV into a real performance machine with true sports capabilities
Elka's unique competitive advantages
- Broadest selection of vehicle applications and tunings in the suspension aftermarket, lineup covers most popular and least popular UTVs
- Various shock models for each vehicle to match customer's budget
- Wide range of highly effective adjustment
- Tuned and optimized for your specific needs directly from the manufacturer
- Best customer service and after-sale support in the industry