E) adjusting the shock – Elka Suspension MOTORCYCLE SERIES User Manual
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> A D J U S T M E N T S
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E) Adjusting the shock
ADJUSTING YOU SHOCK FOR DIFFERENT RIDING CONDITIONS
Your first objective when setting up your suspension for daily use is to achieve a comfortable,
steady and safe ride for the majority of your riding time. The Elka factory settings for spring rate,
preload, sag and dampening have been selected to achieve this goal.
Things change when you change your riding however! For example, if you use your bike for
commuting, and decide to attend an occasional Track Day, you may decide to stiffen the
dampening by a few clicks. As you pick up speed on the track, you may also need to increase the
preload to avoid bottoming when cornering of hitting bumps. For your first track day, we
recommend that you check your sag settings without changes, to start out with the softest possible
suspension, which means you will make full use of your suspension. You may then start to stiffen
things up gradually as your riding skill and corner speeds build up.
Another example of drastic changes in riding conditions is when you leave for a tour and add a
passenger and luggage. Here again, you may need to stiffen up the suspension to optimise
suspension performance. Experienced rider know that adding a few clicks to the dampening and
adding one or two turns of rear preload works when riding two up, and make such changes
automatically when a passenger comes aboard.
In all instances, avoid having the suspension hit bottom – a sure sign that you must stiffen up your
suspension.
HORSES FOR COURSES – SUSPENSION SET UP FOR OFF- AND ON-ROAD
Elka Suspension builds shocks according to the type of machine and its uses, as do the original
manufacturers.
For bikes such as the BMW GS or Suzuki V-Strom models intended for both on and off road riding,
the suspension is relatively soft, with longer travel and appropriate dampening. For purely street
machines intended for smoother surfaces (Smooth roads, tracks), total suspension travel is shorter,
and the spring and dampening are correspondingly stiffer.
SPRING STIFFNESS
When building your shock, Elka chose a spring tension based on a weight table for your particular
bike make and model, and for nominal street use. Dual purpose and hybrid bikes were assumed to
be carrying some luggage and an occasional passenger, as well being ridden off road occasionally.
This assumption is validated using information from the buyer at order time.
E.1 SUSPENSION DEFINITIONS, SETTINGS AND RULES-OF-THUMB