** Project Plush: Elka Stage 5 shocks with ZBroz 39" arms. **--ride reports
- Thread starter Scott
- Start date
Ride #2 on the Elkas yesterday.
75° and bluebird skies.
The snow was HARD and REALLY cupped out.
There was no carving and playing to speak of.
The rain channels at the bottoms of the hills were often 24" deep. Coming down off a climb was QUITE nasty if you hit them at the wrong angle. I haven't seen rain channels like this before. We had some HUGE rainstorms in the last couple weeks. A couple places in W. Mont got up to 7" of rain in 72 hours.
The Elkas were QUITE nice and SO easy to adjust to the conditions.
So much of the chatter and the big hits in the rain channels weren't coming through to the handlebars.
On the way out, we had a couple miles of really drifted over road that was sidehill riding only. I couldn't one-ski this one. Too far and too long.
You know the scene...you guys have all been there in the mountains on these drifted over roads with the the occastional (or frequent) 2 foot wide strip of gravel on the shoulder of the road (not wide enough to ride on and the hill always tries to suck you back down onto it). The shoulder might be bare, but the snow is 6 feet deep on the other side up against the bank. It's steep sidehilling and it sucks.
I knew I couldn't one-ski this for the 4 miles. I'd be keeping both skis on the snow so it was going to be very tiresome, tough...and annoying at times. After a while I got smart and lightened up the red clicker a few clicks (slow speed compression) on the right ski and it was much easier to navigate this drifted road...while I kept the uphill ski loaded with pressure. It never came off the snow after that and I was able to ride 5-10mph faster through this stuff.
THAT little adjustment made it far easier to hold my line without the sled creeping downhill into the trees (or the 2 foot wide gravel strip onf shoulder to the road that might be visible at times). I could actually steer back uphill when I needed to.
This made the last 3 to 4 miles of the road ride back out SO much easier to do. Buddy on his stock 13 Pro and the other on the stock 14 Cat had to stop twice and shake their arms out to give them a break. I also saw where those in front of me WOULD creep down on to that skinny shoulder strip...and had to get off and throw the back of the sled out so they could point back up hill onto the snow.
Not I. I didn't need a break.
I am so happy with these shocks. The adjustability on them is EXTREMELY user-friendly with a SHORT learning curve.
When I hit the powder in December I may tighten the ski shocks up a bit, and as was suggested by mountainhorse, keep notes of my settings by using a wax pencil to make notes inside my side panels for winter and spring (and summer, LOL) settings.
These shocks ARE really nice. I am SO happy and thankful I've got them.
2 out of 2 people who have ridden my sled have now told me they are planning to get them.
So next year there very well could be a 14 Cat and another 13 Pro with Elka shocks on board.
75° and bluebird skies.
The snow was HARD and REALLY cupped out.
There was no carving and playing to speak of.
The rain channels at the bottoms of the hills were often 24" deep. Coming down off a climb was QUITE nasty if you hit them at the wrong angle. I haven't seen rain channels like this before. We had some HUGE rainstorms in the last couple weeks. A couple places in W. Mont got up to 7" of rain in 72 hours.
The Elkas were QUITE nice and SO easy to adjust to the conditions.
So much of the chatter and the big hits in the rain channels weren't coming through to the handlebars.
On the way out, we had a couple miles of really drifted over road that was sidehill riding only. I couldn't one-ski this one. Too far and too long.
You know the scene...you guys have all been there in the mountains on these drifted over roads with the the occastional (or frequent) 2 foot wide strip of gravel on the shoulder of the road (not wide enough to ride on and the hill always tries to suck you back down onto it). The shoulder might be bare, but the snow is 6 feet deep on the other side up against the bank. It's steep sidehilling and it sucks.
I knew I couldn't one-ski this for the 4 miles. I'd be keeping both skis on the snow so it was going to be very tiresome, tough...and annoying at times. After a while I got smart and lightened up the red clicker a few clicks (slow speed compression) on the right ski and it was much easier to navigate this drifted road...while I kept the uphill ski loaded with pressure. It never came off the snow after that and I was able to ride 5-10mph faster through this stuff.
THAT little adjustment made it far easier to hold my line without the sled creeping downhill into the trees (or the 2 foot wide gravel strip onf shoulder to the road that might be visible at times). I could actually steer back uphill when I needed to.
This made the last 3 to 4 miles of the road ride back out SO much easier to do. Buddy on his stock 13 Pro and the other on the stock 14 Cat had to stop twice and shake their arms out to give them a break. I also saw where those in front of me WOULD creep down on to that skinny shoulder strip...and had to get off and throw the back of the sled out so they could point back up hill onto the snow.
Not I. I didn't need a break.
I am so happy with these shocks. The adjustability on them is EXTREMELY user-friendly with a SHORT learning curve.
When I hit the powder in December I may tighten the ski shocks up a bit, and as was suggested by mountainhorse, keep notes of my settings by using a wax pencil to make notes inside my side panels for winter and spring (and summer, LOL) settings.
These shocks ARE really nice. I am SO happy and thankful I've got them.
2 out of 2 people who have ridden my sled have now told me they are planning to get them.
So next year there very well could be a 14 Cat and another 13 Pro with Elka shocks on board.
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Updates...
I have had some GREAT sessions in the powder so far.
I've slightly adjusted the slow speed and high speed rebound (spring trails and winter trails aren't much different when the groomer hasn't been there in a while).
I love the adjustability of these shocks.
I also backed off the preload on the front shocks by two full turns. That was noticeable in the chatter, but the sled pushed too much in the corners, so I turned them back up one full turn tighter.
I've been adjusting about a full turn at a time because it's easy to count and also the preload adjustor ring is set by an allen screw, and it's actually hard to get to unless the ring is turned just so. I can probably find a way to get a 1/2 or 1/3 turn in without making it hard to get to.
Elka supplies the allen wrench and a ring tool to assist turning.
What I've decided, in the name of science, is that the limiter strap on my rear scissor (for coupling the suspension) needs to come off with these shocks.
The stock shocks saw benefit, but these nice Elkas may need a break from this limiter to function properly. (The adjustable Zbroz Kiss Coupler may be in order).
The limiter strap is off and I plan to ride this weekend without it.
Stay tuned.
I have had some GREAT sessions in the powder so far.
I've slightly adjusted the slow speed and high speed rebound (spring trails and winter trails aren't much different when the groomer hasn't been there in a while).
I love the adjustability of these shocks.
I also backed off the preload on the front shocks by two full turns. That was noticeable in the chatter, but the sled pushed too much in the corners, so I turned them back up one full turn tighter.
I've been adjusting about a full turn at a time because it's easy to count and also the preload adjustor ring is set by an allen screw, and it's actually hard to get to unless the ring is turned just so. I can probably find a way to get a 1/2 or 1/3 turn in without making it hard to get to.
Elka supplies the allen wrench and a ring tool to assist turning.
What I've decided, in the name of science, is that the limiter strap on my rear scissor (for coupling the suspension) needs to come off with these shocks.
The stock shocks saw benefit, but these nice Elkas may need a break from this limiter to function properly. (The adjustable Zbroz Kiss Coupler may be in order).
The limiter strap is off and I plan to ride this weekend without it.
Stay tuned.
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Letting the shocks have free reign without that limiter..... And the limiter strap is NOT going back on.
I wouldn't rule out something adjustable like an adjustable coupling block, but that's for a different day.
Better in the trees.
Better on the whooped out trails.
Better in the moguls.
Better in the chatter.
Short hill climbs were great. No wheelie problems.
Dedicatedly keeping "plush" in the thread title for sure.
Riding buddy yesterday has ridden my sled a couple times now... He's saving up for some of these.
I wouldn't rule out something adjustable like an adjustable coupling block, but that's for a different day.
Better in the trees.
Better on the whooped out trails.
Better in the moguls.
Better in the chatter.
Short hill climbs were great. No wheelie problems.
Dedicatedly keeping "plush" in the thread title for sure.
Riding buddy yesterday has ridden my sled a couple times now... He's saving up for some of these.
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Snow conditions were much different that the previous three deep powder rides.
Had an inch of frozen rain crust on top seven feet of sugar. I keep high speed rebound the same, softened slow speed rebound a few clicks on the skis and it was easier to get on edge and easier to sneak through the trees in the crust.
Had an inch of frozen rain crust on top seven feet of sugar. I keep high speed rebound the same, softened slow speed rebound a few clicks on the skis and it was easier to get on edge and easier to sneak through the trees in the crust.
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My ski loops are 37.5" center.
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I did end up putting the off-set spindles on late in December of 2015. If memory serves I'm around 35" center now.
I do like those too.
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