having a hard time deciding Elka or Penske rear

[NYCSTRIPES]

I am on the fence.
I have good prices for both shocks for my D675. I can get a triple adjustable Elka for $790 delivered or a double Penske for $750.
I am the sort to not play with the thing once the settings are there.
Thoughts?

[CBRBob]

Penske.

[SPRHK]

Penske

[RCM78]

Hands down the Penske!!! After a conversation with Mike Himmelsbach at Penske, He told me the production shocks are geared more toward club racers and trackday riders. Meaning there is lots of adjustability built into the shock specifically the valving. Once it's set you shouldn't have to tweak it much. Penske is in eastern PA and their turn around is usually very fast.

We know very little about the Elka. It's modeled after ohlins but the internals just don't compare. It's an inferior product compared to both Ohlins and Penske.

[MarioB]

I asked myself the same question earlier this year. I went with the elka triple for my track bike (gsxr600), I have 1500 miles on it and so far so good. Ron at WCW set it up and I'm yet to mess with any of the settings. Good luck.

[Jake]

Definitely go with Penske... Mario got an Elka and we all know how that worked out for him........ :crackup: :crackup:




(just kidding in case you are completely oblivious)

[NYCSTRIPES]

I ordered the Penske double today, now I have to get the forks sorted out. Thanks gents.

[breeze]

nice..... im actually going to go with penske too.........(over the winter)........

[MrQuickR1]

Had the Elka Tripple on the 06....I was not impressed and felt no different then stock

[Drew13]

....I was not impressed and felt no different then stock

Yep thats the way i felt with just about everything ive added to my bike.

[FDNYDANO18]

I have an ELKA Tripple on my 675 and I feel a ton of difference to stock...I noticed and an immediate improvement in how my tires were wearing and I dropped nearly 2 seconds a lap the first day I used it......

It aint a Penske...but its also nearly $500 cheaper.

[NYCSTRIPES]

I have an ELKA Tripple on my 675 and I feel a ton of difference to stock...I noticed and an immediate improvement in how my tires were wearing and I dropped nearly 2 seconds a lap the first day I used it......

It aint a Penske...but its also nearly $500 cheaper.
How was your Elka $500 cheaper than the triple Penske? The Penske 3 way was about $1050 and the Elka Triple shows $895
That makes about $150 difference between the two given similar options(3 way adjustable) with the prices on Lindemann Engineering. The way to have the Penske cost more is to opt for the piggy back setup. They hit you pretty hard to have that option. The remote reservoir is the less expensive way to go with Penske.
They're both good IMHO, I just thought purchasing the Penske would be helpful to a US based company.
I am happy with mine so far. Like Dan, my bike is showing good tire wear and a very stable ride.

[FDNYDANO18]

I payed a little less han $750.. The Penske 3 way with the Piggyback like mine is close to $1300

[lightsdarkness]

ask the guys on triumph675.net

[metricdevil]

The 675 shock is way off in stock trim, which is why any change makes a huge difference in the way that motorcycle handles. Ride height and geometry are very important on that bike as well. I haven't had good experiences dealing with Elka shocks. The Penske twin clickers are the right shock for the vast majority of the track day riders and club racers; they work well over a wide variety of situations and have a wide range of usable adjustments. Anyone short of a front running club expert who tells you that they can feel the difference between a twin clicker Penske and a triple clicker Penske is most likely imagining it. The Ohlins TTX is a great shock, but setup is a lot more critical than with a Penske. If you have a dedicated suspension guy on hand for support, the Ohlins is a good option, if you are more of a set it and forget it kind of person, the Penske will be perfect. Also the price point of the Penske makes it a very viable option for most riders. I have the last gen Ohlins PRX shock on both of my bikes, which was a great shock as long as it is setup well and kept fresh. The usable range is slightly larger than the TTX, but not as vast as the Penske. Setup is still critical on that shock.

Hope this info helps.

[Surfinglbi23]

I have had all 3 of the shocks and all 3 are great -- they make a huge difference over stock -- maybe I'm not fast enough but I have a hard time telling the difference between the 3 in terms of ride quality if properly set up -- only real difference is the "bling" of the Ohlins and that is only in the pits.

As far as Elka having inferior internals? Where are you getting your info b/c that is just plain wrong -- obviously the Penske rep is going to hype Penske but until you have an Elka apart on your workbench, you can't state their internals are inferior, its simply not true. Elka has long been a leader in ATV shocks which are arguably much tougher on components than street bikes.

In an effort of full disclosure, yes I am running an Elka on my trackbike right now but I have an Ohlins on my street bike and both are comparable in terms of setup and quality.

I say anyone who who can get a decent deal on any of the above, go for it - but don't rule out Elka, b/c well setup they are fantastic.

Hands down the Penske!!! After a conversation with Mike Himmelsbach at Penske, He told me the production shocks are geared more toward club racers and trackday riders. Meaning there is lots of adjustability built into the shock specifically the valving. Once it's set you shouldn't have to tweak it much. Penske is in eastern PA and their turn around is usually very fast.

We know very little about the Elka. It's modeled after ohlins but the internals just don't compare. It's an inferior product compared to both Ohlins and Penske.