having a hard time deciding Elka or Penske rear

[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.

Originally Posted by 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.