Q&A with Elka - Elka Suspension

A leading manufacturer of high-performance suspension systems
for racing and recreational motorsports applications, Elka Suspension offers personalized
service, quality products and fast delivery time. The company started
developing and selling products for side-by-side vehicles since the manufacturers
introduced their first models. They now have a complete lineup that covers the
entire spectrum of racing and recreational applications.
From the owner
>We sat down with Martin Lamoureux,
owner of Elka Suspension and got some
“shocking” answers.
Elka’s new
46MM shock.
Specifically
designed for
the UTV
Market.
Q&A with Elka
Q: How has the side-by-side inflation affected your company
and what are you doing
to meet the demand?
A: When we got involved in this market, we already knew
that it would grow tremendously in a short period. These
vehicles are great sellers mainly because they fill the
void between ATVs and high-budget trophy trucks and
buggies. We've always been developing and producing
custom-built products with quick turnaround time, so we
were ready to meet the demand even before it started.
Our production team, working along with our engineers,
are both efficient and quick to respect our customers'
delivery expectations for their custom shock absorbers.
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Individually handcrafted
Many factors need to be considered when
manufacturing custom-built suspension
products, like rider’s weight, riding style,
type of terrain, vehicle model and more.
Each Elka Suspension product is custombuilt,
taking all these factors into account to
achieve optimal performance and comfort.

quality
Individually tested on a
dynamometer to ensure
and performance.
Q&A with Elka
Q: What is the main focus at Elka Suspension
for getting the side-by-side consumer the best
products available?
A: Our main focus is always the customer's
needs. Since all our products are custombuilt,
we listen carefully to our customers and
ask them many questions about their vehicle,
the modifications made to it, aftermarket parts
installed and the kind of riding they plan to
do. We also do a considerable amount of
research and development then test with top
racers and key players in the industry to come
up with new set-ups on a regular basis in
order to better meet the demands of our customers.
Q: Any new products in the works or products
that our readers would be interested in?
A: We recently introduced bigger front shocks
with 46mm bodies intended for racing applications
and aggressive riding. Following feedback
from our sponsored teams, we developed
a new Racing Edition which features in-cab
remote reservoirs that allows the driver to
adjust the suspension on-the-fly during a
race. The Racing Edition has proven very useful
in desert endurance races such as the
SCORE Baja races. We also work in close
relationship with all the major aftermarket
manufacturers to develop set-ups for their a-
arms and chassis. By working together with
them from the beginning, we are able to optimize
both our products and theirs to further
improve the performance and comfort level.
CNC-machined, aeronautical
grade anodized billet
aluminum parts and
adjustment knobs.
Q: I understand you guys have really gotten
into the side-by-side racing scene, any big
plans for this avenue?
A: Elka Suspension was born and bred racing.
We believe that racing is the best platform to
test our products, way beyond what the average
driver will put them through. We use this
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Q&A with Elka
Continued.....
valuable racing experience to develop the
most advanced and reliable products, and
then make them available to everyone. We are
increasing our involvement in racing by having
our Race Support Vehicle present at selected
major events in North America to promote and
support our products at the races while gathering
feedback from our customers.
Q: How has the transition from quads and
bikes over into the larger UTV market been
for your development team?
A: Several years of racing development in the
ATV market, combined with telemetric data
acquisition systems, allow our engineers to
measure precisely and analyze the results to
further improve the performance and durability
of our products. This scientific approach eliminates
any guesswork, making the development
of new products or custom UTV applications
quick and efficient.
Q: I think the biggest question our readers
would like to know is; What type of side-byside
do you own or are you planning on buying
one?
A: We have a fleet of test vehicles that we
use for research and development. They allow
us to take measurements and test ride our
prototype units. We also use these vehicles
when working with aftermarket manufacturers
to test our products onto their a-arms. One of
them is a Rhino which has been through a lot
of hardcore testing.
Contacting Elka Susp.
Phone: 1-800-557-0552 or
(450) 655-4855
Web:
www.elkasuspension.com
Be sure to check the Side X Side
action website for more information
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