Revised
I have been asking for ride comparisons of Elka or Progressives to OE front springs. I have not heard a hard answer yet. I just don't want a firmer ride on normal trail riding. So I have been on the phone with both, Elka and Progressive.
Get this, the Progressives are NOT a progressive rated spring! They are a straight 60 pound spring! Stiffer is stiffer. You will corner better and handle the big stuff better but you will pay the price on normal trail riding comfort. It takes 60 pounds to compress each inch.
Elka's are a dual spring setup. They have installed progressives to test the competition. He says the Elkas are by far better (plusher) than the Progressives on normal trail riding, and even better than OE. The Main spring is 1.3 kg per MM and the other is 600 per inch. Below is what I got from Progressive but it does not apply to the Prairie springs.
Good afternoon! Our Progressive Rate Springs soak up small road bumps yet can absorb the larger ones. The Progressively Wound design gives you the best of both worlds. When you install these springs you'll be amazed at the improvement you'll feel in the handling and ride of your atv. The rates and lengths of these Progressively Wound Springs have been carefully designed to fit most atv models. Spring rates have been chosen to reduce front end "dive" under braking yet still provide excellent ride comfort. Plus, we warranty our springs for life! Progressive Rate Springs have many advantages over straight rate springs. A straight rate spring only offers linear resistance to compression and is a compromise. For example, if you have a 20lb. straight rate spring it will take 20lbs. of force to compress the spring one inch. Then it will take 20 more lbs. of force to compress it the next inch, and so on, until the end of the travel.

A Progressive Rate Spring has the advantage of a rising rate resistance to compression. For example, a 15lb. to 25lb. Progressive Rate Spring will take 15lbs. to compress it the first inch, then 17lbs. the next inch, and so on, until the end of the travel; it will take 25lbs. to compress it the last inch. The benefit of this is that the spring can be soft enough at the start of the travel to offer a "plush" ride yet be stiff enough at the end of the travel to soak up the big bumps. So, it will not give you a “firmer” ride like you are expecting, but a soft ride that will resist the big bumps and not bottom out.

Elka guarenteed me that it is as they say. Plusher than OE when not riding competitivley but will be better at keeping the rear inside tire on the ground under hard cornering and be harder to bottom out. Hmmmmm?
Niether make a rear spring setup. Elka does have a 775.00 rear shock though.
He says $198.00 US Dollars for the front springs. Is there a better priced place to purchase them or is it from them only?

ac

 

Thanks for the info. I have been wondering about the new elka shocks sense I heard they cam out with it, but I have not been able to find much info on them. I tried www.elkasuspension.com, but seems like their site has been down.

What phone# did you call?

I have a set of progressive springs waiting on me to get back from over seas to install. I wasn't aware that progressive springs are not PROGRESSIVE. Whats up with that!!! I have not seen any other post about the ELKA shocks so I guess no one has tried them yet. I'm thinking that if I can return the progressive springs the extra $48 would be worth the better shocks.

The rear shock is a different story. I think it would be a good benifit, but $775!! Even if it was in my budget, I think the stock rear shock is pretty damn good. I'll run that one until it's dead then <u>think</u> about getting the ELKA rear shock.

 

I notice in your post you keep mentioning "Shocks". Not to be confused with the "Front Springs" I am talking about. Just making sure. Yes the Progressive (Non) springs for the Prairie are just stiffer. That's all. Neither MFG. makes just a rear spring for the prairie. The Elka rep says the rear shock can be overkill for my application but if I want super tune-ability it there for me.
My metric conversions are not very practiced but I have the main spring as they stated @ 600#'s, and the other @ 1.3 Kg per mm is around 72 to 74#'s per inch. I think they just may be the ticket for me.
Most of the replies or comparisons I have read here have been with bigger tires and such. Or just short rides around a dealer parking lot. I will be doing the comparison with ITP HoleShot ATR's. I will be running the machine for at least 30 minutes on trails I already know very well before changing them. Then do the swap and ride them again. I will state that I am not a skilled race type rider and still, with only 24hrs on the machine I don't know my P650 well enough yet for that kind of running but I do have some flat, top-soil semi-hairpin turns that I need to try them out on. If I do not hit them just right the outside front dives bringing the inside rear off the ground. Some of it is the ATRs' hooking up very well, and the Prairie's nose dive characteristics, and the other is me.
I still try to slide like I have a manual shift. I just can't remember the small hesitation the Automatic has compared to a manual. Hitting the throttle a full second before I need to as on a manual is a hurdle for me. It cost me a front bumper a while back.



ELKA
Telephone: (450) 655-4855 Fax: (450) 655-2821 Email: info@elkasuspension.com

 

Thats great. I'm looking forward to your report, when will you post it? I also have the ATR Holeshots on C series rims, so your report will be a big help in my decision.

My understanding was that the front Elka setup was a full shock. Maybe I missunderstood and they are only springs.

 

I have been racing my p650 in cross-country scrambles and am bottoming out the front way to much. Also have the dreaded front-end dive, although the ATR's I have did reduce it somewhat. I wanted to put in the stiffer, pre-load adjustable Progressives, but I am now considering the Elka's based on the info you have posted. I would very much like to see your test results to help me decide which to get.

 

I will be ordering the springs Tomorrow. Doing the install Perhaps this weekend \ Monday? Looking to report next weekend.
Any suggested dealers?
I have got quotes from 3 dealers and they are the same as Elka. If not I will order straight from them.

 

So what is the best price you are finding for the Elka's. I know that the Progressives can be had on Ebay for around $130.00

 

The Progressives are a totally different animal. It's looking like 200.00 for the Elkas. They have a costumer satifaction policy.

 

I ordered the Elkas from Elka yesterday. They should arrive by Friday. If so they will be on by Monday. Price was $198.00 + approx $15.00 shipping. Every dealer I called wanted $200.00 + who knows what shipping.

 

So, the Elka's are on the way, probably a good choice. As I understand it, you have not ever put on the Progressives, right? You just decided to go with the Elka's because they are a true progressive rate spring (which is better). If your results are positive, I will also be ordering the Elka's. I also have ATR's, so my setup would be very similar to yours.