ANY ONE INSTALL ELKA SHOCKS ON THIER Z 800 EX, THINKING OF PUTTING STAGE 3 SHOCKS ON AND GETTING RID OF THE CF MOTO SHOCK. ANY THOUGHTS

I put stage 3 on my 15 z800 trail and I can tell you without a doubt they make a world of difference. I ride MINE hard enough to blow all 4 stock shocks out within the first year, and the elkas are well worth the money.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

I put stage 3 on my 15 z800 trail and I can tell you without a doubt they make a world of difference. I ride MINE hard enough to blow all 4 stock shocks out within the first year, and the elkas are well worth the money.

I want to do this with my 2015 800 Trail/53 as well. Which ones did you get or who did you talk with at Elka to get yours?

Strongly considering this myself. I bought a set of stage 3 for my King Quad and after I learned to set them up and allow the appropriate amount of 'sag' the ride was greatly improved.

After me becoming accustomed to the Elkas as 'normal' the big eye opener was riding a friend's near identical machine that had stock shocks, on a bony section of road. It felt like I was riding a chuck wagon.

I dealt with John Ilkiw, (most likely his name is anglicized, to 'Elka') about how my set as delivered had the high pressure gas lines on the front shocks' banjo bolts oriented wrong so they couldn't be installed on my machine as sent. Of course I couldn't loosen and turn them as the gas would have escaped. I have all the luck with these sort of things.
Great shocks though.

Of note, when properly set up the suspension must have enough sag that the machine's normal stance is well into the operating range. Think Baja buggy, the suspension has pretty much just as much extending range as it has compressing range. This flies in the face of a lot of people's notions to crank the shock up and up in the search for more ground clearance.

If you think about it, when you have the shocks cranked way up, you're drivin and one wheel drops into a pothole, there's nowhere for the suspension arm to extend into the depression, it's already maxed out. So the whole machine drops that corner (something has to) and when you hit the other side the machine hammers into it to get you back up again. If you had proper compliance just the suspension arm and its wheel would drop and return, and you ride it out like a king.

But like say, you have to probably give up a bit of ground clearance to get that and CF SXS's ground clearance is at a bit of a premium.

But when I floor jack the CF Moto up on one end or the other there seems to be a good bit of extension before the wheels clear the ground, so maybe it will not be so bad. Maybe it just has the springs of a Mack truck.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

After installing the Elkas on my Brute and getting them set up, there is no way I'll ever pull them off. And yes, the suspension needs to be set in the center...or near center of its travel and if you want the best out of your Elkas, you need to set the rake or caster angle differently then your mind thinks it should be. I came to a compromise on the Brute that still gives me that "magic carpet" ride along with the control. I already have it this way on the Moto so setting up the Elkas wouldn't be tough. Just hate to have to pay for another set...but if you want the best..then you will.

If budget is a concern the Stage 1 shocks work very well, day & night on the UFORCE 800. The harshness of the stock coil overs goes away instantly & you don't get to fiddle 

I've stage 5 on my sled & have never turned a knob! I was going to do my ZF 800 trail until we were kicked out of the back country  it's re opened.....not enough season left. Snow will fly soon.

If budget is a concern the Stage 1 shocks work very well, day & night on the UFORCE 800. The harshness of the stock coil overs goes away instantly & you don't get to fiddle 

So is it the springs that make the difference? 

Yes, dual stage....then the hocus pocus valving....another art form.