The Most Common Reasons a Shock Underperforms

A shock is a shock is a shock, right? How different can they be? Back in the day, there existed a true delineation of product quality between brands. Fit and finish, weight, adjustment range, friction, seal quality, consistency between shocks, etc., were all things that the best brands did well. In contrast, the others struggled to measure up—as such, simply bolting on a “good” shock would be something that would improve the set-up almost immediately. However, as time progressed, the bar has been raised, and delivering a decent product is the minimum price of entry to play in this space.

These days, what sets shock companies apart can be boiled down to a few key elements:

• Technological Advances: Is your shock company an industry leader on the cutting edge of damping innovation, materials science, flow optimization, and elegant design?
  
  
• Real Experience: What caliber of people does your shock company rely on to be on the front line, at the race track, in the shop, solving problems, and devising solutions? Have they ever turned a wrench or helped set-up a race car or bike?
  
  
• “Racer Mentality” Support & Response Time: Does your shock company know when you call that you really needed it yesterday? Are they ready to do what it takes to get you what you need when you need it, especially when things aren’t going well? Do they understand the importance of your time and how essential it is to have the product dialed in from the start before it is even bolted-on for the first time?

Empty Promises

Shock companies now know that the customer is more educated and expects more. But, instead of rising to the challenge, they lead with empty promises to secure the sale. Some shock companies may promise performance without ever providing the support to back it up or offer a support staff who does not have the proper breadth of experience to understand the role of a shock in the overall set-up.

Some will promise a lower upfront cost without telling you that additional time and money are required to properly get the shock set-up for your specific application.

Worse yet, some falsely promise bolt-on speed or point to success being had by a racer in their camp as justification to use their product.

The Secret

The secret to success is to work with a shock company that delivers on all areas that lead to better performance and driver/rider confidence. These areas include:

• Encouraging their customers to move away from the “shocks are black magic mentality. Your shock company should want you to take the time to learn about your shocks and how they work (turning knobs, exploring what different piston types can do, implementing a proper maintenance schedule, and checking on the dyno).
  
  
• Motivating their customers to spend time exploring sensitivities of shock adjustments on their car or bike and how they translate to on-track performance or driver confidence.
  
  
• Establishing a relationship that allows drivers and riders to engage with them for questions and recommendations regularly. The customers should feel like they can lean on their supplier’s experience and know they can rely on their support from the factory and at the track.
  
  
• Educating that there is no such thing as bolt-on speed, and the game of follow-the-leader is an empty path. Their goal should be that every customer understands that long-term success is a journey, and they are better served by making steps in their understanding, producing incremental gains week in and week out.

Those who truly get the most out of their shocks will work with a company that shares their goals, supports them on their shock understanding journey, provides quality support, lives and breathes racing, understands the urgency and what is at stake, and never rests in creating the best products and customer experience possible.