EXT Storia LOK V3 Coil Shock Review
In this review, we take a look at the EXT Storia LOK V3 boutique coil shock from Extreme Shox. How did this high-performance coil shock perform in our tests? Is it worth the relatively high cost? And how much traction can one shock possibly produce? Read on to learn more…
The EXT Storia LOK V3 is an incredibly high-performance boutique shock. It offers excellent tracking, keeping your rear wheel glued to the trail absorbing small bumps enabling you to push the limits of your riding no matter the technical difficulty of the trail.
Having had this shock for a little while now I have really noticed the suspension improvements and have barely noticed any negatives. Although I have this coil fitted to my Whyte E-160RS which is an E-bike, I have not noticed any impact on my climbing ability. If anything there are improvements as I have better traction and spin out significantly less.
However, even though this shock has a major upgrade over any other rear suspension that I have tested it’s still not perfect. This is a boutique shock built by a small team by hand. The performance gains are incredible but there are some minor issues. The first is that this shock is noisy. There is an internal shuttle valve that makes a clicking sound every time the shock compresses. At first, I had thought the shock was faulty but discovered this is as expected and I no longer notice the clicking. I have been told the shuttle valve can be removed but it’s worth it for the performance gains so I would also recommend keeping it. The second issue is that it requires tools to adjust the external compression damping adjusters. Only a small spanner and an Allen key but I prefer to ride without tools meaning I can not adjust this shock out on the trail. Not a massive issue but maybe for others.
Overall I am really impressed with the EXT Storia LOK V3 coil shock. I am still blown away by the performance gains and I won’t be looking to change to another shock any time soon. So if you want stunning performance gains, have the budget and can deal with the minor negatives then this could be the next rear MTB shock for you.
EXT Storia LOK V3 Features
- Metric and Imperial sizing – Standard or Trunnion mount
- 4 way adjustable (LSC-HSC-LSR-Lok proprietary system)
- High flow Ø29 mm main piston
- Ø24 mm valve piston
- Ø14 mm shaft
- New Lok Technology – Progressive opening – Silent working
- Engineered rebound circuit to separate bump and rebound oil flow
- Ultra low-friction coating
- Factory tuned HBC technology
- Very low reservoir pressure for maximum sensitivity (55 PSI)
- Full custom hydraulic setup available
- No cavitation
- Very low hysteresis for high dynamic response
- High turbulent flow for very low temperature depending
- Low friction Energize seal
- Thinner bottom-out bumper
- New rebound knob for easy spring swap
So what do you think of the EXT Storia LOK V3 coil shock? Do you prefer to use air or coil suspension? What are you currently running on your bike? Let us know in the comments below.
You can learn more about Extreme Shox here: http://www.extremeshox.com/mtbproducts/
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