EXT's suspension roots run deep, and over the years they've amassed an impressive resume of mountain bike and motorsports achievements. From rally car racing to World Cup downhill, the Italian company has been involved at the top levels of multiple sports – Technical Director Franco Fratton even spent time as a technician on the Lotus F1 team in the early '90s.
The Storia Lok V3 Lok shock is available in a wide range of sizes, from 190 x 51mm up to 250 x 75mm in standard and trunnion mounts. The Storia is intended for enduro bikes, while EXT's Arma shock is the more downhill oriented model.
EXT Storia Lok V3 Details• Adjustable low- and high-speed compression, rebound
• Hydraulic bottom-out control
• Lock out lever
• Metric, imperial, standard and trunnion mount options
• Weight: 700 grams (210 x 52.5mm, 500lb spring)
• MSRP: 799 Euro
•
www.extremeshox.com Every shock is custom built in Italy according to the bike it'll be going on and the rider's preferences, and a dyno test is performed before each shock leaves the factory. Delivery time is between 2-4 weeks, and the retail price is 799 Euro.
DetailsThe Storia uses a mono-tube design, where the main piston travels through a column of oil, and a nitrogen-charged internal floating piston moves to handle the displaced oil. That IFP is pressurized to a relatively low 55psi, which EXT says helps improve the shock's sensitivity.
It's the inclusion of a hydraulic bump stop that sets the Storia apart from other mountain bike shocks on the market. Coil shocks are linear in nature, which means that they work best with bikes that have more progressive leverage curves. It is possible to run a coil on a more linear bike, but over-springing may be necessary to avoid bottoming out too often, which reduces some of that small bump sensitivity and plushness that coils are known for. EXT's solution addresses that by delivering a 50% increase in the force required to compress the shock during the last 15% of the travel.
How does it work? As the shock nears the end of its travel, a secondary piston passes through a smaller tube. This increases the hydraulic pressure, and helps keep the shock from bottoming out. On EXT's Arma DH shock, the amount of bottom out resistance is adjustable, but on the Storia Lok it's pre-set from the factory.
That hydraulic bump stop allows EXT to use a smaller bottom out bumper than what you'd typically find on a coil shock – in this case it's a 5mm piece of foam, protected by two plastic washers.
The Storia has externally adjustable rebound, and low- and high-speed compression damping. There are 14 clicks of LSC, 14 clicks of HSC, and 10 possible rebound settings. The low-speed adjustments require a 4mm Allen key, and you'll need a 12mm wrench or socket for the high-speed adjuster. Keep that in mind if you're planning on doing any trailside tinkering - most multi-tools don't have a 12mm wrench on them.
There's also a small lever that's used to firm up the shock for climbing (hence the 'Lok' in the model name). The Lok lever controls a completely different valve and circuit than the one that's used to adjust the shock's compression damping in the open mode, and it has a blow off valve in case you forget to open it up before heading downhill. Two springs are included with each shock, with a 25 lb difference between them. My 210 x 52.5mm test shock with a 500 lb spring weighed in at 700 grams.
Ride Impressions EXT actually sent me two shocks, each with a different compression tune, in order to demonstrate the range of possible options. I started off with the softer tune, and was immediately impressed by the level of sensitivity it provided. The glued-to-the-ground sensation that coil shocks are known for was there, but the overall feeling was different than what I was used to, in a good way. Instead of making the trail feel as if it had been covered by an extra-thick shag carpet, the Storia made it feel more like there was a layer of memory foam over everything. The impacts were muted, but there was still a liveliness to the way the shock responded that made it very easy to tell what the rear wheel was doing. The overall feel of the shock was more supportive than super cushy and soft, although I'm sure EXT could tune a shock to feel like that if you really wanted.
That liveliness was still present with the firmer compression tune, but the overall comfort level was diminished. I could see how that firmer tune could be appropriate for a racer looking for a lot of support, but for my riding style and the slippery, rooty trails that I prefer, it was simply too much.
Once I'd settled on the base compression tune, I started experimenting with the various compression settings. Each click makes a difference, and there's enough range to really change the feel of the shock. For the most part, my happy place was right in the middle of the settings, unless it was super wet and slimy out – then I'd back things off to maximize the amount of traction.
The Storia was installed on a Stumpjumper EVO carbon, a bike that has a fairly linear suspension curve. With the stock Fox DHX2 I'd been running a 550 or 600 pound spring for my 160 pound weight in order to keep from bottoming out too easily. Thanks to the Storia's hydraulic bottom out feature, I could run a 500 or even a 475 pound spring without any issues. The ramp up is fairly subtle, with no sudden harshness when landing off a big drop, and it was a welcome improvement over the DHX2's tendency to bottom out on flatter landings.
As for the Lok feature, that worked exactly as intended. Flip the little lever into the closed position and the shock will firm up nicely, with just enough give to keep it from feeling
too rough. I mainly used the Lok lever when I was spinning on pavement or grinding up a long gravel road. On more technical sections I'd flip it to the open position for maximum traction.
IssuesEXT use two plastic washers to protect the Storia's thin bottom out bumper, which makes sense. Unfortunately, those washers have a tendency to rattle around, especially on rougher sections of trail. I ended up carefully putting a dab of SuperGlue on each washer to permanently affix them to the bumper. That did the trick, and the sound of rattling plastic disappeared, although I'd like to see the shock come this way from the factory – messing around with SuperGlue near such a fancy shock seems a little silly.
On the topic of noise, the Storia can be a little noisy at times. It wasn't overly distracting, and it's nothing to worry about, but I did notice the 'click-squish, click-squish' sound on quieter sections of trail.
There was also a noticeable top-out 'clunk' on the first version that EXT sent, but the second revision had a softer top out bumper which got rid of that issue.
How Does It Compare?Does an $885 shock really perform
that much better than bare-bones, $330 option? I wondered the same thing, so I headed up to the Whistler Bike Park to do some back-to-back testing of the Storia Lok and a Marzocchi Bomber CR (which is basically a slightly modified Fox Vanilla RC).
If you're afraid of dials, getting the Bomber set up is extremely simple. Make sure you're running the correct amount of sag, set the rebound to your liking, and then turn the low speed compression dial for the final bit of tuning – it's as easy as that. The Storia Lok takes a little more time to set up thanks to the addition of adjustable high-speed compression, and the fact that you'll need a 4mm Allen and a 12mm wrench to make adjustments. But, that's also going to be part of the appeal for some riders. The Storia also gets a point for having a climb lever, which is a nice feature to have on rides with extended fire road climbs.
Weight's probably not too much of a concern if you're considering installing a coil shock on your bike, but it's a factor to consider. The Storia handily takes the win there when compared to the Marzocchi with a standard steel spring – you're looking at 700 grams vs. 924 grams. However, that difference can be flipped around by installing an SLS spring on the Bomber, which results in a final weight of only 614 grams. Of course, the SLS spring costs $130, which will bump the Bomber's price up to $430.
The biggest difference that I noticed was the extra traction that the Storia provided compared to the Marzocchi. It felt more stuck to the ground when faced with repeated impacts, and there was a higher level of grip when pushing into loose turns. The Storia's compression tune likely plays a large roll in that sensation – remember, it was set up exactly for my weight and bike. It is possible to alter the shim stacks in the Bomber, but that'll typically require the services of a knowledgeable suspension technician.
For most riders, the Marzocchi is going to leave little to be desired – it's a set-and-forget option, with easily adjustable, consistent performance. But for those who want a fully bespoke setup, the exotic Italian damper does offer noticeable performance benefits, as well as looks that stand out from the crowd.
Pros
+ Custom tuned for rider / bike
+ Very usable range of adjustments
+ Hydraulic bottom out allows more linear bikes to run a coil shock
Cons
- Expensive
- 12mm wrench required to adjust HSC
- Noisy bottom out bumper washers
Pinkbike's Take | There's no denying the fact that the Storia Lok is a specialty item, designed for riders who want to eke the most performance possible out of their bike. It's a luxury, not an absolute necessity, but the Storia does deliver a very high level of custom-tuned performance.— Mike Kazimer |
How come you ride a Kavenz, ALREADY?
I would buy hands down another storia
- a lot more sensitivity on roots and little impacts
- tuned to the bike and rider. They wouldn't allow a test on a bike the shock was not tuned. I had to fill in a sheet asking bike, model, year, flat vs clip pedals, weight, any specific requirements (eg ride several 3000 feet laps trails)
- the guys at storia are very kind, professional and down to earth, no sales bullshit
- the price for the storia with two springs is lower than the dhx2 without springs
I'd also like to see it against a good twin tube like the beloved Ohlins. The whole point of a twin tube is that there are no shims, so you can tune the shock to any (reasonable) rider weight, suspension design, and terrain with just the external adjustments.
FINALLY nearly all the problems of coil shocks could be solved with progressively wound springs. No need for complex hydraulic bottom outs.
Push does not have Hydraulic Bottom Out.
www.pinterest.com/pin/491244271830756476
www.offroadxtreme.com/engine-tech/brakes-suspension/off-road-xtreme-college-101-an-insiders-look-at-shock-absorbers
At least for dhx2 it is lime a tresure hunt to find the right spring rate. For the rocky, rocky in europe says "sorry guys we do not do tests on coil, so cant recommend spring rates for your weight". Same did YT for the capra.
The Fast Fenix is interesting, but I already have a shock with the same characteristics (ext did it first) built by a company that specialises in racing suspension, so I dont see me trying one soon.
As for reliability, it's a bit of a negative generalisation to suggest all Italian products are poor quality - this thing is absolutely perfect, plus I have had the prior version and the Arma on my DH bikes.
Not many companies hand build and dyno every shock, nor would Mojo UK distribute anything that isnt high quality so hopefully that gives you some reassurance!
I think that the stereotype that italian products aren't so reliable is slowly disappearing - I have the latest Formula brakes and fork and an Aprila naked bike from this year and honestly I think these products have nothing to do with the old italian products from 5 10 20 years ago.
I've had an MDE Damper 29 enduro frame (Italian) and compared to the Last frame (German) of one of my buddies one would think that the Last frame is italian (bearings tolerance issues, rear triangle that wasn't straight anymore after few months of riding) and the MDE is German (still runs perfectly smooth after 2 years with no maintenance)
For the rest, I can only second the review.
My v3 had a small topout noise when first fitted, this was fed back to them and a revised internal bumper design was created, even though it was a tiny sound with no actual detriment.
I had a new version fitted for free and now its silent. If that was one of the bigger brands, it would either be ignored or claimed as a feature.
The eleven six is an awesome shock, service from Darren and the guys is amazing. Like I said, I didnt see the real need for two circuits, although I appreciate others like that function. My view is that a very good damper can do pretty much everything well, so a second is a luxury I can live without and therefore surplus to requirements. The damping on the push is a little muted by which I mean it doesnt feel very lively, but it is incredibly plush. No real negative points on the shock, it just does its job and does it incredibly well in comparison to most other shocks. When I had one, I went from an Ohlins ttx22 coil and I felt the push was a 10% improvement in control and feel on both compression and rebound.
As for the EXT, it has the most sensitive breakaway I have ever felt, literally any movement will get it to start through the range of travel. However, when you hit the mid stroke, it doesnt blow through what travel there is, it just gets on with damping and it hovers around the mid point of usable travel incredibly well. The difference to most other coils being that despite being super plush, it is also very playful, much like an air shock. Then due to the bottom out damping, you have no need to be concerned about running out of travel, or indeed feeling the end of the range at all. I know I have bottomed mine, many times, but not once have I felt it. On my push, i was aware when i used the whole travel as the bottom out bumper was not as controlled as the ext is with a hydraulic stop (I actually asked for a firmer bumper at its service). The EXT is also lighter than pretty much all other coil shocks.
Being honest, both are epic shocks at the very top of their game. If you value the two circuits and a super smooth ride, then the Push is great if you want the ultimate in damping and sensitivity then the EXT is my choice all day long.
Hope that helps, sorry for the lack of detail, but I'm on my phone in the woods right now taking a quick rest :-)
Yes it descends like a boss and I agree with the comments.
But the shock doesn’t wallow in its travel under pedal like a Fox DHX2 X2 or Ohlins TTX. It provides a firmer pedaling platform higher up, perfect for enduro, or just making that slack seat angled or not very efficient 170mm travel bike a lot more efficient...
If you buy one in the UK you have Mojo suspension covering your back as an added bonus.
Best shock I’ve ridden hands down.
They are about £1000 at Mojo aren’t they?
The Mojo price reflects this at £950 GBP inc VAT.
Oh, yeah, and they are amazing shocks! The Geometron/Nicolai versions also have a coil negative spring and spherical eyelet bearing with turn the performance up a couple more notches.
Where are the comparisons to the other 20 types of shock you have no doubt ridden over the last few years?
Chris at EXT in Australia is INCREDIBLE!
Sent it back, he went above and beyond to help me get this shock sorted. He was frequently in contact with the engineers to get the right shim configuration, install it and express it back to me.
I loved how good my CCDB felt, but my Storia is just on another level with the small bump and bottom out.
Would totally recommend if you can afford it.
It is the first bike I have had with coil suspension and I love it.
EXT have great support here in CA and I had the shock much quicker than expected
The 11-6 costs 500€ more here in Europe- which is kinde insane- and I wasnt that happyn with my 11.6 as I would liked to
Actually
If you compare to the onlineprice of a dhx 2pos plus 2x SLS spring you'll pay approx. 1250€
The EXT will be custom tuned at 950€ incl. Tax with 2 springs and you'll get an extra re-tune if needed.
So it is actually a lot cheaper and custom tuned compared to an ordinary out of the box fox shock!
Riding the previous version myself and lovin it!
Can only imagine how good his own shocks must be. AVY POWER ✊
For example, I have a Bomber, CR Coil it's rides overly firm, but because it lacks the tunability that other shocks have, it doesn't work on my Guerilla Gravity because my suspension is regressive (ramps up quickly); the Bomber IFP pressure is not adjustable.
I also think it woudl be interesting to take a common shock (or fork) and let a bunch of tuners have at it, say Avy, PUSH, Vorsprung, etc... then compare the results across a number of different platforms and different riders.
Why is EXT shocks so much better? The way it is designed and the behavior of it. That paired with specific tuning, set to your weight, bike frame and type of riding. If you think of stock shocks out there, how in the earth will a general tune fit riders in the weight range from 130-260 lb? Of course that is why the race teams out there does not use stock shocks, it is actually tuned specific for them.
EXT nailed it with their design and how it suits modern frame designs, original made to fit air shocks. For my Transition Sentinel, with 32% sag and a stroke of 57mm, it was actually a Transition to get it with EXT. It was harsh ramping up, and stressed aggressive kind of feel to me and the way I needed to run it (295psi). I was willing to trade away the poppy agile feeling. Not did it took away all the other negative issues of the DPX2 but it kept the agile poppy feeling even with a super low coil spring rate, at 550lb.
What makes it stand out from the rest:
-HBO- you can run super soft spring, believe it or not it makes also a short travel bike at 140mm feel more like 155mm.
-Lowest Internal Pressure (55psi) - super soft initial feel because of the lowest brake away force out there
-Rider specific tuning specific for weight and style
Yes I know I am only one happy customer bragging, and there are lot other nice shocks out there.
Obviously there are more of the same opinion in the comments here and I happen to know 6 other with different bikes that are super happy with their EXT shocks.
PS! Of course special treated Van RC/ and other special tuned shocks will be good, but at what cost? If you add 2 SLS springs, Avy tuning you will have 800USD, that is in the same price range anyhow. And you will not have the HBO, and for sure not the super soft initial feel of the EXT.
Competitor wise i like push shock since you can fit to any frame when you change it - nice investment
What would put me off this, and indeed any other boutique suspension parts, would be the unknown level of backup two or three years down the line.
Will the company simply disappear?
They are still there, still sellings 2 forks a year.
And you can buy the old products for cheap just now.
www.bos-suspension.com
They just stopped every ad or marketting or whatever that concern bikes.
I think Jaame makes a legitimate point, and reading some boutique company's website or press release claiming motorsport heritage changes nothing. Fine words butter no parsnips.
Do yourself a huge favour and don't, Cane Creek support is pretty good - depends on your location though I suppose
Cane Creek, yeah, Scandinavia and their ridiculous demand on ordering big batches of service parts at once, makes it quite hard for workshops here to work with them. Which makes for drug smuggling strategies to obtain parts. Quite a silly move by Cane Creek.
Another great italian product, by the way...
Fox 36 Fit1, Fit4 and Grip2 - they are excellent at removing chatter and somehow are more stable under braking. It doesn’t fly through travel up and down as much as Lyrik. Rebound also seems better.
Now Marzocchis like 66RC3 Ti, 350CR, 380CR were super supple, and excellent on big hits. The trouble was everything in between. They were diving a lot.
I rode only the DH version of Formula and it felt a it overdamped and dull, but maybe different tune wouldwork better, it was very nicefork.
Now... where does DVO Onyx lie? I want 36 but I don’t want to pay as much for it as Euro shops ask
Thanks
Custom shocks for Nicolai/Geometron G1 frames use spherical bearings.
Or would I be ordering an 8.5x2.5 and putting offset bushings in the eyelets?
I don't think it is possible because the eyelets are larger to take the spherical bearing, plus they are 20mm wide on the G1 instead of the 22.2mm hardware.
The custom G1 shock is only available in 230x65mm so it would raise your BB height, and you would need to find 2.2mm of washers to make it fit.
EXT can do custom sizes at an extra charge, so get in touch with them directly. I have a custom 250x75mm for my own G1 I am building at the moment!
Maybe it's time for a G1 frame?
Oh man does an idiot like myself not need the “get a new bike” encouragement. I’m dumb enough to think this is a good idea.
In all seriousness if I was to get another frame it wouldn’t be another quiver of G1; but rather the Saturn 14.
I’m already planning a 14 build in my head and upsizing the G16 to a dual crown to harvest select parts off it...
RWC doesn't have the 10mm size that is specific to the Foxy.