How Noisy Is Your EXT?

10/6/2023 9:06pm
Late reply! I came here from a google search on EXT noises. Interestingly I'm having the exact same issues, even more I'm also on a POLE...

Late reply! I came here from a google search on EXT noises. Interestingly I'm having the exact same issues, even more I'm also on a POLE. The new Vikkela 190mm, not sure which one you're on but there's no denying you're on a POLE. I was actually pretty stoked about how quiet the bike was, but that was with the stock RockShox Super deluxe ultimate. Just got my new EXT storia for it and immediately noticed the clicking. I've also got a Geometron G1 with nearly the same shock (the G1 uses a modified version of the Storia) and zero click. It has all the standard noises but this noise is a very specific click at the start of compression. I've played a bunch with this and found that I will get the click only when the shock starts a compression movement. Without the spring installed I can compress the shock slowly and it will click when the compression starts but not at all if I speed up the compression slightly. The moment I reach zero shaft speed it sounds like the check valve others referenced is reseting and then the moment I compress again it clicks. Verified all of this off the bike an compared to the Storia from my geometron which does not have the compression click at all. I think that the POLE has a lot to do with amplifying the noise because I see there are many people experiencing this noise but they say they don't notice at all while riding. I'm going to contact EXT-usa next week to see if they have some suggestions. 

 

I don't know this for sure but I have a feeling the Geometron shocks might not have the check valve which cause the click. 

10/6/2023 9:27pm

the click is not audible once you are riding.. I notice it on my new arma.. but I could not care less... the woosh is music to my ears ; )

1
10/6/2023 9:56pm

The EXT shocks are noisy. If it feels okay then most likely everything is okay. I was concerned when I first got mine but they reassured me that nothing was wrong. They said to make it completely silent would hinder performance. I believe the noise at the start of compression is the oil valve opening. 
 

I’ve had 3 EXT’s now and have felt zero need to try anything else. They really are amazing shocks. Once you forget about the noise you’ll love it. 

10/7/2023 12:16pm
Late reply! I came here from a google search on EXT noises. Interestingly I'm having the exact same issues, even more I'm also on a POLE...

Late reply! I came here from a google search on EXT noises. Interestingly I'm having the exact same issues, even more I'm also on a POLE. The new Vikkela 190mm, not sure which one you're on but there's no denying you're on a POLE. I was actually pretty stoked about how quiet the bike was, but that was with the stock RockShox Super deluxe ultimate. Just got my new EXT storia for it and immediately noticed the clicking. I've also got a Geometron G1 with nearly the same shock (the G1 uses a modified version of the Storia) and zero click. It has all the standard noises but this noise is a very specific click at the start of compression. I've played a bunch with this and found that I will get the click only when the shock starts a compression movement. Without the spring installed I can compress the shock slowly and it will click when the compression starts but not at all if I speed up the compression slightly. The moment I reach zero shaft speed it sounds like the check valve others referenced is reseting and then the moment I compress again it clicks. Verified all of this off the bike an compared to the Storia from my geometron which does not have the compression click at all. I think that the POLE has a lot to do with amplifying the noise because I see there are many people experiencing this noise but they say they don't notice at all while riding. I'm going to contact EXT-usa next week to see if they have some suggestions. 

 

I don't know this for sure but I have a feeling the Geometron shocks might not have the check valve which cause the click. 

They don't have it, it its removed.

5/10/2025 6:54am
I just got a Storia v3 for a Firebird and have really struggled. Gushing noises aside, this is the loudest shock I’ve had. Unacceptably loud. I just got a lighter tune and spring and it’s even louder. Sounds like a water bottle bouncing off the top tube, but I had no water bottle. Very distracting while riding. 

I reached out to a local tuner and he had this to say:

We can also remove the divider ball in it to quiet things out by a lot and also it will softlen the damper feel. Just keep in mind that after doing this change, when you adjust the rebound slower it will affect the compression slightly and could need a click less of compression to get the same feel. The ball makes a rattle on the rebound stroke from the turbulences in oil.
 
Also, both spring collars need a bike of grease to reduce the noise that the 7000 series alu makes under compression.
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Buckets Up
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5/10/2025 8:53am

The spring collar noises can be wildly loud.

I personally couldn’t do it.

5/10/2025 4:54pm
I just got a Storia v3 for a Firebird and have really struggled. Gushing noises aside, this is the loudest shock I’ve had. Unacceptably loud. I...
I just got a Storia v3 for a Firebird and have really struggled. Gushing noises aside, this is the loudest shock I’ve had. Unacceptably loud. I just got a lighter tune and spring and it’s even louder. Sounds like a water bottle bouncing off the top tube, but I had no water bottle. Very distracting while riding. 

I reached out to a local tuner and he had this to say:

We can also remove the divider ball in it to quiet things out by a lot and also it will softlen the damper feel. Just keep in mind that after doing this change, when you adjust the rebound slower it will affect the compression slightly and could need a click less of compression to get the same feel. The ball makes a rattle on the rebound stroke from the turbulences in oil.
 
Also, both spring collars need a bike of grease to reduce the noise that the 7000 series alu makes under compression.

You can also use the low friction spring washers used on sprindex springs for this - you just might need 2 of them. Also you can very lightly sand the end of the spring (put the sandpaper on some glass) to remove any high spots and give it a better contact surface. Only a tiny bit though, don't go through the paint!

 

1
5/10/2025 7:09pm
You can also use the low friction spring washers used on sprindex springs for this - you just might need 2 of them. Also you can...

You can also use the low friction spring washers used on sprindex springs for this - you just might need 2 of them. Also you can very lightly sand the end of the spring (put the sandpaper on some glass) to remove any high spots and give it a better contact surface. Only a tiny bit though, don't go through the paint!

 

You’re thinking most of the noise is from the spring collars?

Do you have experience removing the divider ball and whether it’s worth it?

Pedal Bob
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6/24/2025 3:34pm Edited Date/Time 6/24/2025 3:35pm

What about the Storia V3 vs V4 noise levels. My local shop claims the newer V4 is much quieter, but that can obviously be just a sales pitch. So, is there anyone who have some valid feedback on that one?

6/24/2025 5:43pm
You can also use the low friction spring washers used on sprindex springs for this - you just might need 2 of them. Also you can...

You can also use the low friction spring washers used on sprindex springs for this - you just might need 2 of them. Also you can very lightly sand the end of the spring (put the sandpaper on some glass) to remove any high spots and give it a better contact surface. Only a tiny bit though, don't go through the paint!

 

You’re thinking most of the noise is from the spring collars?

Do you have experience removing the divider ball and whether it’s worth it?

Sorry I missed this one - the spring collar noise is one thing, and probably depends a lot on the exact frame its in, and if greasing helps then the spring washers are a cleaner more permanent fix. But the damper noise is a separate issue and some people might only have 1 or the other, or both. I've worked on shocks without the divider ball and not sure it made heaps of difference, just removed the "click" you sometimes felt during the transition but the wooshing noises depend more on the exact tune and settings used so will usually be hard to fix.

6/24/2025 10:42pm

From an Italia username "Extracingshox" on the other site in response to slurping noises:

"the noise is our hallmark, just as every hub has its own sound." 

No more check ball in the current designs, from the same user in the article about the new Vecta shock:

"If it's more of a ticking sound, it might be caused by the checkball we used in the V3 to separate compression from rebound, depending on the frame construction, it could be more noticeable on certain bikes.
We’ve since redesigned the check valve system in the E-Storia, V4, Vecta, and Aria to eliminate this."

1
6/25/2025 6:26am

I found the gushing noise very minor. Generally I couldn’t hear it over the check ball tapping constantly and the spring creaking. Between challenges with set up and the incessant noise, I’ve put mine up for sale. 

Pedal Bob
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6/25/2025 6:57am
I found the gushing noise very minor. Generally I couldn’t hear it over the check ball tapping constantly and the spring creaking. Between challenges with set...

I found the gushing noise very minor. Generally I couldn’t hear it over the check ball tapping constantly and the spring creaking. Between challenges with set up and the incessant noise, I’ve put mine up for sale. 

So it's an older version then...

6/25/2025 2:24pm
I found the gushing noise very minor. Generally I couldn’t hear it over the check ball tapping constantly and the spring creaking. Between challenges with set...

I found the gushing noise very minor. Generally I couldn’t hear it over the check ball tapping constantly and the spring creaking. Between challenges with set up and the incessant noise, I’ve put mine up for sale. 

Pedal Bob wrote:

So it's an older version then...

Sorry. Yup v3

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Pedal Bob
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6/25/2025 2:40pm

Ah ok, because I'm at least very keen on the Storia V4, because of the highend coil shocks available on the market, that's the onlyone I can both purchase and have serviced in the same country I live in. 

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