Bicycle Mechanics - Suntour XC Expert Shimano compatable?

This auction claims XC Expert is Shimano compatable:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270019769911&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1

I bought a ~1994 XC Expert Microdrive rear mech to replace my old XC 7000. I have yet to install it as my road and commuter bikes' repair takes priority.

Any truth to this?

it should be fine. slant parallelograms and b pivots make indexing possible, that mech has both

I'll bet you anything it isn't. The XC/9000s and Superbe Pros were designed for Suntour Accushift freewheels, which are spaced differently then Shimano HG or IG.

I'm not sure if the addition of a Shimano lever into the mix might get it to work, but chances are it won't. I've yet to get anything Suntour to properly index with Shimano.

P.S.: Be wary of anyone promoting Suntour/Shimano compatibility - I've seen a few shops say that the two are compatible just to sell you some old stock.

-Kurt

i have 7 speed deore thumbies on my townie, with a suntour turd derailleur from the early 80s, with a 7 speed cassette, not suntour. those thumbies always accidentally revert indexing, and it shifts fine, so go figure.

i have 7 speed deore thumbies on my townie, with a suntour turd derailleur from the early 80s, with a 7 speed cassette, not suntour. those thumbies always accidentally revert indexing, and it shifts fine, so go figure.

Never heard of the Suntour Turd. Was that an MTB gruppo, or was it part of the 9000 series? ;)

-Kurt

^ :roflmao:


Yeah, that guy on ebay doesn't know what he is talking about. Now all I have to do is install my XC Expert...

I've got 2 SunTour XC-Expert rear derailleurs and I tried one on my Masi with a new 6 speed Winner Pro Freewheel and Superbe Pro indexing shift levers. I couldn't get it to index very well on the 6 speed setting, it was a little better on the shift lever's 7 speed index setting but still not very good. I read somewhere that the XC Expert was designed to index with Shimano now I'm beginning to wonder if it's true. I like the longer cage on the XC Expert rear derailleur but maybe the pull is a little off to work with the Shimano cog spacing. I'm a little baffled right now.

I've got 2 SunTour XC-Expert rear derailleurs and I tried one on my Masi with a new 6 speed Winner Pro Freewheel

Well, if what Sheldon's site says is true, you'll need a Suntour Accushift freewheel. As I recall, the Superbe, Sprint 9000, and XC 9000 are all part of the Accushift series - or at least share the same pull/spacing specs as the Accushift series:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#spacing

-Kurt

Accushift spacing is the same as the spacing on Winner Pro 6 and 7 speed freewheels as far as I know. In fact, my touring bike has a Winner 13-30 7-speed freewheel and an X-1 Suntour rear derailleur and it indexes really well with my Suntour Superbe Pro indexed shift levers.