Bicycle Mechanics - Quick Question on Brake Levers 600/SLR/600EX, etc

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johnknappcc
06-08-09, 05:12 PM
Just won a pair of early 90's Shimano 600 aero brake levers off ebay. Pretty good condition, question . . .

The 600's were Ultegra level correct? And what is the diff between 600/SLR/and 600EX?

Thank you!

Ex Pres
06-08-09, 05:14 PM
600=early Ultegra
SLR = Shimano Linear Response? (edit:I was right :)),but they do have a return spring in the lever, not just the caliper.
onbike 1939
06-09-09, 04:49 AM
The 600 series were great levers and very popular with women because of their ease of use with those with smaller hands.

Greenfieldja
06-09-09, 08:30 AM
Shimano 600, 600AX, 600EX, and 600EX Arabesque were all precursors to the present day Ultegra. Shimano added Ultegra to the 600 name in the late 80s (circa 1988ish from what I recall). Eventually they dropped the 600 and the gruppo became known just as Ultegra.

I don't recall the brake levers of the 600EX lineup ever having EX engraved or printed on them; they just simply had Shimano 600 either across the front of the lever (BL-6200) or down the front of the lever (BL6207-6209). The 600AX had 600 and an "alpha" character and an "x" engraved on the front of the lever.

You can tell by the part number whether the levers are EX or not. The following part numbers were all EX:

BL-6200
BL-6207
BL-6208
BL-6209

SLR
SLR stands for Shimano Linear Response. This system included a return spring in the brake lever as well as changes to the calipers to reduce friction. One of the main things that the return springs in the brake levers do is allow the brake lever to snap back to its resting state when released instead of being pulled back to its resting state by the force of the caliper spring alone.

-j