Steve, for me if I've already bought it I'll always try to use it unless I can find that key parts are actually broken. Otherwise I'll depend on my skills (?) in bike tuning to make it work as well as I can. If then it stinks, I'll seek something different. I don't usually pay too much attention to the opinion of others, though I will ask for others to share their experience.

Sounds right, I guess. I just know mine are much more of a sleek design, kind of "dawn of aero."

I guess properly, neither my 6207 brakes nor my Dura Ace brakes are Arabesque.

Hyperglide and modern chains help a lot, but then again, it would be even more beneficial with a slant parallelogram.

Another thing about the Arabesque 600 (and even the Crane/D-A) derailers is that their was no external provision to adjust the chain gap through B-tension or by the sort of locknut (against the cage) that Simplex provided on their non-slanted derailers.

So, depending in part on how well that the factory setting didn't match one's freewheel size, lazy and imprecise shifting could be the result.

I am thus tempted to take apart one of the sprung pivots on my Crane derailer, then drill a new hole for one end of the spring to anchor into, in order to adjust/shorten the chain gap when using smaller than 28t freewheels.

And, as I've mentioned before, when the first 600 SIS derailer was introduced, it's actuation ratio had finally been decreased, which made for easier centering over each cog as well as making the cable transmission less susceptible to the usual combined effects of cable friction and elasticity.
So, any 600 SIS rear derailer will make a very noticeable improvement to an Arabesque bike's friction shifting performance.

maybe it's worse but still not all that bad.

Crank_addict - have you had the issue of the cage release function wear out causing your chain to suddenly fall out of the derailler?
I am currently experiencing this and wondering what the best solution is...

I am a 600 Arabesque fan, to say the least. This old Alan was one bike that I built up with the Arabesque group. The bike shifted just fine. It stopped just fine. If looked awfully fine. And, the components are easy to install, adjust and maintain. All in all, pretty similar to other similar era components, in my opinion. Anyway, my last Arabesque build...
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b0d3772a1e.jpg

Some years have passed since this very old thread had a strong run.
In the subsequent last few years, I have to say I have developed an improved opinion of this gruppo, from the shifting performance to even the brakes (noting here that I weigh only 148lbs).
I especially have developed a liking of the earlier (pre-SIS) rear derailer's greater actuation ratio, where smaller lever movements can effect faster friction shifts.
It does help greatly when the freewheel is 6s Uniglide as intended, and when the largest cog happens to be what the non-adjustable A- and B-pivot springs were optimised for at the factory all those years ago. Newer, narrower 7-8s chain also makes a big improvement with the 6s Uniglide freewheel.

Note that the "dropped para" configuration was an entirely functional advancement to the standard parallelogram derailer (as was the dual sprung A and B pivots), and was not just some visual quackery aping Suntour.

The Ross bikes stood out as some of the lowest-grade, heaviest bikes to ever wear a 600 gruppo, and were my first encounter with Arabesque parts when I acquired a crashed parts-donor Ross "Professional:lol:" bike around 1978.
Contrast that (sharply) to the Japanese-made Bianchi Super that I acquired and rebuilt a couple of years ago, which also has Arabesque parts, but which better (understatement of the year) delivers the goods in all around lightweight sporting competence (actually almost fully mimicking a pro bike). Also with it's original brakeset having notably been chosen for upgrade by Bianchi to the better-looking, better-performing (and Campag-aping!) Gran-Compe specification.

I should add that I haven't had any trouble at all with the 600 derailer's cage, but have by now encountered such mech's with cracked plastic sealing(?) rings.
And the folded-metal construction of the para-arms seems identical to that of Suntour's V and VGT.

I love 600 Arabesque for its looks but my one and only use of it was not the best experience. As others have pointed out the shifting is marginal , in fact I replaced the rear derailleur with a “new” 600 EX rear derailleur and shifting was greatly improved of course I lost that cool engraving but performance was much better..

This is interesting, since you were able to compare the two derailers on the same bike!

I also have become a fan of the New600EX for both it's form and it's function, and that it is/was the most advanced friction derailer that Shimano ever made imo.
OK, the cat's out of the bag, let the market price rise!

While it appears identical in design and dimensions to the older 600, it does have a revised outer cage plate shape, and features forged links with likely-tighter tolerances.
It has all (or more!) of the appearance of quality of the later SIS units, yet still gets by without any B-tension adjustment (which is ok when used with freewheels of roughly 26-28t largest cog size).

I'm not sure, but perhaps the swept-back levers were also helpful toward realizing better shifting(?).

For what what it’s worth the cat is probably out of the bag those “new” 600ex long cage derailleurs fetch a pretty penny . The last two I owned sold for close to $100 a piece . Granted they were really nice examples but I don’t regularly see the long cage versions come up for sale all that often ...

I always think it's bizarre when threads like this pop up in the C&V section. We're not supposed to be here for the best or the fastest or the smoothest or the most practical. If that's what we wanted we'd just buy a new bike (or put modern parts on an old one which is pretty much the same thing). Part of being a fan of old bikes is experiencing the character flaws and design oddities of times gone by. Saying that you don't like something because it isn't quite as good as some other obsolete historical curiosity is completely missing the point. From today's view Arabesque is just as terrible as everything else made back then, but from my view it's just as nifty. I love my old junk and will always appreciate the opportunity to experience another small piece of history.

I have one bike with Arabesque and it works very well for me.

I got this from Flogo a while back and it works well on my 78 SuperCourse.
https://live.staticflickr.com/1816/4...854dda85_b.jpg
34332212963_ecd3e1ddf4_h by Bwilli88, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/1873/4...7fe34974_b.jpg
IMG_20180527_220732255 by Bwilli88, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/4904/4...90eb715b_k.jpg
IMG_20181001_175313740_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr

Simple cure to get the shifting on it right, replace it with a SunTour VGT Luxe, adjust correctly, ride and enjoy it.

Does the 600 Arabesque RD share the same plastic cage pivot housing as many other Shimano units from back then? Like this one?
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7b4600a99d.jpg
That's an Altus LT.
If so, then I would personally avoid them. I like the way many of these derailleurs shift, but I have had multiple failures of this part. They've cracked and even crumbled to pieces on me. Once it happened mid-ride. We're talking decades old plastic here. No thanks.

That group of mine is now on my Geoffrey Butler.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...985363b3b4.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0060542c0b.jpg

I remembered this when a Ross EuroSport showed up at a second-hand shop near my home. Unfortunately, it had some lower level steel derailleurs.:( I did get a nice saddle bag and a Cannondale Velcro water bottle and holder from it for $5.

I am currently doing a build using all Shimano 600 Arabesque components. I think its a fairly decent gruppo.

I find the components to be pretty light too.

Probably because it didn't perform as good as ultegra triclor 6403, a friend of mine had an original follis made of reynolds 753 equipped with shimano 600 arabesque but always complained about the precision in terms of shifting and poor braking power. When the ultegra tricolor , he got rid of all of his Arabesque components on his bike and moved to ultegra tricolor

I can't hate my 600 arabesque because I got it off a Nashbar road bike that I bought at a yard sale for five-dollars, it had the brake levers, brakes, derailleurs and crankset and 600 uniglide hubs laced up to mint 700c eyeleted rims that did not look like the front brake was ever even used. The frame was a small woman's size so I gave it away after I stripped it and am using the parts on other bikes.

almost for sale....
 

well dang it - i hope this thread dies off before I get my TREK420 up for sale. It's got Arabesque stuff all over it! it's a wonder i haven't died on my rides into Detroit!


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a8e5b8890c.jpg