I have Shimano 6800 on my Habanero. They shifter perfect and no issue but that said I have over 45,000 miles on them. I already have an R8000 rear derailleur and that was better than the 6800. Anyone here have experience with if this upgrade is really worth it? I could also upgrade to R8000 sifters for about $80 more for a pair. Shifters normally just don't go dead but give a chance while they are stuff is around what do you think? IS R7000 better than 6800 the R8000 should be but who knows?

I don't think it's much of an upgrade at all unless you want the smaller shape of the 7020 hydraulic shifters vs the 6800 hydros.

How does the RD-R8000 work better for you than the RD-6800? (A genuine inquiry; not looking to argue.) From what I have read, the FD underwent a more significant change between the two Shimano 11-speed generations (from 5800 and 6800 to R7000 and R8000).

Be glad to explain and it is not so much in the shifting as in the cable angle. The 6800 rear derailleur has the cable going through to the pinch bolt and a greater angle. This made the shifting not quite as smooth, but it would cause more wear of the cable. As we know the rear derailleur cable and loop takes to most beating on the drivetrain shifting. The R8000 has a much straighter cable attaching to the pinch bolt that is much easier on the system. I don't know what others have experienced but this old mechanic like the set up much better. I can go years without replacing front derailleur cable but the rear derailleur cable and loop gets changed at least every 6 months and I ride many miles. I have no complaints on that but just a fact.

I see what you are describing now, i.e., the extent of the change in the angle of the RD cable between (a) its entry into the barrel adjuster and (b) from aft of the barrel adjuster to the pinch bolt, by comparing an RD-5800 vs. a RD-R7000 through their respective ranges. For what it's worth, the last time my RD shift cable broke, it frayed within the STI lever rather than at the segment you are concerned about.

Agree you should buy a new pair of shifters that support your 11 speed drivetrain while they are still around. Even if you don't install them for another year or two, by then it may be tougher to find these parts NOS.

I believe the difference between R7000 and R8000 is probably VERY modest, but if you can score the R8000 for a few bucks more it might be worth it to get slightly lighter. Either way is reasonable.

FWIW I had 6700 on MY Habanero and I replaced the entire groupset with R8000 (after about 70K miles of use) and am quite pleased with the upgrade.

Can confirm. I built my bike with R8000 (R8020 actually). The GF had a bike that had 5800 and it was trash, could be it was worn and not a bad group set but either way is wasn't working well no matter what language I sweared at it in. I got her a R7000 groupset for a Christmas present and I was impressed with it - comparing it to my Ultegra kit. I suspect the bulk of the differences are on the scale, and how much does that really matter?

My Shimano 6800 shifters wore out after 7 years, so I replaced them with whatever is the current version. They work great, but I can't say better than the old ones. So, replace if needed, but don't expect any kind of performance upgrade.

I had the 6800 shifters on a bike for about 8 years and never felt any real difference between the 6800 to the 8000's. I had another bike with the 8000. The RD I replaced the 6800 with did make improvements, but if they are still in good working order, I would save my money unless you can find a good deal on them so you can have them in case something happens to your 6800's.