Suntour XC Pro - tell me more

[yo-Nate-y]

I'll concur on the SS-7s, they are super nice. And yes, I'll also concur that they are completely different than the XC Pros (except the part about being super nice).

 

[mynchiboy]

I also run 8 speed XC Pro thumbshifters with an XTR mech and cassette and it works perfectly. They are more refined/better finished than the workhorse-style Shimano XTs.

The best thing is the front shifter though---it does a really cool ratcheting that the Shimano doesn't that I really like. Def the highlight for me.

Do the seven speed XC Pro shifters have a ghost click? I run seven speed XT thumbies with, again, an XTR mech and cassette on another bike, but if you are going to search them out, I'd say the 8 speed Suntours are a better bet. They have a little mark that says "7/8" with a orange dot over the "8."

No ghost click on the 7 speed versions, that said they would probably work fine with 8 speed if set to friction..? I too like the ratcheting effect by the way

 

[bryanus]

Are my XC-Pros in friction mode working right?

I have some XC-Pro 7-spd thumbies from a '92 Bridgestone MB-1 that I set up last night with a 9-speed shimano cassette to see if they could pull enough cable in friction mode.

When I set the shifter to friction mode, I still get some definitive clicks, almost like it's in index mode (although it is different than index mode for sure). I get about 7 or 8 clicks in friction mode.

Does that sound right? The front shifter has many, many little clicks that can be felt/heard when moving the front mech outwards, but no clicks when moving it inwards. Feels like a real "friction" mode to me.

I also found that the friction mode and using the actual clicks as stops, the 7-spd shifter actually matches up with most of the cogs on my 9-spd Shimano cassette, but the last two (largest) require pushing the lever nearly perpendicular to my handlebars. In contrast, in index mode, I barely match up with any of the cogs.

I've also heard that you can use these Suntour mounts to mount a Shimano 9-spd barcon shifter, much like the Paul Components thumbies. I took one apart, but didn't see how it would work. Has anyone done this? Do I need to get some other parts to make it work?

Thanks!

 

[drbond1978]

a year later...

yep I was confusing xc pro levers with the ritchey logics which ARE like ss7s

but yes pure wrong

 

[drcarlos]

Shifters are the nuts, I had a set BITD and sold them .

XC Pro was available as a 24 speed group in 1993 and I am sure they show thumbies as part of that group so they should have an official 8th click, they are not marked like Shimano though.

Carl.

 

[Agency_Scum]

Just remember that there was an 7 and later an 8 speed version of their drivetrain. The 7 is still quite elegant and indestructable but is compatible with nothing else ( hubs, indexing, the works ). The 8 speed IS compatible with shimano and I've been after a pair of their thumbies for ages.

 

[drcarlos]

Just remember that there was an 7 and later an 8 speed version of their drivetrain. The 7 is still quite elegant and indestructable but is compatible with nothing else ( hubs, indexing, the works ).

The very reason why I swapped to XT thumbies as I was trying to use with Shimano cassette BITD.
Quality kit though and very nice action too, I would go along with the earlier assessment that they are better than XT.

Carl.