2012 Shimano XT and XTR - Sea Otter

Apr 13, 2011
by Tyler Maine  
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XTR RD-M985 Shadow Plus Rear Derailleur

The newest addition to the XTR Dyna-Sys drivetrain is the RD-M985 Shadow Plus rear derailleur. The Shadow Plus feature provides a selectable pivot for the pulley cage that can use a heavier spring and increased pivot friction to counteract the forces of up and down chain momentum in rough terrain. The chain bouncing can often cause noise as the chain slaps the top and bottom of the chainstay, or even cause the chain to derail from the front ring in extreme circumstances. The new pivot when selected to the “ON” position damps the cage's swinging action and consequent chain movement for a nearly silent and stable riding experience. In the “OFF” position the derailleur will function like a standard Shadow rear derailleur and eases the installation and removal of the rear wheel by relaxing the spring tension on the cage.

MSRP: $249.99 Weight: 210g (estimated) Available: Late May 2011



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Deore XT
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Deore XT

The debut of Dyna-Sys in 2010 on Deore XT was the first step towards the full group make-over for the 2012 model. Having firmly established a host of new features for XTR, those features now work their way into Deore XT, once again boosting the value and relevance of the group. While the core of XT is still biased toward trail use, several options allow for even more customized application to specific terrain, bike types, and cosmetics. Two of the major options will be the addition of a double crank along with the popular triple and the choice of black or silver for the components.


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SL-M780 Rapidfire Shifter

Advanced Light Action shifting with VIVID index requires the same amount of force to shift between the two largest cogs as it takes to shift between the two smallest. The VIVID index establishes intuitive shifting feedback without adding unnecessary shifting force to the system. Instant, multi-, and 2-way release are all integrated into the newest generation shifter as well as a mode converter that allows the left hand unit to be tuned specifically to the crank set being used.


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•Ispec (integrated brake lever mount) version available • MSRP: $159.99 • Weight: 255g • Available: June 2011
BL-M785 / BR-M785 Hydraulic Disc Brake System


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The Servo-Wave Deore XT hydraulic disc brakes continue to borrow from the features developed for XTR that provide huge leaps in braking and control. The new compact caliper with oversized 22mm ceramic pistons is combined with a lightweight lever for a brake that lighter yet packs 25% greater braking power when the ICE Technologies brake pads and rotor. The rotors have been proven to reduce temperatures of the rotor as much as 100% over a standard all steel rotor, and will be available in a 6-bolt pattern as well as the Shimano innovated Center Lock. Mechanics will appreciate the integration of the same one-way bleed that debuted on XTR last year.

• BL-M785 is compatible with Ispec shifter mount • Servo-Wave provides better modulation along with greater maximum power • Ice Tech Centerlock rotors consisting of a stainless steel clad aluminum core are durable and create a more efficient heat sink reducing fade • Ice Tech brake pads use finned extensions that pull heat away from the caliper, oil, and rotor to reduce fade and maintain power and modulation • MSRP: $159.99 (complete front or rear pre-bled system w/lever, caliper, hose, and pads) • Weight: BL-M785 > 266g/pr, BR-M785 > 242g/wheel • Available: June 2011


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FC-M780 / FC-M785 Crankset The central component to the Dyna-Sys drive-train comes in two varieties: a double or triple. The rider can choose the option that best suits their style, fitness, or terrain. The ever popular and more versatile triple comes with a 42-32-24T ring set with the proven composite enhanced middle ring for maximum shift smoothness. Most notably, the 24T inner ring offers a significant improvement in efficiency compared with a 22T and still provides a very low gear for climbing when paired with a 36T rear cog. A trail oriented 2X10 crank debuts with a 38-26T ring set as well as a more XC oriented 40-28T combo. Both double cranks feature a unique crank with a 48.8mm chainline for better frame clearance and best compatibility on a wide range of bikes.

• Triple or double gearing: 42-32-24T, 40-28T, or 38-26T • Carbon composite reinforced middle ring on triple reduces weight and provides smooth, quiet shifting • MSRP: $319.99, any spec • Weight: 860g, triple w/BB (double 820g w/BB) • Available: June 2011


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RD-M780 Shadow Rear Derailleur The Shadow rear derailleur design continues to be improved and combined with the newest shifter design optimizes the overall system stability. The new longer arm geometry of the cable fixing anchor takes stability a step further as well as provides a more tolerant system adjustment. Enhanced system stability with Shadow technology
MSRP: $109.99 Weight: 234g (Super Long Cage) Available: June 2011


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FD-M780/M781/M785/M786 Front Derailleur Angled adjustment screws and clamp bolt make the new front derailleur more mechanic friendly and the option for direct mount create greater options for frame designers. Four mounting style available to accommodate most frames: Low clamp, high clamp, E- type, and direct mount Double or triple specific versions provides precision shifting for either format Cage design optimized for tire and frame clearance MSRP: $54.99 (all specs) Weight: 153g (low clamp, top swing) Available: June 2011


CN-HG94 / CS-M771 The drive-train is completed with the Dyna-Sys 10-speed CN-HG94 and CS-M771 cogset introduced in 2010. The HG-X asymmetric design chain has inner and outer plates that take specific advantage of the contours of the Hyperglide cogset. Cogset options are 11-36T, 11-34T and 11-32T.
• MSRP: CN-HG94 > $49.99, CS-M771 > $99.99 • Weight: CN-HG94 > 343g, CS-M771 > 273g
• Available: currently available


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WH-M785 / WH-M788 Two new wheel options will feature different rim widths and axle options. The WH-M785 will have a 19x559 profile rim with 15mm front hub and QR rear wheel. The WH-M788 will feature a wider 21x559 rim offering a different platform for wider tires and will come with a 15mm front axle and the option for a 12X142mm rear or QR rear.
• MSRP: $749.99 (any spec) • Weight:
o WH-M785-F15 > 710, WH-M785-R > 915g
o WH-M788-F15 > 775g, WH-M788-R12 > 1020g, WH-M788-R > 980g • Available: June 2011


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PD-M780 / PD-M785 The PD-M780 pedals increase pedal surface contact area by 5 times vs. the PD-M770 for incredible pedaling stability. An offset binding allows mud to flow through the pedal better than prior designs for the best possible performance in muddy conditions.

A completely new pedal for 2012, the PD-M785 is an XT quality pedal aimed at trail use. An integrated pedal cage offers greater stability even when not clipped in with an increase in surface area of 8.5 times over the PD-M770.
• MSRP: $149.99 (either version) • Weight: TBA • Available: June 2011

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www.shimano.com


Author Info:
brule avatar

Member since Mar 27, 2001
3,581 articles

118 Comments
  • 27 1
 Dope as hell. Good move Shimano to announce this before Otter to get hella people by their booth
  • 2 0
 YeS!
  • 7 1
 judging by the pictures I'm guessing they released it at the otter haha
  • 7 0
 expo doesnt open until 2moro but im sure those pictures are at sea otter. just not open to the general public
  • 3 0
 I WANT IT, I WANT IT, I WANT IT!!!!!!!
  • 1 0
 hmm....i hate lines....
  • 9 0
 Guess they just couldnt find any way to improve the Saint group Wink
  • 3 0
 Shimano changes one group every 4 years. Next year we'll see a new Saint group.
  • 3 2
 the most "meh" new products ive seen from shimano
those black cranks look pretty much like the old deores, the brakes just look tacky and the shifters seem a bit simple
ah well, ill be able to pick up the 2010/11 stuff at a sick price when this is out
  • 2 0
 agreed, im not pleased at all with the new design looks tacky
  • 6 1
 are you serious?! isn't it supposed to look cool while still maintaining performance? that's what I thought... well i guess you're allowed to have an opinion
  • 1 1
 Im sure all the parts work well as always but not sure about their new appearence either. Not really a step forward.
  • 1 0
 i don't know but maybe it has some sort of strength upgrade. just a though
  • 1 0
 ^^ granted, they have tried to look cool, but failed, i prefer the old stuff like the stuff ive got on my ride, with regards to shifting, stiffness and braking power im sure its all better
  • 1 0
 that crank arm looks like twisted french fries.
  • 1 0
 personally i think the slx/old xtr with the brushed aluminum surface next to baked on coating (I think?) is the best looking crank design shimano has ever put out. These new xt's look too much like shimano's low end stuff
  • 1 0
 i agree. some marketing design gimickry being employed here. doesn't work for me. not unless the crank's more stiff or lighter becoz of this notch or twist, then no problem. until then, i'll stick to my last year's XT cranks.
  • 3 0
 umm ithink i just jizzed in my pants
  • 1 0
 Looks good, except for the crank and the calipers, which just look cheap compared to the 2010. It's just there way of making us feel like our setup is old and needs to be replaced. Also, I got to use the brake levers on an ibis mojo sl-r at a demo by me, and they feel way too short and small, even with my small hands
  • 5 0
 Hey Shimano Next time you make a wheelset it would be nice if you could remember that 20mm front axles still exist. Plenty of people still run lightweight forks with 20mm axles on their trail and all mountain bikes so it would kinda make sense if the hubs were compatable with them
  • 1 0
 Theres SLX 20mm hubs.
  • 7 0
 Wow, the new gear looks great. If the XT stoppers work anywhere near as well as the XTR brakes, they'll be big favorites among a lot of riders.
  • 7 0
 I like it, but how is one meant to mount a bashring to the 2x10 XT cranks? Not all of us mince about on Californian gravel roads Big Grin
  • 2 0
 buy the triple i guess. it's weird that the 2x10 uses a different spider so you have to commit to it when you didn't have to with the old style
  • 1 0
 and if you want to run the outer ring on the other side of the tabs for a better chainline you cant.
  • 8 0
 light, durable, and sexi
  • 4 0
 gona have to say i like the old xts better but these are pre dope
  • 7 0
 damn this stuff looks real clean and stealthy
  • 1 0
 omg .. especially on that intense frame ....
*DROOLZ*
  • 4 0
 Am I seeing this wrong but no 20mm option for their wheelset? only some 15mm front axle options.. Looks like Shimano's trying to kill the 20mm IMO...

For other bikes than DH I mean
  • 1 0
 Unfortunately they only give you 20mm options on the Saint line.. Its would be nice to have a XTR 20mm hub tho..
  • 1 0
 Good point elethim!
  • 1 0
 XTR M976 front hubs were 110x20mm.
  • 1 0
 I own one of those 20mm XTR hub and they're nice, until you have to service it...
  • 1 0
 There were SLX 20mm too.
  • 3 1
 I would like Shimano to improve their chains. Unless you are super gentle with using a good chain breaker on them, they snap super easily. A minimal pin misplacement and off it goes. I choose SRAM chains any time. But that's it for that company.
  • 5 0
 shimano always makes anything XT/XTR look fresshhh
  • 1 0
 Ahm... the 2012 XT group looks like the Deore, sincerely I don't like the way that Shimano is taking mixing chrome and shiny black... I preffer matte black or polish alluminium in their lines, like the M972 XTR or the M770 XT... Id on't know why the japanese are taking this way of colors.... In my opinion the best of these changes are the shifters... :S
  • 2 0
 That shadow plus feature on the xtr derailleur seems fantastic. bummer they didnt put it on some lower components like SLX and XT. on another note, that XT rear derailleur is ugly!! But cool stuff from shimano!
  • 8 0
 shimano needs to ad some color to their stuff, then it would look good and ride good Smile
  • 3 0
 one thing remains the same, it still cost a lot. Ill stick to the older version until pricing goes down after release but the chrome brakes.... very tempting.
  • 3 10
flag arekieh (Apr 13, 2011 at 18:42) (Below Threshold)
 @guy38
Grow up
  • 5 0
 arekieh, whats wrong with color? IMO, the sram x.0 parts look soooo sexy
  • 2 2
 theres nothing wrong with color but deciding to buy something just b/c its a certain color is mentally retarded imo.
Color should be the absolute last thing you pick and if its not available who cares. Color decision should be in the last 10 seconds before you checkout.

I have nothing against color (I have gold race face cranks, gold handlebars, and gold grips) but thats just how it worked out i didnt change my part decisions just to get a certain color.
  • 1 0
 Fair enough.
  • 2 0
 i am saying i would like color, not that i wouldn't buy something because of color, just think of shimano with the color variety of funn or raceface?
  • 2 0
 Get yer Humbrol paints out and get cracking!...(Do kids make model planes any more?)...
  • 1 0
 At least they have a black option now - way better than boring silver IMO.
  • 1 0
 As a consumer I would like to see more functional improvements over looks to keep me in the market for newer components. What's to drive me to replace my older shimano comps with these newer ones? I don't see anything new (functionally) other than the 2x10 and 3x10.

The adjustable spring tension? Seriously so how many people would use that daily. You set it and forget about it. Everyone want's a nice tight chain so why not just have one option?

Come up with something amazing like a small robot that can gauge your driving habits and shift automatically for you.
  • 1 0
 ...and compatability with Ultegra 6700 shifters would be nice for us cyclotourists/frankenbike creators.
  • 1 0
 Very nice. Pretty much exactly what I've been looking for in terms of brakes, cogset, and cranks. And June isn't that far away, so I can wait! But... those double cranks... can you run a bash on them? Given their shape it doesn't look like you can run an after market bash on there... on the triple either. That's kinda crummy in my world...
  • 3 0
 Who else feels that the black calliper looks plasticky as compared to the chrome lever?
  • 5 0
 dope
  • 4 0
 Sick heat sink, should put a cooling fan on it haha.
  • 2 0
 lolol, thats exactly what i thought of when i saw the calipers
  • 6 0
 Maybe go all the way if you plan on overclocking it and go for the water cooled upgrade option lol
  • 2 0
 lol, you need to get some ln2 on that thing
  • 1 0
 noooooooo, they need heatpipes!!!
  • 3 0
 sweet I was about to order xtr brakes because of that cute little lever, looks like I can wait and save some $$$
  • 2 0
 I do not like the look of the new brakes AT ALL, I always liked the look of shimano products cause they were different, now they just look like elixir wannabes....
  • 1 1
 I agree. Current XT brakes look way sexier than these new designs.
  • 1 1
 you'll change your mind when you see them in person. the chrome levers look amazing and are a little smaller and tighter than my elixirs
  • 1 1
 I have worked on the XTR M980 brakes. They're freakishly deformed.
  • 1 0
 mechanical disc option for my travel Dahon Flo MTB would be welcomed!
  • 1 0
 is there gonna be a 2012 saint groupset? or is the latest one so good it doesn't need any improvemenet Wink . anyway i like the looks of the black xt stuff and the system on teh xtr mech is very clever
  • 1 0
 Shimano changes each group every 4 years. We'll see a new Saint group next year.
  • 1 0
 the brake finish is pimp! the design of the parts look rad as well, but why did they polish only the brake lever body and paint the rest of the group? kind of cheapens it for me.
  • 3 0
 yes! always satisfied with shimano.
  • 1 0
 I was hoping they would bling up the XT cranks some more... Guess we have to just settle for something that works really well.
  • 1 0
 Holy sweet mother of pearl! Looks rockin'!!! I see that they have an XT Race and Trail pedal like the XTR line up. Hmmm...
  • 3 0
 Ya that trail pedal is looking good hey? If only my knees still liked to be clipped in - this looks like a winner!
  • 2 0
 Soooo sick, looks bad ass!! XT for life.
  • 4 0
 is saint next?
  • 2 0
 Yes - next year.
  • 4 1
 Those brakes look amazing.
  • 2 0
 Very very nice. Love my XTR Trail brakes, so the idea of getting similar performance for cheaper is a win.
  • 3 0
 Still no short cage versions of the derailleurs.
  • 1 0
 there will be medium cages but tbh saint short cage mechs are worth their price
  • 1 0
 With a quality group like XT available, and freshly updated, I don't see the point in the extra bling of XTR... This new XT group looks amazing, especially the brakes.
  • 1 1
 Here is something that I don't understand the the shifters. Do you really need a orange line to indicate what gear you are on. I could see that on a Walmart bike but on XT components, come on.
  • 1 0
 Nice! but I've already XTR 2011 brakes and shifters, should have waited a little bit.
  • 4 5
 "use a heavier spring and increased pivot friction to counteract the forces of up and down chain momentum in rough terrain" or you can stop being a fool and buy a sturdy X.O...... count it!
  • 1 0
 just realized this. correct me if im wrong, but would increased pivot friction slow shifting?
  • 1 0
 yeah, wouldn't the heavier spring make shifting tougher as well?
  • 6 0
 sturdy x0 ha
  • 2 0
 i think this stiffens it in the vertical direction, not the in-out shift direction. two different springs
  • 3 1
 Sturdy X0...? Does not exist..
  • 4 2
 trouble is that x.0 costs more than XTR... x9 is more expensive than XT. X7's quality is worse than Deore. Just switched my AM bike to SRAM and I am greatly dissapointed. Sorry sram lovers but 1:1 actuation ratio is a bullshit. The most of shifting time is taken not by derailleur movement but by chain gliding from one cog to another by rotation of the cassette. And that is common for all systems unless you believe in a time warp created by their marketing department's blessing ritual - THE POWER OF US DOLLAR COMPELLS YOU! Then for 10sp Shimano dropped the shift ratio to near 1:1,5, so you win basicaly nothing with SRAM. Maybe that it stays well set over months.

But I would never say that this is a reason good enough to go for huge rear mech, hanging lower (sram's rear mechs short cage height over the ground is equal to shimano medium cage) - to sum up way more prone to be damaged than Shimano shadow rear mechs.

Thumbs up for Shimano big time!
  • 1 0
 I disagree. I would say that deore is around x5 level. but anyway, the biggest 1:1 advantage for me is being able to clear most of the casssette after going downhill, to an immeidate steep up uphill. I think I can clear 7 or 8 gears in one full motion. i have tried the same trail with my dads shimano and i found it really annoying. but yes, sram is more expensive.
  • 1 1
 hm... my 10sp X7 shifter does not clear more than 3 at once. Which one you have?
  • 1 0
 x5, worse than yours. i am talking about downshifts only also. with upshifting its a click at a time.
  • 1 0
 Good stuff, but still no XTR 83mm crankset? C'mon Shimano.. It's about time!
  • 2 0
 I highly doubt they'll ever release an 83mm option for their lightweight xc/am cranks.
  • 1 0
 Those XT bits look spanking in black, Shimano truly rock. The new XT pedal looks promising too...
  • 1 0
 like always great job from shimano ,will they do a new saint group id love to see that
  • 1 0
 Next year.
  • 1 0
 It look's like this year XTR collection... If for 2012 XT will be like these, how will XTR look like?
  • 2 0
 it looks really nice!
  • 1 2
 sram>shamino. all of this is going to break withen a month garenteed. i had a brand new slx and broke in less than a season.
  • 5 4
 first to say that there super sick
  • 1 0
 this is great!! i cant wait to throw it on my bikes
  • 1 0
 no it does not affect shift performance what so ever
  • 2 0
 now similar to avid
  • 1 0
 true dat!
  • 1 0
 That looks soooooo cool. Me wants.
  • 1 0
 7th. image is just wrong. Whats up with that???
  • 1 0
 i want the crank and the cassete
  • 1 0
 tasty!
  • 1 1
 sram is all im asking for chief
  • 1 1
 Long live SRAM!!!!
  • 2 2
 It looks cheap to me.
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