M730 XT. When did the lettering change?

[brocklanders023]

Hello all. Just trying to date some parts I have so am mining the rb brains trust. I have a couple of M730 rear mechs, both seem to be from the 6/7sp era but one has 'Shimano XT' in all white lettering, the other has yellow 'XT', like the later M732/5.

What year would these be? I'm guessing 87 or 88 for the white, 89 for the yellow?

 

[HullBorn]

This may help

Shimano starts on page 8, XT on page 9

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

Find the date code, back of front cage plate... Or somewhere.
NF
PG

M= 1988
N= 1989
O= 1990
P= 1991
etc, both ways

A= Jan
B= Feb
Etc.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

Is the yellow gold still a 730(87/ and not the 732 ('89) aka DeoreXT-II.

Edit
Though they did keep DeoreXT and Deore groups as lower end (6speed) and to DeoreXT-II and Deore-II.
I guess they could have use the gold XT lettering as that's what they had lying around.

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

Thanks for the help guys. I'll double check the yellow one isn't 732. The white one could be a 'lower spec' one as it came on a Giant Super Sierra that had mainly XT but 6sp Exage thumbies?

 

[legrandefromage]

Thats not all strictly true. White lettering is 6spd and gold lettering is 7spd. There was no 'lower spec', just 6spd groupsets and 7spd groupsets. Hence 'Deore II' as it was the new all shiny indexed Hyperglide whereas the original was Unilglide 6spd and 6spd thumbies to match. XT was the same, it was their top end groupset, so for the new decade, it went 7spd.

MT60 Deore and M730 XT were only produced for a couple of years each before a major change to 7 speeds and STi shifting for that shiny new 1990 decade.

Old stock, yes

Lower end, No.

1989 Giant Super Sierra - XT II 7spd

1988 Giant Super Sierra - XT 6spd

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

That's why lower spec is used lightly.
It is there for 6sp and the old one, so 'obviously' of lower spec.
It went
XT-II
XT
Deore-II
Deore-II
In the spec sheets

None 'II' was a tucked in after thought.

 

[legrandefromage]

Its not 'lower spec' and was never marketed ot sold side side as such

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

Oh it is, it's the old stuff, 15% less speeds too!. barely promoted in the catalogues and ranked lower in their listings.

You can think it's the same, but not to Shimano.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

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