# Suntour parts - good or junk?



## EJ (Aug 29, 2005)

Picked up some early 90's Suntour parts which I know nothing about, so I'll ask here. Are these worth saving / passing along or should I junk them?

Front Der. just says "Suntour Lite" on it, rear says "XCT Lite".
Shifters are (7sp) push-push that say "XPress Power Control"
Brake levers say "Dia-Compe XCU"
Also have a Sakae crank, all black, 170mm w/ 28/38/48 rings and a non-cartridge BB (68x125)

Anybody here need/want them?


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## Sixty Fiver (Apr 10, 2006)

These parts of yours date to the early 90's (when Shimano was still copying Suntour's designs)... the parts are all entry level offerings but still of decent quality and probably would be desirable by anyone restoring a bike from that era.

Because they are marked "Suntour" and not "SR Suntour" they could also have quite a bit more value.


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Doesn't sound like the more desirable stuff to me. Also depends on the actual condition of the parts.


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> Doesn't sound like the more desirable stuff to me. Also depends on the actual condition of the parts.


Sounds like the Suntour equivalent of STX


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

i had a bike w/ those components.. a gt karakoram, 1990. they lasted forever and looked better than it's shimano equivalent. i wish i had xc pro then.. i was in europe by that time and suntour had much more prestige than shimano.


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## EJ (Aug 29, 2005)

Thanks for the information. I knew they weren't high-end parts, that's why I was wondering if they had any value to anyone. They look to be in OK shape for 15 yr old parts, need some cleaning up, and some rusty bolts.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

X-1/XC LTD was more like the Mountain LX stuff from shimano. Remember at the time (1989-91 range) Suntour only had like 6 offroad groups from top to bottom where shimano had 14 groups for the same range. Things only got worse when shimano would introduce XTR in 1992 and Suntour added XC-Expert in 1993. 

So you'd get comparisons like XC-Pro is equal to Deore XT (both being the top level groups from respective brands) when really it was better being lighter and better featured, and XC-Comp would line up with Deore DX (both being second from the top) but really it was between XT and DX in terms of quality/performance. When XTR came in, shimano finally had something on equal footing with XC-Pro, but then a year later suntour brings in XC-Expert and does stuff with it (and XC-Comp and Pro) to show they're not out of the game yet. Stuff like introducing 24 speed gearing across their top three groups at a time shimano only offered it with XTR. Also they went to 11-28 cassettes and thus seriously reduced the low-gearing possible to mountain bikers (since they had 20/30/42 chainrings) compared to shimano with its standard bolt pattern cranks (24/36/46) and no easily found cassette with a larger granny cog than 32T (there was a 13-34 7speed range but it was a darn rare item to see listed in catalogs... in the past 14 years I've physically encountered such a beast only ONCE) which meant using heavier drivetrains. I myself still to this day will use older suntour parts like X-1 if I have the option. The front derailleurs especially are still quite good, and hell, irony to the 9 speed chainrings requiring narrower front derailleur cages... like 7 speed derailleurs of old had... a 15 year old X-1 shifts a 9speed chain/ring combo perfectly, and weighs a LOT less than anything shimano currently offers (for the money).


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Ah, the old X-press shifters, yuck= I agree with all opinions here, it is of some, but not much value. DeeEight, you said it perfectly! The Suntour stuff was nice, I have some of it in XC Pro, feels awesome, and it's bullet proof. Those shifters though, be forewarned, they require special cables with lollypop style end nuts. Save the cables at all possible cost, or you'll be doing custom cable nut fabrication= Have fun with it!


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

MendonCycleSmith said:


> Ah, the old X-press shifters, yuck= I agree with all opinions here, it is of some, but not much value. DeeEight, you said it perfectly! The Suntour stuff was nice, I have some of it in XC Pro, feels awesome, and it's bullet proof. Those shifters though, be forewarned, they require special cables with lollypop style end nuts. Save the cables at all possible cost, or you'll be doing custom cable nut fabrication= Have fun with it!


shimano xt and dx in 91 changed the game for me. it looked good(dx even better) and worked well. xt was bombproof. rapidfire was good etc.. etc.. 
one thing shimano always lacked was the looks of their cranks. i have m737 94/95 cranks and love it but... sugino is more elegant. suntour road cranks are more elegant. 
everything suntour had better looks. xc pro thumbshifters are much better looking than xt.


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## tomwalton (Aug 31, 2008)

*Suntour X-Press shifters*

I do not have a clear idea of when the original posting about old Suntour parts was made. It could have been several years ago. However, in the odd event that you still have the Suntour X-Press Power Control shifters, I would like to buy them from you. Thanks.


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

89-91 Low to High
Alpha 1000/1500
XCT
XCM
XCE
XCD
XC
XC PRO

92-3
Low to high
FS-E
S-1
XCM
XCE
X-1
XC-Expert
XC-LTD
XC-COMP
XC-PRO


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## gm1230126 (Nov 4, 2005)

ssmike said:


> Sounds like the Suntour equivalent of STX


Actually more like the Suntour equivalent of Tourney.


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## First Flight (Jan 25, 2004)

tomwalton said:


> I do not have a clear idea of when the original posting about old Suntour parts was made. It could have been several years ago. However, in the odd event that you still have the Suntour X-Press Power Control shifters, I would like to buy them from you. Thanks.


We have NOS Express shifters @ http://www.firstflightbikes.com/shifters.htm


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## paetersen (Jul 28, 2007)

I was always under the impression that XC-Expert was above XC-Comp and one step below XC-Pro. Have I been wrong all these years?

paetersen


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## JDELUNA (Mar 31, 2007)

paetersen said:


> I was always under the impression that XC-Expert was above XC-Comp and one step below XC-Pro. Have I been wrong all these years?
> 
> paetersen


Yup I believe it went:

1. XC Pro
2. XC Comp
3. XC Expert.


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