they make more money buy charging you full price for a new shifter. Just like how apple would gladly charge you 2/3rd of the price of an iPhone to repair the screen and back glass. Easy money.
@@monochrome_linuxhorseshit - you can buy all the component parts of these shifters from any Shimano dealer. It’s more cost effective for YOU to buy a shifter than it is to pay an hourly rate for someone to do component level repairs.
That's not true, at least with Shimano shifters you can buy the lever assembly, the bracket and the hood covers, as well as small things like cover plates and clamps, all separately.
Had the same problem after a crash last summer. The incredible fact that Shimano won‘t offer spare parts for their STIs anymore (they used to) has taken them off my „preferred supplier“ list for good. This is obviously a company that has maxed out on market share and is now trying to grow profit by basically ripping off customers and compromise on quality. Thanks but no thanks, Shimano.
Those bashed up DA levers looked brutal. Much worse then when you broke your leg and vlogged it. Now, those levers look so good. Even though it may look like there are a lot of parts and sub assemblies, it is still fewer parts than a mechanical brifter, with its ratchets and all. It is probably cheaper to manufacture these than DA mechanical.
Good work, but some of the lever part are available via a few specialist websites. In the UK, I use SJS cycles, who do sell individual parts of levers. I broke my Di2 switch and got a replacement via them.........and like you, this spring made that bid for freedom !!!
Your videos are the best. Even though I will never come close to attempting anything close to this, I can't help but watch! Production quality, and editing is top notch!!
I recently redid my scratched up levers too, but I painted it in gloss black with metal flackes which looks superb in my opinion. You should definitley apply clear coat to the sanded levers as the epoxy that hold together the carbon fibers degrades very fast due to UV light.
awesome video, thanks! but after watching this video, I think the scratches on my levers don't really are that bad (meaning this seems like a lot of work) :)
True patience and grit. お疲れさまでした！Just don't go and crash again next week... Or at least for a few weeks. Or better yet. get some Tiagra or Sora levers for your actual rides, so when you crash your ego isn't as badly bruised... Great work, BTW.
I think that looks pretty good! Love the end result! (thanks for the shout out! I send people to your 'crash mode explained' video every week - it's great! :))
It would be drill-i-bon - not drill-ium 😊 Excellent work - I used to work in a 2nd hand shop where I would service DA 8 and 9 speed STi to bring them back to life. Much patience is definitely needed.
A very timely video. I was just looking at an upgrade, and it ocurred to me that it wouldn't take much of a crash to scratch these pretty things to b*ggery. Peace.
what a great video. I want to disassembly my GRX Di2 levers for whuite some time, to sand them for the silver finish brused aluminum. any clue if this is pretty much alike?
I never took the GRX levers apart when I had them so can't say unfortunately. I'd suspect the it's a similar procedure, but can't guarantee anything. Cheers!
Wot no 'trigger warning'?! 😱 First time out on my GRX Di2 I came a cropper and the levers are still a mess now 3 years later - that all said I can't envisage doing what you have so magnificently. They look epic now!
Hey Tobias, you've got too much time and too less children, I guess. 😂 But I have one question: Aren't you concerned about weakening the cross section of your levers while grinding off a lot of material? I mean, even Shimano has reasons for making the "walls" of the parts that thick. What if you have to grab really hard into the brake levers in an emergency case and they fail? Since I weigh 50% more than you, it might not be your problem at all. 😬 But however: Do you take such aspects into account? By the way: I love your videos and I am happy that you speak such a clear and "European" style of English language that even I don't need subtitles in most cases! 🙃
Never even a single grain of concern has entered my mind :) What is removed is basically just the clear coat. With 160g grit sandpaper you barely scratch the surface of the carbon. But even if it did, the lever has so much redundant material you could probably make it half as thick and it still be fine in a crash… a global brand like Shimano would do that need to cover their asses when it comes to safety (even though they fuck up as well from time to time)
Great video, I'm glad my videos were useful. I wish I had time and skills to make RUclips videos of your quality, for now I'll stick to Instagram ;-) Thank you for your content!
That didn’t appear to be clear coat. It looked to be the byproduct of over sanding carbon. There is a thin layer of cosmetic carbon below the clear coat. 160 grit is very aggressive and cut through the outer layer of carbon. When I sand paint off of carbon I start with a dry sand with 250/320 grit body shop paper. The dry sanding allows more material to come off while using a less aggressive grit. You can also see how much progress you have made much easier than when wet sanding. Just wipe the area with 70% isopropyl after a few passes to check. After that then I progress to wet sanding with an 800 grit paper, which I use solution of water and dish soap.
Well you did great. For real. But, and this is not depending on you, the more i get in touch with theese parts, the louder i can name 'em as anyone should DO. SHITMANO.
You have to fix scratches like that because they could add 0.001 watts of aero resistance which is just not acceptable. Just kidding! I hate scratching up my bike but then again brittle scars personalize our stuff.
Hi. This time I have to disagree on the approach: unnecessarily invasive and does not respect original look. I'd rather refill lever with varnish and sand to polish, than this. Bear in mind that it's just my opinion. I've been pleasantly subscribed to your channel for years and many more to come. Thanks for sharing.
Remember when hydraulic disc brakes came out for road and all of a sudden shifters where 2x the price even though hydraulic braking systems are actually quite simple. Man. Why did we all take that one laying down. Those things always get mashed to bits in a crash. With electronic shifters they should be even cheaper. Plenty of space for the reservoir without having to worry about mechanical shifting but yet the cost is still quite high.
I dont think someone can say they own a bike until they crash it. Hopefully not majorly but, loose some skin and make a memory. Thats what life is all about!
My friends and I always have this principle when someone crashes, the first thing we ask: “how is the bike?” Derailleur and shifter scratches are the worst 😅
I had the first ever dura-ace sti levers when I was 15, it ruined a race for me on the muur van Geraardsbergen, refusing to shift down from the front outer blade. Took it apart, found a little pal that was worn out. Put it back together, send it to shimano with a letter. They called me, how I managed to get it back to getter with the spring loads.🤣 They send me a new lever back. The good old times when taking things apart wasn't a big problem for warranty. Always loved to tinker on things like this, just take your time for it.
I'm still amazed third parties aren't making carbon lever blades for 105 / Ultegra. Virtually all the weight saving for DA is the clamp bolt and lever blade - which combined cost Shimano less than $10 more than the 105 equivalents.
I think the difficulty of putting the lever blade back is the why no 3rd party lever exist. They don't want to deal with customers breaking their levers 😅... I too wish it existed though.
How thoroughly do you inspect your bike after a crash, with all those lightweight carbon bits? Do you mostly visually inspect your bars, stem, frame etc, and maybe tap them lightly with a coin and listen to the sound, or do you go the full ultrasonic scan route? Or are there even some parts you replace after a crash even if they look good? If I'd crash a bike with a carbon handlebar and stem I'd be constantly scared that something could snap without warning when riding the bike after that. Have I been watching too many @LuescherTeknik clips? 🙂
what if you dont disassemble the whole thing and just remove it from the handlebar, cover the parts that do not need sanding and then sand the whole lever as it is? wouldnt that work?
Def looks better than original, 10/10 would crash again!
Not very "sustainable" of a bike company to not even levers or trim covers as repair kits.
Industry is a mess at the moment 😅
they make more money buy charging you full price for a new shifter. Just like how apple would gladly charge you 2/3rd of the price of an iPhone to repair the screen and back glass. Easy money.
It's not sustainable to replace parts on a perfectly functional shifter that's scratched
@@monochrome_linuxhorseshit - you can buy all the component parts of these shifters from any Shimano dealer.
It’s more cost effective for YOU to buy a shifter than it is to pay an hourly rate for someone to do component level repairs.
That's not true, at least with Shimano shifters you can buy the lever assembly, the bracket and the hood covers, as well as small things like cover plates and clamps, all separately.
This channel is so unique... love it!!!
Hi, when sanding curvy stuff, you could try using sanding sponges instead of sandpapers. Really makes the experience a whole lot more pleasant 😊
Pro tip: take LOTS of pictures as you disassemble!
or record it on video ;)
The Matt optic is nice…fits Titanium propably very good….missed your videos
Great work! There's little to no weight saving in a mod like this, but the improvement in the aesthetics is considerable! :)
I don’t have Shimano levers and still watch. Thanks, Tobias
Cheers mate 😅
Had the same problem after a crash last summer. The incredible fact that Shimano won‘t offer spare parts for their STIs anymore (they used to) has taken them off my „preferred supplier“ list for good. This is obviously a company that has maxed out on market share and is now trying to grow profit by basically ripping off customers and compromise on quality. Thanks but no thanks, Shimano.
next purchase would be a Dremel Tool 😀 very very informative👍
I'ive missed you.
Who are you kidding? We all know you crashed so that you could sand them down for the weight savings!
Those bashed up DA levers looked brutal. Much worse then when you broke your leg and vlogged it. Now, those levers look so good.
Even though it may look like there are a lot of parts and sub assemblies, it is still fewer parts than a mechanical brifter, with its ratchets and all. It is probably cheaper to manufacture these than DA mechanical.
Good work, but some of the lever part are available via a few specialist websites. In the UK, I use SJS cycles, who do sell individual parts of levers. I broke my Di2 switch and got a replacement via them.........and like you, this spring made that bid for freedom !!!
Bought my 8170 shifters pre crashed so I don’t have to worry 🤝
The end result looks great! I like the de-branded look. :)
Your videos are the best. Even though I will never come close to attempting anything close to this, I can't help but watch! Production quality, and editing is top notch!!
I wish we could buy spare parts from Shimano. It would be nice wouldn't it?
Love this
Not as amazing as what you did and of course will add grams but would a vinyl wrap work?
Glad you healed up well like Wolverine!
Your bicycle maintenance patience is next level! Thanks for the vid. 😊
It’s was about time. Seems like you heard me on instagram! 😅
I recently redid my scratched up levers too, but I painted it in gloss black with metal flackes which looks superb in my opinion. You should definitley apply clear coat to the sanded levers as the epoxy that hold together the carbon fibers degrades very fast due to UV light.
awesome video, thanks! but after watching this video, I think the scratches on my levers don't really are that bad (meaning this seems like a lot of work) :)
True patience and grit. お疲れさまでした！Just don't go and crash again next week... Or at least for a few weeks. Or better yet. get some Tiagra or Sora levers for your actual rides, so when you crash your ego isn't as badly bruised...
Great work, BTW.
I've sanded logos off cranks to get a clean look and i might do the same with my shifters
matte black, best color :)
Excellent repair, love this. Always in favor of repair over pitch and buy new if possible.
I think they look more like Kylo Ren than Darth Vader
Turned out beautifully
Take things apart and make them better! Thats the ethos! X
I think that looks pretty good! Love the end result!
(thanks for the shout out! I send people to your 'crash mode explained' video every week - it's great! :))
It would be drill-i-bon - not drill-ium 😊
Excellent work - I used to work in a 2nd hand shop where I would service DA 8 and 9 speed STi to bring them back to life. Much patience is definitely needed.
A very timely video. I was just looking at an upgrade, and it ocurred to me that it wouldn't take much of a crash to scratch these pretty things to b*ggery. Peace.
Every time raw carbon is exposed, Ales Arnez gets his wings.
It's really interesting to see the internals of the shifters thank you.
what a great video. I want to disassembly my GRX Di2 levers for whuite some time, to sand them for the silver finish brused aluminum. any clue if this is pretty much alike?
I never took the GRX levers apart when I had them so can't say unfortunately. I'd suspect the it's a similar procedure, but can't guarantee anything.
Cheers!
once again I am impressed! Good job 👍
good job - they actually look better now that the did in the gloss black.
I am uncomfortable even watching you disassemble the DA levers, lol. I do all my own bike work but this is beyond me!
You'll get there soon ;)
wish these were weekly. Always stoked on your uploads
Cheers mate!
(But I don’t think you’d like weekly filler content hehe)
Glad you recovered from the crash, everything looks amazing!!! Long live Darth Vader parts!
great work there! awesome.
any coming up video on the crashed RD? that would be lovely to fix these cafe drops - accidental of course!
I'm lucky and only been crashing on the non-drive side ;)
UV lighting would speed up Curing time of the Coating
Good to know, cheers!
Wot no 'trigger warning'?! 😱 First time out on my GRX Di2 I came a cropper and the levers are still a mess now 3 years later - that all said I can't envisage doing what you have so magnificently. They look epic now!
Hey Tobias, you've got too much time and too less children, I guess. 😂
But I have one question: Aren't you concerned about weakening the cross section of your levers while grinding off a lot of material?
I mean, even Shimano has reasons for making the "walls" of the parts that thick.
What if you have to grab really hard into the brake levers in an emergency case and they fail?
Since I weigh 50% more than you, it might not be your problem at all. 😬
But however: Do you take such aspects into account?
By the way: I love your videos and I am happy that you speak such a clear and "European" style of English language that even I don't need subtitles in most cases! 🙃
Never even a single grain of concern has entered my mind :)
What is removed is basically just the clear coat. With 160g grit sandpaper you barely scratch the surface of the carbon. But even if it did, the lever has so much redundant material you could probably make it half as thick and it still be fine in a crash… a global brand like Shimano would do that need to cover their asses when it comes to safety (even though they fuck up as well from time to time)
@@ridesofjapan 😄👍
Absolutely brilliant!!!
Great video, I'm glad my videos were useful. I wish I had time and skills to make RUclips videos of your quality, for now I'll stick to Instagram ;-) Thank you for your content!
Nice job.
Sand down frame next!
I sanded down my SS6 Evo, took only 50 hours frame ± fork
But getting rid of the writing defeats the whole purpose of buying Dura-ace! You don't want your mates to think you're riding 105, do you? 😂
Wow what a cool, unique and creative mod. Certainly looks quite challenging given all the small parts though. Love the outcome.
Dremel tool with right abrasive attachment could have sped up the initial step.
Very nice mod and once again an excellent video.
Can‘t get over the Vader helmet, though. 😂😂😂😂 cheered me up this morning.
You sir are an internet treasure. I'd probably never do that mod myself, but I'm very glad you made a video about it.
So much better...
they look way better than new! 😮
great work ✊🏼
For the "old" Dura Ace ST-R9100 STIs you could buy 14 different replacement parts.
That didn’t appear to be clear coat. It looked to be the byproduct of over sanding carbon. There is a thin layer of cosmetic carbon below the clear coat. 160 grit is very aggressive and cut through the outer layer of carbon.
When I sand paint off of carbon I start with a dry sand with 250/320 grit body shop paper. The dry sanding allows more material to come off while using a less aggressive grit. You can also see how much progress you have made much easier than when wet sanding. Just wipe the area with 70% isopropyl after a few passes to check.
After that then I progress to wet sanding with an 800 grit paper, which I use solution of water and dish soap.
Well you did great. For real.
But, and this is not depending on you, the more i get in touch with theese parts, the louder i can name 'em as anyone should DO. SHITMANO.
You have to fix scratches like that because they could add 0.001 watts of aero resistance which is just not acceptable. Just kidding! I hate scratching up my bike but then again brittle scars personalize our stuff.
Hi. This time I have to disagree on the approach: unnecessarily invasive and does not respect original look. I'd rather refill lever with varnish and sand to polish, than this.
Bear in mind that it's just my opinion. I've been pleasantly subscribed to your channel for years and many more to come. Thanks for sharing.
Remember when hydraulic disc brakes came out for road and all of a sudden shifters where 2x the price even though hydraulic braking systems are actually quite simple. Man. Why did we all take that one laying down. Those things always get mashed to bits in a crash. With electronic shifters they should be even cheaper. Plenty of space for the reservoir without having to worry about mechanical shifting but yet the cost is still quite high.
Nice ! I like the matte finish much better ! Not a save , an improvement :)
Just what I needed to fix my Ultegra shifters! Legend!
I'm a crash magnet it seems, last December my right di2 shifter buttonss was completely wrecked so i had to replace it unfortunately
🔥✌🏻 Круть
Anyone know of a comparable CR1 coating in the United States?
I dont think someone can say they own a bike until they crash it. Hopefully not majorly but, loose some skin and make a memory. Thats what life is all about!
My friends and I always have this principle when someone crashes, the first thing we ask: “how is the bike?” Derailleur and shifter scratches are the worst 😅
I crashed the other day and was relieved that took all of the scrapes and scratches 😂
Outstanding! Always enjoy your content!
the only crash I had was going at 5kmph and went off a steep curb do you have a fix for the rear derailleur I just cover mine up with a marker 😂
And by removing that shiny layer, you save weight too!! win, win!!
no its just the scrapes preventing me from taking a hot shower
Edit; youre just sanding
Results are stunning, I prefer the look over stock
you also could just watch your own video in reverse...
I totally destroyed an Ultegra 8100 lever in acrash a few months ago .
Why would you fix it? It looks like there is a good amount of material gone, so things are going to be lighter ;-)
I had the first ever dura-ace sti levers when I was 15, it ruined a race for me on the muur van Geraardsbergen, refusing to shift down from the front outer blade. Took it apart, found a little pal that was worn out. Put it back together, send it to shimano with a letter. They called me, how I managed to get it back to getter with the spring loads.🤣 They send me a new lever back. The good old times when taking things apart wasn't a big problem for warranty.
Always loved to tinker on things like this, just take your time for it.
Looks great, until the next crash.
may be you should do video for carbon wheels as well, those tiny little scratches on a matt finish sometimes ruins the entire day.
Beautiful result!
selling dura ace shifters, only ridden once, in new condition!
Conclusion... Don't crash :)
Really nice job!
What about decals, I can make it look like Lasor etch
Now it looks like ultegra.
Glad you got 30sec into the video at least 👌
It´s a shame for shimano not to offer replacement levers or covers
Sanding the levers had to save at least 300 grams.
Great work!
Looks amazing, love it.
impressive work sir
well done, looks great
Less plastc - less weight !
Needs drillium
I'm still amazed third parties aren't making carbon lever blades for 105 / Ultegra. Virtually all the weight saving for DA is the clamp bolt and lever blade - which combined cost Shimano less than $10 more than the 105 equivalents.
I think the difficulty of putting the lever blade back is the why no 3rd party lever exist. They don't want to deal with customers breaking their levers 😅... I too wish it existed though.
@@ridesofjapan I guess, though it'd be easy enough to sell 105 in upgraded form which most people would buy rather than just the lever.
How thoroughly do you inspect your bike after a crash, with all those lightweight carbon bits? Do you mostly visually inspect your bars, stem, frame etc, and maybe tap them lightly with a coin and listen to the sound, or do you go the full ultrasonic scan route? Or are there even some parts you replace after a crash even if they look good? If I'd crash a bike with a carbon handlebar and stem I'd be constantly scared that something could snap without warning when riding the bike after that.
Have I been watching too many @LuescherTeknik clips? 🙂
I just kick rims lightly and call it a day ;)
Im not paranoid when it comes to bike parts despite what RUclips(ers) try to scare people with :p
what if you dont disassemble the whole thing and just remove it from the handlebar, cover the parts that do not need sanding and then sand the whole lever as it is? wouldnt that work?
vart snyggare än originalet faktiskt!
ok now anyone know how to do this for sram
2:12 Really? I can understand the simplicity of a downtube-shifting steel frame bike, but . . . come on Rides of Japan!