Shimano’s new Dura-Ace Di2 9070 will be programmable with multi-shift soon. This video shows it initially running up and down the cassette just holding the levers down continuously. Next, it runs through it with single taps as fast as we could get it to go.
It’s remarkably faster if you’re willing to put your digits to work. Shimano’s rep said they had to limit the speed of the shifts when holding the levers down because the motor could go faster than the chain could connect to the next cog.
Pics and rumors after the break…
The new motors are far more compact than the original and the new Ultegra Di2. They almost look like standard mechanical parts.
Other cool news? If you run the upcoming internal battery, you may just get the system lighter than its mechanical counterpart. A small port on the junction box that sits near the stem lets you charge the internal battery without removing the seatpost.
More? The unofficial (for now) word is that the rear derailleur communicates to the system whether it’s working as 10- or 11-speed, meaning you could plug a new 11-speed Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur into an otherwise Ultegra Di2 system and have it shift properly through 11 cogs. We haven’t tested this, and, of course, you’d need the 11-speed cassette, chain and chainrings, but the potential savings in parts for the Ultregra front derailleur and shifters make it rather interesting.
