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Di2, climbing shifter, and R785 hydraulic levers

I recently picked up a bike with Ultegra Di2, running non-group R785 hydraulic brakes. All hunky dory, but I'm keen to add a climbing shifter (R600) and it seems that the R785 levers don't have a spare port for plugging that sucker in – something which caught the mechanic at my local shop by surprise, as that would be the standard, super simple setup with regular Ultegra levers.

So I'm looking for a workaround, and was wondering a) whether I can add a SM-JC41 Splitter Box into the mix, so that the single wire headed for the right shifter gets split (one branch to the lever, one to the climbing shifter), or b) if anyone had a better suggestion. I have no idea if this would work (it would mean that the satellite shifter isn't routed through the right shifter, so it might not be recognised?) and am a little reluctant to spend the money if I'm not that confident it'll result in anything more than frustration...

Thanks for any help anyone out there can offer!

Stephen

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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6 comments

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sergius | 7 years ago
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Had the same surprise here, I've exactly the same setup; not gotten around to buying a 5 port box yet.  We're also missing the little button under the hood of the shifters to manipulate the garmins as well  2

 

 

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sminchnz | 7 years ago
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Thank you all! Looks like a few more $$$ will sort me out, then – someone at Shimano will be getting a bonus this year  4

Stephen

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dave atkinson | 7 years ago
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The SW-R600 climbing shifter is a self-contained unit with an E-Tube connection and doesn't need to be connected via a lever. the Sprint buttons are just extensions of the main lever and won't work connected directly. So you can connect the SW-R600 anywhere there's a spare hole. A junction box should work okay; the 5-port control box is a more elegant solution but also quite a lot more expensive.

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Butty | 7 years ago
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I found two connector ports on the non group Di2/ disc levers but the spare one is obscured behind part of the body and cannot be used.

Swap the  3 port junction box  under the stem for a 5 port EW90B box

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Danger Dicko replied to Butty | 7 years ago
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Butty wrote:

Swap the  3 port junction box out for a 5 port EW90B box

Yep, this is what it's there for.

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kev-s | 7 years ago
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