Shimano XT Disc Brake M785
(discontinued)

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Discontinued
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Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.

9 member reviews

The gold standard in braking
Rating:
The Good
Reliable, Easy to bleed, Inexpensive, looks cool, Durable, Easy Adjustments
The Bad
Can come with too long of a cable at the start but better than too short!
Overall Review:

I almost always am riding these brakes, they are my standard option on all my bikes for the last 5-6 years. If I get a new bike that has another brake on there or even if it's a shimano brake that is NOT an XT; I will upgrade knowing that it will be worth it everytime. Online stores are selling them for a great price lately and less than $20 more than the SLX version, nothing against the SLX but I'll pay the $18 for the extra adjustments and bling for my bike.

I have had to bleed these brakes a few times and even though the process has gotten a bit more complicated than I used to do it, overall they are an easy bleed to get them working at 100%. This is coming from someone who isn't mechanically gifted. I like that shimano, as a company uses mineral oil instead of DOT fluid, I'm not sure if it is more environmentally safe but it sure seems like it is better than synthetic DOT fluid. I have never had any problems with them to date, however, I have only ever used them with shimano icetech rotors, which I am told makes the performance amazing. I have never used them with any other rotors. Lastly, I love the lever reach adjustment knobs, they are fun to mess with and you don't need any tools either!

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Good brake, durability an issue
Rating:
The Good
Stopping power, no brake fade, easy to bleed, ergonomic lever
The Bad
Leaky levers.
Overall Review:

On two different bikes I've owned, the brakes leaked oil from the master cylinder near the lever. Its not anything that really is catastrophic, the brakes still work, but need to be bled more often. Thankfully, this is an extremely easy endeavor, especially compared to Sram brakes. I love the "on/off" feel of these brakes and I feel like I became a better rider because of it. I don't ride the brakes nearly as much as I did when using Sram brakes. Although I also feel like once you get used to them, you can still modulate to your heart's content. Its just when people who are used to Sram brakes go to these, there is a period of adjustment.

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Post a reply to: Good brake, durability an issue

certainly worth the money
Rating:
The Good
Great stopping power, great price, look good--seem to last forever. Easiest brake bleed on the planet.
The Bad
can damage very easy in a crash
Overall Review:

Every time I think I am going to try out a different type of brake I always end up coming back to these. They never squeak and bark down the trail, stopping is smooth, and they look classy. I do believe the greatest shimano feature is how easy these suckers are to bleed. As of now, I think one of the top brakes on the market.

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Post a reply to: certainly worth the money

Performance at an unarguable price
Rating:
The Good
The XT brakes are some of the best out there for any discipline. They are very light and pack the stopping power of any DH specific brake. The lever is short and pulls without any unnecessary movement. The power is consistent and the brake can be dialed in to the riders liking.
The Bad
Although the adjustments are present, a wider selection of setup options would be nice, the adjustments available seem rather small.
Overall Review:

Overall these are a very good representation of "bang for your buck" they are absolutely phenomenal brakes and will be consistent stoppers for all mountain, XC, or slopestyle riders alike.

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Post a reply to: Performance at an unarguable price

Perfect middle
Rating:
The Good
Great braking power, fantastic look, minimal noise, impossible to overheat, reach adjust can be adjusted without tool.
The Bad
Price of ice tech rotors and vented pads is very high.
Overall Review:

When I first time looked at this brake I taught: ''There's no difference between this and SLX brakes.'' And that isn't far from truth. Only difference is in final look and in addition of so called ''Free stroke'' mechanism. Some people think this is completely useless, but I was able to see, just like my friends that it has some difference. Main reason I had this brake? Whole bike had XT group so I thought if whole bike is XT group, I will go for it. Is it worth additional money for difference in 20 grams per brake? It's all up to you. I would personally go for it because one group above SLX can mean difference in quality, performance and lasting after few years of usage. Also, if you go trough a lots of descends and really long ones, buy this. I used 180mm front and 160mm rear Ice tech rotors and pads and even when I tried to overheat them, but I was far from it. Plus, Free stroke actually helps in those situations. If you go for XTR, you won't have all this luxury.

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Post a reply to: Perfect middle

Dependable and strong brakes
Rating:
The Good
this is what a brake should be like, reasonable price too
The Bad
these quiet brakes won't scare off wild animals or hikers
Overall Review:

Brakes make a huge difference in both ride performance and confidence on the trail. These are at the top of the pile of brakes I've used in the past decade. Shorter levers allow for controlled one finger braking with plenty of power, and when paired with the cooling fined brake pads and ice-tech rotors, I have seen a noticeable difference in fading (or the lack thereof) from other brakes. Add to that some big rotors and it can even work for lighter DH riders.

As far as the XT level componentry goes, thankfully Shimano has created their brakes to work nearly identically as the higher end XTR, while being a mid-priced offering. The bling factor and a little bit of the feel of the lever are all that separates this from the XTR (which I have on another bike). When I add all the positives together, I can recommend the XT trail brakes without any reservation.

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Post a reply to: Dependable and strong brakes

A great brake, but a bit over-hyped.
Rating:
The Good
Adjustment opportunities, power, modulation, single finger lever design, reasonable price and build quality.
The Bad
Not as fantastic as some reviews would have you believe, expensive gimmicky finned pads, need for Shimano's own hydraulic mineral oil, worry about brakes not heating up in cold weather, Shimano's (aftermarket) own rotors can be a bit sub-par .
Overall Review:

Having used quite a few brakes I was drawn to the XT brakes due to a reasonable price and stellar reviews. Having used them for months I have to agree they are certainly a well made brake that is powerful and modulates very well. Props to Shimano for making such a good brake, but more than that such a great range of brakes. Honestly though I have a M596 paired up on the rear and another on the front of another bike and it really is 98% as good as the M785 (minus a bit of power and a few adjustments), perfectly adequate for most XC and trail riders. Also many reviews say that the XT is super powerful, but I find that unlikely compared to a four piston Saint brake for example. Also I have some worry that with all the ice-tec and finns in our -10 winters the brakes might take a bit long to warm up.

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Post a reply to: A great brake, but a bit over-hyped.

amazing brakes!
Rating:
The Good
price
quality
looks
power
modulation
ceramic pistons
lever feel
The Bad
cooling fins are useless 90% of the time
Overall Review:

wow! very impressive braking system. really powerful even with 180mm rotors and they feel so good.

factory bleed was great and is still lasting well. the modulation and overall feel is better than anything i've tried. they are sharp but you can still dab them and they don't lock up straigh away. you can always bleed them to your perferance. speaking of bleeding, this is very easily done as with any shimano brake and takes no time at all.

problem i find with a lot of brakes is the pistons seize up. so shimano nw have ceramic pistons which means a reduced risk of seizing up and lighter action. all that and the brakes are priced very well and made to a high quality. a little bit heavier than the xtr but that's about the only difference ( xtr also have a one piece calliper and slimmer lever body).

i reccomend these to anyone even for dh bikes if you can't quite strecth your budget to get some saints

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Post a reply to: amazing brakes!

Specifications

Product
Shimano XT Disc Brake M785
Riding Type
Cross Country
Trail
Lever Material
 
Mount Style
 
Rotor Sizes
 
Rotor Mounting
 
Fluid Type
 
Colors
 
Weight
N/A
Miscellaneous
Shimano XT Disc Brake M785. Brakes Disc. Features: Powerful fully bled XT hydraulic Servo Wave disc brake Rear fully bled lever and calliper comes without adapters or rotors giving you the freedom to customise to suite your bike short stroke Servo-Wave mechanism for quick pad engage .... .
Price
$39.99
More Info
 
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Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
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