I liked this SunTour Superbe (5300) more than the more prestigious SunTour Superbe Pro (5200) (which is often regarded as the finest friction derailleur of all time). I like the conventional, non-aero, pulley cage plates and I like the fact that these plates and the ‘normal’ pulley wheels bring the weight right, right down.

The plain Superbe has all of the Superbe Pro’s exquisite detailing, from the aluminium hanger bolt and pulley bolts to the stainless steel pivots with Allen heads that were removable so that the gear could be completely disassembled.

In its time it was considered to knock the Shimano Dura-Ace (7200) into a cocked hat.

The SunTour Superbe (5300) was produced for 3 years from the 1983 model year to 1985. I believe that in that, brief, time there were 3 distinct variants:

• The first version (1983) had a 48mm long pulley cage with a simple inner pulley cage plate with no 'spoke savers'. It also had a medium-low slant on its slant parallelogram (giving a maximum sprocket size of 26 teeth) and a relatively slim b-knuckle with a 19mm long b-pivot bolt.
• The second version (early 1985) had a redesigned inner pulley cage plate - now a thin guage item with 'spoke savers'. It had an even lower slant (giving a maximum sprocket of 23 teeth) and a thicker b-knuckle with a 22mm long b-pivot bolt.
• The third version (later 1985) had an inner pulley cage plate that was a rather minimal, elegant item with a long 'spoke saver' prong at the guide pulley.

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Based on the shape of its inner pulley cage plate, I believe that this is an early 1985 version of the SunTour Superbe. It has the following attributes:

• It has a chubby b-knuckle and a 22mm long b-pivot bolt.
• The plastic seal between the p-knuckle and the outer pulley cage plate is relatively thick and has a protruding part to cover the trap for the end of the p-pivot spring.
• The pulley cage is 52mm centre to centre.
• The inner pulley cage plate is formed from a thin sheet and includes two 'spoke savers'.
• The teeth on the guide pulley have a slightly different shape from those on the tension pulley.

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• Derailleur brands: SunTour
• Categories: SunTour - the Superbe story
• Country: Japan
• Date of introduction: early 1985
• Date of this example: 1985 (two letter date code is BD)
• Model no.: 5300
• Weight: 174g
• Maximum cog: 23 teeth (source: SunTour)
• Total capacity: 26 teeth (source: SunTour)
• Pulley centre to centre: 52mm
• Index compatibility: friction
• Chain width: 3/32”
• Logic: top normal
• B pivot: unsprung
• P pivot: sprung
• Materials: aluminium (including the hanger bolt and the pulley centre bolts)

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