Unreleased Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 spied in Taipei

This story first appeared on BikeRadar.com.

The next generation of Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 could come with a black finish, a redesigned derailleur cage and pulley, but still 11 speeds and a wired connection, if spyshots from the Taipei International Cycle Show are to be believed as representative of what's next from the Japanese component maker. Shimano has declined to comment on this Instagram post taken inside an area closed to journalists, where photos were forbidden.

Judging from the two photos, the Shimano group remains 11-speed, with the same relatively new four-arm crank design that exists on current Dura-Ace 9000 mechanical and 9070 Di2 groups. It appears there is still a wire to the rear derailleur, but in a different place than that of the current 9070 design. Could it in fact by wireless, to match SRAM's eTap? It is unclear but it doesn't appear that way.

The derailleur cage is markedly different than the current 9070 model, with an additional structural piece running on the outboard side (and perhaps the inboard side) running out to the end of the cage by the lower pulley. Further, the lower pulley has been sculpted out considerably compared to the 9070 pulley.

The front derailleur is not clearly visible in either photo.

While it is unclear whether this is a production-ready group or just a model, it appears highly finished. The Taipei Show is a venue for manufacturers and vendors to do business on multiple model years ahead of what is currently available. As such, many areas like the one in the Instagram pictures are closed to photos and to journalists.