To complement the rest of their line, Shimano is debuting an XTR 975 hydraulic disc brake lever. The entire assembly is pretty naked in appearance, almost as if a composite shroud was forgotten when they took the press photos. It wasn’t forgotten, and such a thing isn’t needed. These are as sturdy as any we’ve seen; the minimal appearance is just a reflection of the weight shavings that were instituted when the lever was designed and refined.

The Shimano BL-M975 XTR Hydraulic Brake lever is made of aluminum components. The lever is anodized and the bracket holding it and housing the master cyclinder is painted. The lever works with SM-BH59 brake hoses and Hoses are in 900, 1300, and 1700mm lengths. Shimano recommends only Shimano Genuine Mineral Oil in the lever and hoses. The weight is 192g. MSRP $229.99.