I spec compatibility

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/shimano-i-spec-a-b-and-ii-mounts-explained

According to this is should work but you might need a longer bolt?

£33 at Tredz but SLX can be had cheaper.

Thanks. May go SLX but fancied splurging as it's worth it! Will be my first XT shifter since my XT thumbies on my clockwork all those yrs ago...

Where can the bolts be had from?

Good explanation of the convoluted stupidity here on Bike Radar

sjscycles for parts (or ebay)

@chestrockwell where are you seeing an xt spec 11 sp lever at treed for £33? I cant find it?

Hmmmmm, was just via google but it doesn't come up now?

Great news, I managed snag one from my nice local(ish) bikeshop for around £35 which is a win-win. Hopefully they will have the shorter bolt that I'll need in the spares box. 

Now I just need an 11sp cassette and chain for the bike that the old unit is going to... what's the best value 11 speed cassette? I need some range but prob not the 11-51 I have on the stooge as the other bike is a back of the camper van bike for general use to the shops and back when camping. was thinking an 11-46 will do and a kmx chain. The bike has an old 10 sp deore derailleur which I think is the one that will also work on 11 speed. 

I've just fitted an XT M8000 shifter to an EV brake. Shorter bolt wasn't enough for me - I also used the connecting block/nut from my previous EV shifter (M5100) and then it all went together just fine. Otherwise, shifting compatibility is spot on, and because of the tweaked design of EV brakes (which mount at the middle of the reservoir, rather the end near the lever), ergonomics remain identical between II and EV setups.

I've just cut the bolt down and mounted the shifter but it seems like the shifter/ lever aren't parallel enough and to get the shifter in the right plane I have to have the lever too horizontal if that makes any sense to anyone? Maybe the rear shaped nut that runs in the channel on the lever clamp doesn't give me enough adjustment - perhaps I need the equivalent part from a new EV shifter? 

infovore - do you have a pic of the EV connecting block? How different is it from the II connecting block?

Just wanted to say thank you for that link. Explains a lot of stuff really well. 

I was just about to post about combining my band on LH dropper and RH shifter with my Hope brakes and that explains it all perfectly. Thank you.

Bump just to prove to me that the forum isn’t dead yet? 

Someone else will be able to confirm whether the insert from ii and EV is slightly different. I'm not sure as the ii insert worked well enough for me with the same brake lever and shifter.

You can move it vertically by undoing the brake lever clamp bolt and moving the insert up and and down in the aperture. Once the brake lever clamp is tightened up, it wont move vertically, you then only have horizontal adjustment via the bolt on the shifter!

If what you require is beyond the horizontal and vertical limits you could try an EV spec insert from one of the aliexpress adapters. The official Shimano ones didn't used to be sold separately. I don't know whether that's still the case.

Sorry, I realise I misspoke:

I tried putting the Ispec 2 shifter into the EV connecting block, which is a different length, and no amount of changing the bolt length helped. When I used the nut block that came with the Ispec 2 shifter, all worked fine.

Basically: they look really similar but are different lengths, and that's enough to mean the shifter won't get tight. You need to put the Ispec 2 nut in as well and it'll all work.

I've got it working with the spec 2 nut but it feels odd ergonomically. its like the trigger release from the front isn't quite possible as the lever is too far round the bar.