Late 79 early 80s DB’s

This is a press release from “Bicycle Motocross Action” appearing in the Feb. ’80 issue. It must therefore have been taken in late ’79. It also says the new Kit. I believe it was late ’79 for Christmas sales that Diamond Back introduced the bike kits. This would be the first ’80 model. Its kit had a SunTour stem. Suntour seat clamp, Alloy bars, Fluted alloy seat post, Kashimax MX seat, Shimano Tourney rear brake, 3 piece alloy cranks (could be SunTour maybe). The bike at first (Late 79) had no large DB seat tube decal.

Then perhaps with the first batch in 1980 they added the seat tube decal. I recently found a first batch “A” bike from 1980. It doesnt have the ring decal but instead a large seat tube decal. It also doesnt have the later 1980 version with the “Chromoly” chainstay decal. The later 80s model also had a different parts group.
So it is up for debate if the changes make the later 80s a 1980 1/2 model or a 1981 model. Since they debuted in 1980 so early I vote for the second generation “Pros” were 1980 1/2.

This is my 1980 “Pro” exactly as I found it. At this point I cant find any references to a Large or Medium Pro in late 79 or very early 80.. Those appeared to only arrive on the scene later in 1980 perhaps in the spring.