Santa Cruz's
Heckler was the brand's first foray into the e-bike market and took a few people by surprise only 10 months ago. Last week it was joined by a
short travel version with the mullet treatment, a change that originated with Loris Vergier, chief puzzler and man of many bike noises. His requests for a MX wheel concept on the DH bike sparked Santa Cruz's designers to think about applying this to their e-bikes.
Where the Heckler had more of a focus on agility and a playful character, it's again with the Syndicate that Santa Cruz took inspiration for their new e-bike, the Bullit, and sought to inject the no-limits character that runs deep in the veins of a DH bike.
Bullit Details• MX wheel size - 29" front 27.5" rear
• Carbon fibre composite mainframe and rear triangle with aluminum links
• 170mm front and rear travel
• Shimano EP8 drive system
• 630Wh removable battery
• Sizes M - XXL
• Lifetime warranty, lifetime bearing replacement
• Weight - 22.09kg to 22.89kg or 48.69lbs to 50.47lbs
• €7,699 to €11,699 or $7,499 USD to $11,499
•
santacruzbicycles.com Coming out swinging and ready to brawl, the Bullit revives another legendary Santa Cruz name and packs a 170mm right hook with a big wheel up front for confidence and composure at speed, and a smaller rear wheel to make the Bullit dance around the ring, and corners, with ease and sprite.
It's not just the new Bullit frame, but the complete spec of the bike that Santa Cruz focussed on to deliver a bike that they say reminds of a full-on DH bike yet climbs to the top of the hill without any trouble. We had two glorious days of riding in, around and over the Swiss-French border, just after the lifts had shut, to take a closer look at the Bullit and see if Santa Cruz had indeed captured that brutish character and if it would leave us describing the bike with just KA-KA-KA-esque noises.
Frame & Drive System DetailsFirst off, it looks like, well, a Santa Cruz. With the brand one-by-one moving almost all their bikes over to the same layout in recent years it isn't much of a surprise to see them use this layout and frame design for the Bullit. And with good reason, as the lower link driven shock gives a good foundation for the suspension curves while keeping a lot of the mass of the bike low and centered. It leaves room for water bottles inside the main frame on all sizes, and makes the bike unmistakably a Santa Cruz from 100 yards amongst the sea of other options out there. If it ain't broke then don't fix it, and Santa Cruz seem to have found their flow with this layout and frame construction.
The Bullit might lead to many a reader reminiscing to when the Bullit was in the Santa Cruz line-up, actually from 1998 all the way to 2011, as a single pivot freeride bike. As with the Heckler, Santa Cruz have revived the name for their new bike. Knowing how hard it is to come up with a new name for a bike, let alone trademark it, it's quite clever of Santa Cruz to revive the old names that they probably already own and give the new bike some built in heritage to boot.
The Bullit is Santa Cruz's biggest and burliest e-bike with 170mm travel front and rear and it uses Shimano's EP8 drive system.
The 630Wh Shimano battery is housed in the down tube with access to it via the cover and the use of a hex key. Alternatively, the bike can be charged with the battery in place via the charge point down on the non-drive side just in front of the motor. The on button for the bike is also situated down in this area, just under the shock, cutting down on the length of wires running around the frame.
All cables are internally routed, with only a short span around the shock between the main frame and rear triangle. Inside the main frame the cables are all zip tied into the down tube to keep them in place and quiet. The other sections in the mainframe use moulded tubes to guide the cables.
Santa Cruz also has their own Di2 handlebar that hides the drive system cables from the display to the motor. It's also available aftermarket in an 800mm width and 35mm diameter clamp with 25mm and 35mm rise options.
The Bullit is only available in a CC carbon fiber option - there's no lower priced frame option at the moment. Santa Cruz have cleverly stashed all the bearings in the aluminum links to avoid the need for bearing seats in the composite frame parts. All those bearings are part of the lifetime bearing replacement programme, and the whole frame comes with a lifetime warranty for some serious peace of mind. Added to that, Santa Cruz also guarantees at least 10 years of small parts availability.
The frame has many small parts and details that are well thought out. There's extensive, quiet and well secured frame protection on both the underside of the down tube belly and inside the rear triangle around the chain slap areas. It uses SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger and there's a fender protruding out from the seat tube to protect the shock from debris and mud.
All sizes and versions of the Bullit use the MX wheel idea with a 29" front wheel and 27.5" rear to take advantage of the split in ride characteristics between the two wheel sizes. The larger front wheel giving better front end traction and roll over with a quicker responding smaller rear wheel with more trouser clearance.
Geometry, Sizing & SuspensionThe Bullit is available in sizes M to XXL spanning 450mm to 515mm reach all paired to a 449mm chain stay. There's a 64° head angle and an effective seat angle hovering around the 77° mark with the M size having a touch steeper seat tube than the XXL.
BB height to the ground is 348mm with a 6.5mm or 25.5mm drop from the front and rear axles respectively. That BB height measurement being probably the one to compare when looking at MX, or mullet, bikes. Interestingly, the Bullit forgoes the adjustability seen on other Santa Cruz bikes and has only one position for the shock and rear axle.
The Bullit uses the same tried and tested layout from the other bikes in the range with a four-bar system using two short counter rotating links. The shock is driven off the lower link and all the links are noticeably longer to give smoother changing suspension curves in the 170mm travel.
Santa Cruz say the Bullit's leverage ratios are progressive enough to run a coil shock yet still linear enough to be good with an air shock, something that is reflected in the spec of the bikes, with the coil and air versions of the RockShox Super Deluxe being options. All those options use a bearing eyelet on the shock at the lower link end where there's more rotation.
Options, Price & AvailabilityThe Bullit is only available in the CC carbon fiber frame option and in Gloss Lavender and Matte Copper color options. One hides the muck really well and the other certainly stands out in the crowd. It's available in build options ranging from the Bullit R, through Bullit S and Bullit XT to the range topping Bullit X01 Reserve.
Bikes are specced with a Fox 38 for the most part, with the Bullit R using a Zeb, up front and a RockShox Super Deluxe shock in the rear, with the R and S models being air only and the XT and X01 Reserve options having the additional option to spec a coil shock.
A nice touch, and one that shows the intention of the bike, is the spec of 2.5" Double Down Maxxis tires on all the bikes leaving you to only pump the tires up and ride when you get the bike. There's an Assegai up front in 3C Maxx Grip and a Minion DHR II out back with 3C Maxx Terra.
Other nice touches include the Burgtec stems and axles and Peaty's tubeless valves to finish off the otherwise faultless builds. SRAM builds feature a 220mm rotor up front and 200mm out back. Shimano builds run with dual 203mm rotors.
The Bullit S, XT and X01 Reserve use the Shimano EP8 (EP800) drive system, while the Bullit R uses the E7000 system. The Bullit R and S both use the E7000 display with the XT and X01 Reserve builds using the EM800 display.
Bullit CC R - Shimano E7000 drive unit and display, RockShox Zeb fork and Super Deluxe Select shock, SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain and Guide RE brakes, SDG Tellis dropper and SRAM MTH hubs on WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0 rims - €7.699 or $7,499 USD, 22.89kg or 50.47lbs
Bullit CC S - Shimano EP800 drive unit and E7000 display, Fox 38 Performance fork and RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock, SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain and Code R brakes, SDG Tellis dropper and DT Swiss 370 hubs on Race Face ARC HD 30 rims - €9,099 or $8,899 USD, 22.56kg or 49.73lbs
Bullit CC XT - Shimano EP800 drive unit and display, Fox 38 Performance Elite fork and RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock, Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain and brakes, Fox Transfer Performance Elite dropper and DT Swiss 350 hubs on Race Face ARC HD 30 rims - €9,699 or $9,499 USD, air option 22.09kg or 48.69lbs, coil option 22.58kg or 49.78lbs
Bullit CC X01 Reserve - Shimano EP800 drive unit and display, Fox 38 Factory fork and RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, SRAM X01 drivetrain and Code RSC brakes, Fox Transfer Factory dropper and DT Swiss 350 hubs on Reserve 30 carbon rims - €11,699 or $11,499 USD, air option 22.15kg or 48.83lbs, coil option 22.68kg or 50lbs
Ride ImpressionsAt 188cm tall and with some gangly arms I took the XL bike and felt pretty comfortable on it, both standing and seated. I could have also taken the L size, with its 20mm shorter reach, for something that could be maneuvered with less effort, but still found the XL to be a nice mix of maneuverability and composure. It's not often that I find myself able to do this in bike sizing and some people might be clearly on a single size rather than spanning two. So it's good to consider the whole bike and its designed character when you're picking sizing, not just looking at the on-paper geometry.
For the bike's launch we spent two days riding all manner of known and much less known trails around the Portes du Soleil resorts of Morzine, Les Gets, Champéry and Crosets. With the lifts having closed only the week before the mountain sides were a stark contrast to the bustling trails that are commonplace with the easy lifts back to the top.
Over the two days we clocked up just shy of 90km of riding and 4300m climbing, with our guides doing an expert job of avoiding as much tarmac as possible and allowing us to test the capabilities of the Bullit not only on the downs, but also on technical ups. The wet autumn was in full swing and with us luckily not being rained on while riding, the trails were definitely on the exciting side of damp.
With only a relatively quick setup of pressures and a quick bounce around in the car park, the Bullit felt remarkably comfy from the get go. When standing, you're already in a comfortable position that leads to you riding the bike with little conscious thought to maintaining a good riding position. You're always in it. So too when you're seated, and the long days in the saddle were met again with comfort. I found that there was a good window to move my weight around with the speed and exaggeration that is needed to keep traction on the rear wheel while climbing seemingly impossible grades and turns.
On the way down the bike really does have the flavour of a DH bike. I'm not going to say it is one, as the limits of a DH bike still far surpass anything else. But there's definitely that flavour of composure there and the movements and aggression needed to move the bike around follow that theme. You can passenger the bike if you want, without it running away from you, but where's the fun in that?
Grabbing it and being a pilot results in a rewarding ride that eggs you on to lean the bike and push hard. It's an addictive ride and one that was not once phased by any of the challenges we threw at it. Many of those were on my home trails that I've ridden a bunch on different bikes and many more riding blind behind one of the Syndicate or Santa Cruz employees. In all those situations the bike was stable enough to charge and reacted wonderfully when told what to do.
Perhaps the only downside I found was the very noisy EP8 motor, or more specifically the freehub system between the chainring and the motor. When under power the freehub is engaged and so runs silently. But when coasting and at lower speeds, that don't demand most of your concentration, the rattling is amplified by the voluminous carbon frame and is the prominent sound on the bike. Not a problem with the Bullit per say then, but still something worth noting.
The remainder of the EP8 system is a smooth joy to use and goes quietly about its job. We spent most of our time in the Trail mode, which seemed to effortlessly meter out just the right amount of torque for the available grip. That grip did depend heavily on how you positioned your weight on the saddle and where the saddle was positioned in the travel of the dropper. Only the absolute nastiest of climbs needed an almost slammed seat, Boost mode and some serious body language to make it to the top. But these were ridiculously steep, damp and root filled climbs that I normally ride in the opposite direction. We were lucky enough to have not only our human batteries but our bike's recharged at lunch, and even a few older Shimano systems in the riding group that showed just how much bigger the range is on the new EP8 drive system. For the times you want to put more effort into your legs the Eco mode works well, but the great thing is that you can alter the assistance in the modes via the E-Tube Project app to make them cater more to your personal needs.
The rest of the bike on our XT build was faultless. It's really nice to see non-plus rubber on an e-bike and really speaks volumes (ha) about the bike’s intentions. The drivetrain and brakes never skipped a beat over the two days, but it would be good to see how they fare after a much-prolonged season of riding and grinding in the mud, especially with the added torque and mass to the bike. And the nice finishing touches from the likes of Burgtec and Peaty's show a good attention to detail and that no stone was left unturned when speccing the bike.
Riding home on the second day I looked down to realise I'd forgotten that I wasn't on my own personal bike, and showed me just how well I'd gotten on with the Bullit. It is a lot of bike, but for the terrain round the Alps and countless other aggressive terrain in the world that demands more travel and composure from a bike, the Bullit is an impressive bike. So impressive that I was pretty bummed to have to hand it back after the two days. Perhaps we can sneak back over the border and get one for a long-term test to see if the honeymoon period is a short or long lived one.
*Yawn* Another slow dirtbike that I have to pedal.
Wake me up when the 2021 Nomad is released.
Make more adjustable bikes not more bikes.
And just think about all the unsprung weight you will lose by ditching the cassette and rear derailleur... the average rider will reap massive benefits to their rear suspension performance.... It's gonna be a game changer.
I had a 2013 Patriot BTW, one of the best bikes I've owned with a CCDB coil and 66 RC3 ti.
Many suspension designs are for ( in part) providing a pedal platform, this is less of a requirement when using a motor to power up the hills.
An x01 transition scout is $6,699
An x01 trek fuel ex is $7,499
An x01 stumpjumper is $7,300
An x01 Bronson is $7,099
They aren’t exactly out of touch.
www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-US/bikes/hightower
#therosecolouredglassesofmountainbiking
Only because sc doesn’t have an sx eagle build.
If your going to compare things you need to have have them be comparable.
The nx stumpjumper is 3,200
The nx Bronson is 3,499
Specialized carbon frames are also more expensive by a few bucks than sc.
My point is not that an X01 bike is miles more expensive, my point is that the brand in general requires more money in your pocket to get into.
The argument of making everything equal is not a representation of the brand but rather a representation of a single bike.
No matter how we argue the semantics of the above questions, one thing is clear, it is more expensive for a first time or new bike buyer who wants a cost effective and quality mountain bike to buy a bike that says Santa Cruz on it than some other brands.
To supplement that, the person who is maybe very discerning and is particular about what aftermarket parts are seen on their bike would likely prefer the price of the highest end Santa Cruz because it is more representative of their aftermarket tastes than the s-works stumpy that is loaded with house branded and roval parts.
Here's the thing, there is something for everybody out there. Maybe Santa Cruz doesn't tick the boxes for you. They have their marketing forces, and its a like it or lump it scenario. I don't like the price, but it is what it is, and I believe uou get what you pay for.
I would imagine that it would be because it probably doesn’t make sense to do that because those components are usually a compromise of sorts. If your looking to buy the absolute cheapest bike on the market than why are you looking at any of these bikes?
I would also imagine that specialized specs that on their bikes because they have an arsenal of cheap ass bikes that they probably have a shit load of stock for and it doesn’t hurt to have it. Specialized is immensely bigger.
It’s absolutely the argument because if someone is looking at a bike with a certain spec they are going to be comparing bikes with similar specs. If I’m looking at a transition with gx on it and i compare it to a stumpjumper with sx on it OF COURSE it will be cheaper, but at a compromise of components. You don’t go shopping for a top spec car and then say “hmmm I could get the base model of brand x for way less let’s compare them”
I guess I just don’t understand what your trying to prove? Similar spec bikes are similarly priced, there really isn’t arguing otherwise. I don’t find it super relative to compare absolute lowest priced model if they aren’t similarly equipped.
At the end of the day if you bought a specialized carbon frame and built it up exactly the same as a Santa Cruz frame the specialized would be more expensive. All I’m arguing against is the bs that people keep spouting about how Santa Cruz is some unobtainable brand compared to everyone else and it’s simply not true.
In terms of the price, the only reason I don't like it, is because I cant afford it... But such is life. As I stated before, you get what you pay for.
This only covers manufacturers defect.
Santa cruz has a full lifetime warranty on frame, bearings and parts. I run reserved. Had a hairline crack in the rear one. They sent me a new wheel no questions asked.
I have replaced my pivot bearings twice a season at no cost to me.
The lowe link axles and dust caps were showing some wear from use, and they sent me replacement parts.
A friend of mine cracked his rear triangle in a crash, and they sent a new one expedited to his door.
Santa cruz bikes are not cheap... but they are worth every penny.
I can speak from experiance in terms of commencals after sales support... there isn't any... at least where I live.
Wow !
They should have called it "Piggit" !
No not for the ebike-ness, or anything about the bike which i find a bit meh.
But it seems its the first bike where the actual seat angle is steeper than the head angle. They’re catching on at last....
Everyone: Look how they massacred my boy
Seriously - starting at $7.500 up to almost $12K with mediocre spec. WTF?!
Really hope the ever widening price-to-component-spec-delta will reverse at some point so we get good parts on great bikes at a reasonable and honest price again.
For trail riding and epic days, I'd rather get an orbea rise at 16-17 kgs than this at 22(for the most expensive reserved model; cheaper ones are probably around 24-25 kgs) and a big enduro/fr bike for bikeparks.
At 17 kgs, an electric is still behaving as a bike. At 25...it doesn't.
My go to bike is a parts build nuke reactor alu "RS". I have made 70 miles xc loops on it(gravel, trail, road), epic over the mountains and bikeparks. It is a trail bike but beefed up to be able to handle hard charging black runs. - actually, I am the weak part of the assembly.
With lockdowns, more office work than ever and a kid planned for next year, the time on a bike is looking dimmer and dimmer. At one point, I had a road, a gravel, a sub 22 lbs full susp xc bike, am and my big 180mm bike. Now, I only have the gravel and this reactor.
What does not help is the fact that I live in the flatlands so, a big bike or a big electric is useless for me when I need to drive 3-to-5 hours in one direction in order to use it.
Adding things up, a FS-ish gravel for my rusted joints(with that 30mm ocho lefty) for riding the flatlands, electric 140-150mm for overmountains and epics and a big 170-180mm bike for parks seems like the best combo.
But the electric needs to behave like a bike. And from testing, a 24-25kg electric does not feel or handle like a bike.
This SC almost hits every mark bar the weight..which, after a set of pedals will be 23 kgs even for the 10k USD one.
Could be the perfect choice for someone living at the bottom of big hills or mountains though..
if you want a motor, don't buy something with pedals!
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In the end, I left with a sweet and sour taste, and I prefer strong flavours, like Wasabi... and Spicy!
It helps you climb... it helps you descending (if you like tanks... and titanic)
sort of a vibrator for sexual pleasure. sure... it helps, and it has it's users. But nothing like a good ____ck!
Also, I've followed several users with problems with the BB bearings, that it seems it's unserviceable at home, which gives the WTF moment, when it happens to you.
I won't touch such bikes until several things are sorted, such as:
- Range
- Higher speed limit (around 35/40 km/h it seems reasonable for a e-moped)
- No danglings in the rear axle, meaning --> internal gear box
- And the most important one, it cannot cost as much as a motorcycle.
But... thinking better, when this day arrives, there will be available electric motorcycles, that probably will cost much less.
I continue to prefer bikes and motorbikes, and won't have a "in-between thing" in the coming years.
Interesting will be 2x2 electric motorcycles.
-170-180 travel
-300ish Wh battery with optional range extender for longer rides. Would be great if the range extender could also fit in the downtube so a water bottle can always be had on the frame.
-Removable battery with replaceable cover for bike park days.
-Integrated gearbox would be awesome as well. Some companies have already been playing with this.
It’s all to save money which is not passed on to you
Same for all of the updated bikes. Very limited space.
I've seen some coil squeezed in. FX2 is for sure the right shock for that bike. IMHO. LOL!
Now on the cusp of turning 70 years (gave myself that target for ebike) I've been looking for a mid-long travel ebike and definitely going to demo one of these from SC. I don't expect a lot of non mtb'ers to suddenly decide to go bombing down the single-tracks as much as some of us who love the sport being able to stay with it as we age, unfortunately I've seen most of my buds quit (I ride with my son and his group when I won't be a drag on them climbing) so having these options for us all so we can do what we love and also extend our time hanging with our kids cant be a bad thing.
* yes, I visit other mtb sites.
For me personally... it has a motor so climbing geo and what not comes far secondary to being set up to descend.
The SL is tons of fun but the smile on my face was WAY bigger after riding a kenevo with a 38. This bike is more like the kenevo or the decoy.
But it bums me to see them use two iconic names (Heckler and Bullit) that represent original, affordable, groundbreaking bikes and slap them on over-priced, Me-Too, heaps of eLameness.
Two great names have been sullied.
This must be a joke.
Even the Specialized ones are less expensive
Even works when you're paying VAT, too. Buy it in, say, Germany (non EU obvs), ensure your receipts are all dialed - travel home within 3 months, get the VAT back and don't pay import taxes at home.
Also, please don't confuse mtb-ing with electric bike riding. They are not the same thing and/or sport. In the milisecond you have a motor on your bikes, you're not doing mtb-ing.
Electric mountain riding, off-road moped riding, etc-etc...but, mtb-ing...no, that is reserved for actual human powered bikes, no motor or battery involved.
Having said that, I think I'll get that orbea rise next year for general trail riding and overmountain epics and keep a real bike, something along the line of 29" wheels, 170-180mm travel for high alpine, big enduro and park rides!
I haven't seen another brand this dedicated to the rockfox life.
Most people in the world today don't have money. They have credit & debt. Saw something the other day saying total global debt is approaching $277T!! $277 Trillion!!
Its simply mind boggling. The average US car payment alone is $550 a month. Also, who in their right mind buys a bike on credit?
Four bar =/= VPP, or am I mistaken?
A lot of these exaggerated 4-bar systems originally came about as bike companies tried to get the benefits of a 4-bar system without infringing on the Specialized patent for for the traditional Horst link.
FSR and VPP license patents have expired so other companies can use these linkage designs now. DW still has some years to go.
S. Cruz still uses a true VPP. Intense, the only other company previously licensed to use VPP now uses a modified VPP. That's one of the selling points of SC is the true VPP
I just want a hightower with a steeper ST angle and as much adjustability as the new Stumpy EVO
Got to go with the coil shock setup on this one.
My old Bronson? I’ll build that back up over time and give it to my son. He can ride it to death. And if it breaks. Well there’s that warranty.
So then, Im left wondering if they believe that e-bikes will replace non-assisted bikes? Is the ride or experience somehow superior? It seems the "workout" component would be lessened, so you're left with the ride experience compared to non-assisted.
Thoughts?
I want this exact bike without the motor/battery (and maybe the +/- 10mm CS adjustment)
Ha!
Orders are backed up, no shop can get any product, they have no answers. Yet here is a brand new eBike!
Their carbon technology which appears to be “keep adding layers of cheap material to the layup” is falling behind. I get they have a lifetime warranty, but every single one of their bikes is at least a pound heavier than the competition. With all the supposed resources they have with PON money and their own factory they shouldn’t be surpassed in carbon by Transition.
Santa Cruz specifically has been hit hard .. carbon factory in wuhan, California covid lockdowns.. plus all the California fires right by Santa Cruz....
You realize that these bikes , as with all brands , are not created on a whim and have years of design and implementation in them. They likely had these ready to go and COVID happened so they pushed it back like literally everyone else. Apparently you are impossible to satisfy. “If you don’t have availability of what I want when I want it during a global pandemic than don’t release anything at all.”
sheesh
14 years => eMTB bullit
awesome bike
Sorry for santacruz design => they are the same => design
Shame about the price & the motor works best at lower cadence, so is better as Granny/Grandpa bike?
I am disabled and I don't ride an "ebike" (motor bike). As long as my legs work I'm gonna use 'em. Just like your sister... Ba-dum-tiss!
PB tomorrow: long term rewiev Big S Ken model, ( next new SJ) :-)
Wow, could you possibly be a bigger douchebag?
However ebikes are amazing fun to ride