Michael reviews the Santa Cruz Bullit
First released back in late 2020, the Santa Cruz Bullit is the brand’s long-travel full-powered e-MTB, with 85Nm of torque and 600 watts of power from Shimano’s EP801 drive unit. The impressive motor is powered by a large 630Wh battery, giving riders hours of full powered shred time.
Available as a mullet only, the Bullit is built to go hard. It has 170mm of travel front and back, with a RockShox Super Deluxe shock in the rear and your choice of the beefy RockShox Zeb or Fox 38 up front. Santa Cruz has done well to spec the Bullit appropriately for its intended use, which is to rip trails and go as fast as humanly possible down the steepest jankiest singletrack, then get you quickly back to the top of the hill to do it all over again.
But is this just a self-shuttle rig, or something a bit more versatile? We’ve spent the last couple of months living with the latest Santa Cruz Bullit to find out.
An overview of the 2024 Santa Cruz Bullit
The Bullit is the modern reincarnation of the brand’s old freeride behemoth, that was built around a weighty alloy frame and simple-as-it-comes single-pivot suspension design. While the latest Bullit is quite a bit more complex, the intended purpose is the same. It’s meant to go down the toughest, rowdiest trails and send big jumps, but with the added benefit of a helping hand to get you back to the top.
The frame hasn’t changed since the 2020 rebirth; however, the motor has been updated to Shimano’s new EP801 unit, and the components now feature an impressive list of some of the most sought-after bits.
Surprisingly, prices across the range are now cheaper than when it was first released and are close to $2,000 AUD less for each model. If you consider the improvements in suspension and drivetrain technology since then, it is a fairly substantial price drop. Especially when four of the six current models now feature versions of SRAM’s AXS drivetrains!
We covered the initial release here, for this review, we will focus on how the Bullit rides with the updated components and drive unit.
Santa Cruz Bullit price and specs
There are six models to choose from in the Bullit lineup, they all share the same Carbon CC frame, mullet wheels, and Shimano EP801 drive unit. Sizing starts with a medium frame and goes up to XXL. This means smaller riders will need to look at Santa Cruz’s slightly shorter travel Heckler.
Pricing starts at $11,999 AUD for the Bullit R and goes all the way up to a whopping $17,999 AUD for the Bullit XO AXS RSV and XO AXS RSV Coil. We are lucky enough to have had one of the top spec XO AXS RSVs for testing.
Santa Cruz Bullit XO AXS RSV
- Frame | Carbon CC
- Fork | RockShox Zeb Ultimate 170mm or Fox 38 Float Factory 170mm
- Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate 230×62.5
- Wheels | Reserve Carbon 30HD 29 Front, 31DH 27.5 Rear
- Tyres | Maxxis Assegai Double Down 3C MaxxGrip 29x 2.5 / Minion DHR II Double Down 3C MaxxTerra 27.5x 2.4
- Drivetrain | SRAM XO Transmission
- Motor | Shimano EP801
- Brakes | SRAM Code Silver Stealth 220 mm / 200 mm
- Bar | Santa Cruz e35 Carbon Bars 800mm
- Stem | Burgtec Enduro MK3 42mm Stem
- Seatpost | One Up V2 or Fox Factory Transfer or Rockshox Reverb Stealth
- Confirmed weight | 22.15kg
- RRP | $17,999 AUD
Our test bike was a medium frame, which came in at a reasonable 22.15kg set up tubeless and without pedals.
The XO AXS RSV model, which is tough to say out loud, has a mouthwatering spec list dripping in parts that leave little room for upgrades — with a few notable exceptions, more on that later.
Standouts include SRAM’s XO Transmission drivetrain, the new Code Stealth Silver brakes, and Reserve’s carbon wheels that are laced to a set of DT Swiss 350 hubs.
Shimano’s EP801 Motor
The EP801 drive unit from Shimano packs a solid punch, with 85Nm of torque and 600W of peak assistance. I initially found the motor to have a slight delay when engaging, causing some awkward moments when climbing tight switchbacks as I would slow down my cadence going up and around the corner only to find it hard to get the pedals spinning again and get on top of the gear.
However, after installing a firmware update early on in the test period, I found that the delay was reduced, if not completely removed, and the motor felt much more responsive.
Shimano’s E-Tube app allows you to customise your three power modes and install new firmware updates. It’s simple and intuitive to use, and I made some slight changes to the power and torque curves of the Trail and Boost modes to suit my preferences and local trail characteristics. Otherwise, the stock settings will be spot-on for many riders.
Components highs and lows
The build kit on this Bullit is top shelf from front to back. The suspension does a impressive job at gobbling up sizeable hits while still providing a surprisingly lively platform to get creative on side hits and jump the bike around the trail.
While it can be a bit stiff for some riders on non e-Bikes, the Zeb Ultimate up front is an ideal fit for this full-size e-bike. The added weight of the battery and motor is supported by big 38mm stanchions and helps keep the front end pointing in whatever direction you choose.
The Super Deluxe Ultimate shock was impressively consistent, not exhibiting any fading or packing up.
Rolling stock comes in the form of a Reserve Carbon 30|HD 29 on the front and a slightly burlier 31|DH 27.5 on the back. While Reserve is Santa Cruz’s own brand of hoops, frankly, they are spot on for this hard-hitting bike; they are strong and durable.
Despite many poor line choices and more than my fair share of cases, the rims have held up very well and are not showing any signs of buckles, gouges or something worse. For more details on these wheels, be sure to check out our full review.
I was also taken aback with the new SRAM Code Silver Stealth brakes. They delivered tremendous amounts of power, with a very consistent lever feel.
This is my first encounter with these updated, second-tier Codes since they were launched last year, and I am usually more of a Shimano brake person. However, these new Code Stealths have me reconsidering my preferences.
The X0 Transmission was absolutely flawless, further proving how well the marginally slower shift mapping is suited to e-MTBs.
It’s no secret that e-MTBs eat drivetrains, not just due to the extra watts being put into the system but also because those panic shifts, when the motor starts to bog down because you have been grinding it out in way too big a gear, usually come under extreme load.
Even with many forced shifts with the chain fully torqued, the drivetrain hasn’t skipped. I also managed to test out the new overload clutch’s ability to disengage and move out of the way, when struck by an object. In my case, this was a random rock on the side of the trail. The clutch did exactly as advertised, and I kept going on my way without any damage to the derailleur.
2024 Santa Cruz Bullit Geometry
Geometry on the Bullit is fairly conservative for a bike with this much travel, the reach on our medium test bike was 450mm with a 64° head angle. The stack is fairly spot on at 621mm paired with the 100mm head tube length.
The benefit of these numbers is that it gives riders plenty of room to run either lower or higher front ends depending on their preference.
The chainstays came in at 449mm, contributing to the very stable 1238.5mm wheelbase. Surprisingly the longer rear end didn’t hamper its ability to get around tight turns as the smaller rear wheel allowed the bike to pivot. Aiding the bike’s climbing ability is the reasonably steep 77.2° seat tube angle.
Suspension Setup
Santa Cruz provides a basic setup guide on its website; however, it is nothing like Norco’s Ride Aligned system. Offering about the same amount of guidance as the chart on the inside of a fork leg, it should provide a decent starting point, but I’d love to see more brands implement Ride Aligned-esque advice to help folks get the most out of their bikes.
I started with the recommended settings and found them way off. The rear shock was far too soft with the recommended 145psi, after working through a bracketing process I ended up with 170psi in the shock. With this pressure, I was still able to bottom the Super Deluxe out on bigger hits and regularly used the majority of the 170mm travel available. I settled on five clicks of rebound, no low-speed compression, and one click of high-speed compression.
Interestingly, I ended up with slightly more than the recommended pressure in the fork. I settled on 60psi, with one token, compared to the 55psi that was recommended. I found that nine clicks of rebound, no low-speed compression, and two clicks of high-speed compression gave the Bullit a balanced and predictable feel for my riding style and 65kg riding weight.
To compensate for the extra weight of the e-Bike I increased my usual go-to pressures for these tyres up to 24psi in the front and 26psi in the rear. These pressures gave me plenty of traction and a little extra insurance when riding Nerang’s infamous loam — AKA rocks.
What did we like?
The Bullit’s ability to handle whatever I could throw at it consistently impressed me, the bike’s added heft kept it glued to the ground through rough rock gardens and over loose sketchy tracks. Yet, despite its weight, it still loved to get airborne over jumps and drops and didn’t feel too cumbersome when taking consecutive tight corners.
I’m not sure how Santa Cruz balanced out all of these traits, however, whatever magic sauce they used to cook up this rig, it has certainly worked.
Being a full-powered e-bike with 85Nm of torque and 600W of power, it makes light work of just about any climb.
On one ride in particular, I opted for more of an adventure-style ride out the back of my local trail network, there are plenty of steep creek crossings and gully climbs. I quickly found out the only limitation to the bike’s climbing ability was my confidence. The more climbs I did, the more I found I could just power up whatever was in front of me.
Apart from the Bullit’s power, the smaller rear wheel also contributed to its climbing ability. It was noticeable when trying to get around tighter switchbacks and combined with the added weight of the battery and the grippy tires, the Santa Cruz was sure footed over some very loose terrain. Often when climbing with a smaller 27.5in they tend to get caught up on rocks and roots compared to a full 29er, I feel that becasue of the power the motor delivered it made up for any hang ups the rear wheel may have had.
The Bullit has a fairly long wheelbase at 1238.5mm, which enables it to stay planted and helps the rider feel centred on the bike when tackling steep climbs, especially over tricky terrain. Usually when tackling steep climbs on a slacker bike like the Bullit the front wheel can tend to lift off the ground easily, I found that because of the bikes extra weight out back I was able to position my weight further forward than usual, this helped keep the front wheel down and the bike moving forward.
Point the Bullit downhill and it flies, the bike loves to be pushed hard into steep terrain. The extra weight it carries, helps it feel planted and the exceptional suspension soaks up whatever you can throw at it.
For such a long travel and weighty bike, it jumps well too. I was lucky enough to get a few days out at Hidden Vale Adventure Park just as they were opening a new jump line called Fire Break. The Bullit felt controlled in the air and when I did come up short on the longer tables, it handled my cases with ease.
With the shock mounted just above the motor, it means the bulk of the weight is kept low and centered on the bike. This creates a balanced feeling ride and means it is easy to lean over when cornering, assisting in it still feeling nimble and playful.
As I became more comfortable on the Bullit, I was able to trust this added traction and keep my weight more forward than I was used to. Not only did this aid in attacking trails and carrying more speed, but it also meant I could still get the rear end to whip around corners quickly for such a large bike.
However, on the mellower and flatter tracks the Bullit did a bit out of sorts. On these types of trails, you’re always dancing with the 25kph cutoff, and when you do tip over the edge, the Bullit felt sluggish and lost some of the pop I enjoyed when speeds were up.
What we didn’t like?
There is not much to complain about with this $18K top-end build, however, for this amount of money I would have liked to see a wireless dropper. Not to take anything away from the OneUp post, it is reliable, re-buildable and super smooth. It’s just for the price and to match the wireless drivetrain, an AXS dropper would be a nice touch to round out the build.
Still, on the dropper, a 150mm drop post on a medium frame is outdated and not in line with how rowdy the rest of the bike is. I did notice a few times that I got caught on the seat when descending and cornering. A longer dropper would have fixed this. However, with the motor and the seat tube interrupted by the shock tunnel, post-insertion depth is a limiting factor.
The EP801 motor, of course, has the trademark clacking when you’re descending, though it is much less apparent than the previous version. While we mention this in just about every review it is noticeable with how quiet the rest of this bike is on the descents, thanks in large part to the Charger 3 and RC2 dampers.
Still on the motor, one of the big improvements Shimano made with the EP801 motor was the way the power tapered off as you hit the 25kph cutoff. While it doesn’t quite match the grunt of the Bosch CX motor, hitting the cutoff on mellow and flatter trails isn’t a big test of fitness. However, the weight of this bike and super grippy tyres it does exacerbate that transition a bit, making it difficult to continue to generate speed.
We’re also a bit disappointed to see the sizing tilted towards the taller end of the bell curve, while also being cognisant of the fact it’s difficult to fit everything all of that travel, a motor and a batter into a compact frame. Even still, vertically challenged riders like big bikes too!
Flow’s Verdict
The Bullit is a monster of a bike, with 170mm of travel at both ends. The spec list on our XO AXS RSV test bike is hard to fault beyond the dropper post which is too short. While the five-figure RRP is a big punch to your bank account, it is nice to see a bike that is coming down in price ever so slightly — and from a boutique brand like Santa Cruz no less.
If rowdy descents with no shuttle options are your thing, then the Bullit is ideal. It descends like there is no tomorrow, and can get you right back up to the top of the climb effortlessly.
However, if gravity isn’t on your side and your local tracks are more mellow and flow-like in design, then the Bullit might not be your best option. This is A LOT of bike, to swing around, and if you’re trails aren’t big, steep and rough it will be difficult to make use of all of that suspension goodness, and you’ll likely be happier with something a bit smaller like the Heckler.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER - Michael Cooper
Gold Coast, QLD
173cm
Over calculated yet imprecise
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