The Santa Cruz Vala arrived late last year as one of the first electric mountain bikes on the market to feature the 5th generation Bosch CX motor. It was also Santa Cruz’s first model to incorporate a four-bar suspension design, marking a significant departure from the iconic VPP platform. This gave it a more conventional aesthetic than the Heckler before it, though as we found out in our Vala review, it also resulted in fantastic performance out on the trail.

Given the packaging advantages of the four-bar platform, we knew it would only be a matter of time before Santa Cruz would scale it up into a longer travel model. Turns out our hunch was correct, because for 2025 the Vala will be joined by a bigger and burlier sibling in the all-new Bullit. And gosh does it look good!

An overview of the new Santa Cruz Bullit

Designed for maximum descending prowess, the Santa Cruz Bullit is the biggest and burliest e-MTB on offer from the Californian brand. It’s equipped with 170mm travel at both ends and it’s built exclusively around a mullet wheel setup.

The full carbon frame is offered in both C and CC versions, both of which utilise the same geometry and four-bar suspension design. Compared to the VPP platform on the old Bullit that we reviewed last year, the new bike is said to be more neutral under pedalling and braking inputs. It also offers more adjustability, with a two-position flip chip at the lower shock mount that allows you to tune the leverage rate from 26% to 29% progression. The latter should be ideal for running a coil shock.

All pivots articulate on large diameter sealed cartridge bearings, while the two mainframe pivots feature big hollow axles with locking collet hardware. As with all Santa Cruz mountain bikes, the Bullit gets a lifetime warranty on the frame and pivot bearings.

Bosch CX power

Just like the Vala, the Bullit is powered by the latest Bosch CX Gen 5 motor. This currently produces up to 85Nm of torque and 600W of peak power, though it’s rumoured that Bosch will be rolling out a firmware update sometime this year to increase those numbers.

Bolted inside the enclosed downtube is a 600Wh PowerTube battery. We expect there’ll be folks who are disappointed that the new Bullit didn’t get the larger 800Wh option, and the fact that it isn’t easily removable will make it a non-starter for some. Santa Cruz informed us that handling and weight distribution were big priorities for the Bullit, so it elected to build it around the lighter and narrower 600Wh battery. This allows for a slimmer downtube profile that not only looks better, it also helps to reduce frame weight.

Of course you could always buy a 250Wh PowerMore range extender if you needed more juice. Weighing in at 1.5kg, the piggyback battery sells for $799 AUD plus $40-60 AUD for the requisite cable. It takes the position of the bottle cage on top of the downtube and when plugged in it boosts total capacity to 850Wh. We quite like this approach as it gives you a lighter and more agile setup for everyday riding, with the option to add the range extender for bigger rides when needed.

Geometry & sizing

There have been some notable changes to the geometry of the new Santa Cruz Bullit, the biggest of which is the arrival of a size Small. This wasn’t an option with the old bike, and it means the new version is now offered in five sizes from S-XXL.

The head angle is also a touch slacker at 63.6°, the seat angle is a fair bit steeper at 78.7°, and the BB height is a smidge lower at 346mm off the ground. All of those numbers are with the seatstay flip chip in the High position, which is how the Bullit will be set up from the factory. Switching that chip into the Low position will slacken the angles by 0.3° and drop the BB by 4mm.

Another important update is the introduction of scaled rear centre sizing. This varies from 440mm on the Small and goes up to 452mm on the XX-Large. Also welcome is the improved seatpost insertion, which is made possible thanks to the four-bar suspension platform and the omission of the shock tunnel. With its short and uninterrupted seat tube, the Bullit is able to accommodate a longer-stroke dropper post on each frame size.

Santa Cruz Bullit price & specs

There will be four models in the 2025 Santa Cruz Bullit lineup with prices starting at $10,999 AUD.

The two cheapest models come with the new SRAM Eagle mechanical T-Type transmission, which is cool to see. They also get exactly the same Bosch CX motor, 600Wh battery and Maxxis DoubleDown tyres as the more expensive models.

Our test bike is top-end Santa Cruz Bullit CC X0 AXS RSV, which is the only model to feature the more premium CC carbon frame as well as the new Fox Float X2 shock. It also gets a carbon Reserve wheelset with the latest DT Swiss 350 DEG hubs, a OneUp cockpit and SRAM Maven Silver brakes, making for a very premium package indeed.

2025 Santa Cruz Bullit CC X0 AXS RSV

• Frame | CC Carbon Fibre, Four-Bar Suspension Design, 170mm Travel
• Fork | Fox 38, Factory Series, GRIP X2 Damper, 170mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float X2, Factory Series, 205x65mm
• Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5, 85Nm
• Battery | Bosch PowerTube 600Wh
• Wheels | DT Swiss 350 DEG Hubs & Reserve 30|HD C Front & 30|DH Rear Rims
• Tyres | Maxxis Assegai DoubleDown 3C MaxxGrip 2.5in Front & Minion DHR II DoubleDown 3C MaxxTerra 2.5in Rear
• Drivetrain | SRAM X0 AXS Transmission 1×12 w/X0 Cranks & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Maven Silver 4-Piston w/200mm HS2 Rotors
• Handlebar | Santa Cruz e35 Carbon, 800mm Width, Rise: 20mm (S), 35mm (M-XXL)
• Stem | OneUp, 42mm Length
• Seatpost | OneUp V3, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 120mm (S), 180mm (M), 210mm (L), 240mm (XL-XXL)
• Claimed Weight | 21.85kg
• Actual Weight | 21.98kg (Large)
• Price | $17,499 AUD

2025 Santa Cruz Bullit C GX AXS

• Frame | C Carbon Fibre, Four-Bar Suspension Design, 170mm Travel
• Fork | Fox 38, Performance Elite, GRIP X2 Damper, 170mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float X, Performance Elite, 205x65mm
• Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5, 85Nm
• Battery | Bosch PowerTube 600Wh
• Wheels | e*13 SL Hubs & Reserve 30|HD AL 6069 Rims
• Tyres | Maxxis Assegai DoubleDown 3C MaxxGrip 2.5in Front & Minion DHR II DoubleDown 3C MaxxTerra 2.5in Rear
• Drivetrain | SRAM GX AXS Transmission 1×12 w/GX Cranks & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Maven Bronze 4-Piston w/200mm HS2 Rotors
• Handlebar | OneUp Aluminum, 800mm Width, Rise: 20mm (S), 35mm (M-XXL)
• Stem | OneUp, 42mm Length
• Seatpost | OneUp V3, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 120mm (S), 180mm (M), 210mm (L), 240mm (XL-XXL)
• Claimed Weight | 22.35kg
• Price | $14,499 AUD

2025 Santa Cruz Bullit C 90

• Frame | C Carbon Fibre, Four-Bar Suspension Design, 170mm Travel
• Fork | Fox 38, Performance Series, GRIP Damper, 170mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float X, Performance Series, 205x65mm
• Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5, 85Nm
• Battery | Bosch PowerTube 600Wh
• Wheels | e*13 SL Hubs & Reserve 30|HD AL Rims
• Tyres | Maxxis Assegai DoubleDown 3C MaxxGrip 2.5in Front & Minion DHR II DoubleDown 3C MaxxTerra 2.5in Rear
• Drivetrain | SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission 1×12 w/e*13 Helix eSpec Cranks & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM Maven Base 4-Piston w/200mm HS2 Rotors
• Handlebar | OneUp Aluminum, 800mm Width, Rise: 20mm (S), 35mm (M-XXL)
• Stem | OneUp, 42mm Length
• Seatpost | OneUp V3, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 120mm (S), 180mm (M), 210mm (L), 240mm (XL-XXL)
• Claimed Weight | 22.3kg
• Price | $12,999 AUD

2025 Santa Cruz Bullit C 70

• Frame | C Carbon Fibre, Four-Bar Suspension Design, 170mm Travel
• Fork | RockShox Zeb, Rush RC Damper, 170mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float X, Performance Series, 205x65mm
• Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5, 85Nm
• Battery | Bosch PowerTube 600Wh
• Wheels | SRAM MTH Hubs & Reserve 30|HD AL Rims
• Tyres | Maxxis Assegai DoubleDown 3C MaxxGrip 2.5in Front & Minion DHR II DoubleDown 3C MaxxTerra 2.5in Rear
• Drivetrain | SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission 1×12 w/e*13 Helix eSpec Cranks & 10-52T Cassette
• Brakes | SRAM DB8 4-Piston w/200mm HS2 Rotors
• Handlebar | Burgtec Aluminum, 800mm Width, Rise: 20mm (S), 35mm (M-XXL)
• Stem | OneUp, 42mm Length
• Seatpost | SDG Tellis, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 120mm (S), 180mm (M), 210mm (L), 240mm (XL-XXL)
• Claimed Weight | 22.4kg
• Price | $10,999 AUD

Flow’s Take

With its new frame, four-bar suspension layout and Bosch CX motor, the Santa Cruz Bullit has undergone a significant overhaul that will make it an appealing option for many riders. We came away impressed with the handling qualities and suspension performance of the 160/150mm travel Vala, and we suspect the Bullit will deliver a similar flavour, albeit in a more DH-centric package.

The fact that it manages to (just) come in under 22kg is genuinely impressive for a full-powered e-MTB that’s fitted with a big Fox 38 fork, a Float X2 shock, SRAM Maven brakes and Maxxis DoubleDown tyres. That makes it considerably lighter than our Trek Rail+ test bike and the newly released Specialized Levo 4, despite having more travel than both.

Of course not everyone will be jazzed by the 600Wh battery, even if it might contribute to better handling and a sleeker-looking frame. Thankfully there are plenty of other options on the market. Those who need a larger capacity battery that’s easily removable could look at the aforementioned Rail+ or Levo, or perhaps the new Focus JAM².

As to how the new Bullit rides? Dan will be putting this gorgeous teal rig through its paces over the coming weeks in preparation for an in-depth review. Dan’s also testing the Rail+ at the moment, so we look forward to hearing how the two bikes compare!

ABOUT THE REVIEWER - Dan MacMunn

Hometown

Spring Gully, Victoria

Height

183cm

Weight83kg