WHAT’S NEW WITH THE PIVOT SHUTTLE AM?
Pivot had a few clear goals with the development of the new Shuttle AM. Content with their geometry and suspension platform, there were only some minor tweaks made, and as such the overall handling package feels very familiar to the Shuttle SL/AM and right between the Firebird and Switchblade.
The most notable update is the Bosch Gen 5 drive unit and 800Wh battery. Depending on the build you’ll either get the CX on the Ride level build, or CX-R on the Team and Pro level builds. These drive units and battery combinations not only drop weight from the overall system, but also increase range, power and control*.
Combining the drive system’s weight reductions with refinements to the carbon layup and overall system integration, Pivot managed to drop the weight of this full power eMTB to deliver an impressively light and agile feel on the trail.
*The jury is still out for us regarding the control of the new 100Nm Bosch eMTB+ mode. We’re continuing to test and experiment with settings in the Flow App to improve control, but the good news is, the max power update is entirely voluntary
BOSCH PERFORMANCE LINE CX OR CX-R
The Ride level build is equipped with the Bosch CX Gen 5 drive unit and the LED System Controller in the top tube. The Team and Pro builds come with the CX-R Gen 5 drive unit, upgrading components inside the drive unit to shave weight. They also feature the new Kiox 400C full color display, which is neatly integrated inside the top tube to display key ride statistics and navigation when desired.
The Bosch Gen 5 drive unit supplies 85Nm and 600W Peak Power as standard, but can be boosted to 100Nm and 750W Peak if desired using the Bosch eBike Flow App. The 800Wh battery can be boosted with a 250Wh PowerMore Range Extender, which sits in place of the bottle cage on the top of the downtube.
Bosch’s Flow App allows for the rider to choose four out of a wide range of power modes, and tweak these power modes using sliders for torque, power, assistance and dynamic. It also allows for a route to be created or a GPX file to be uploaded, to make use of the Kiox 400C display to get turn-by-turn navigation for your rides, end of ride summaries and more. Security features such as locking and tracking the eBike are also made possible.
DW-LINK SUSPENSION (OF COURSE!)
The Pivot Shuttle AM continues to use the DW-Link suspension system that features across the majority of Pivot’s mountain bikes, delivering 150mm of well controlled rear wheel travel.
The DW-Link is used by Pivot to obtain excellent pedaling efficiency and traction. Paired with custom-tuned shocks from Fox or Rock Shox, the rear end offers a firm but effective suspension feel.
PIVOT SHUTTLE AM FRAME DETAILS
The Ride Tuning efforts that Pivot makes to optimize the performance of their frames are notable, with each frame receiving a custom carbon fiber layup to deliver a consistent ride feel throughout the size range. These efforts help ensure each frame’s strength to stiffness ration are in-line with average rider weights for each size of bike.
Pivot spent a serious amount of time engineering their new charge port cover. Seemingly such a small detail, it’s one of the more standout aspects of this eBike for us. Four magnets and a dual-rubber seal keep the elements out without being difficult to open or close, and it can be easily popped off to keep safe when using the PowerMore Range Extender. We were told it took about one year between all the testing and developing. Crazy to think such a small unthinkable part takes up that much resources, but, after having our share of bad experiences with charge port covers, it’s something we’re personally stoked to see.
The Shuttle AM features a reworked Cable Port system, which has been tweaked to simplify routing regardless of a moto or standard brake setup. On the seat stay pivot there’s a 2-position Flip Chip to tweak between a high or low geometry setting or to allow for a 27.5” rear wheel to be used without the bottom bracket dropping too low.
Consistent with the other bikes in the Pivot lineup, rear wheel spacing is the wider 12x157mm standard to improve rear wheel strength and stiffness. The headset is a ZS49/56, and the rear shock is a trunnion mount with 185mm eye-to-eye and 55mm stroke.
FAMILIAR GEOMETRY
Pivot didn’t change the formula when it came to the geometry of their new Shuttle AM, with numbers that are shared with their Shuttle SL/AM. This gives a well-rounded character, with cornering prowess that we greatly enjoyed.
SHUTTLE AM BUILD SPECS
Pivot Shuttle AM build specs begin with the Ride Eagle 70/90 at $8,499 / €8,599, and top out at the Live Valve NEO-upgraded Team XX Eagle Transmission at $15,999 / €15,299.
Our Pro X0 Eagle Transmission build left little to be desired, though it felt a little strange to see the RockShox suspension spec. On trail though, the performance left us with little to complain about, though you would hope so with its $/€ 11,999 price tag.
The RockShox Ultimate level Super Deluxe and Zeb offered useful adjustability and stellar sensitivity. The X0 Eagle Transmission needs no validation as a top performing drivetrain, and our Maven Silver brakes offered up all the power needed to slow the Shuttle AM on some of Whistler’s steepest and deepest trails.
While we understand that there’s probably a good chunk of Pivot customers who are gram counters, we’d love to see a step up in tire casings to offer a little peace of mind when pushing the Shuttle AM to the limits. Knowing that our first rides on the bike were going to be with the Pivot team in Whistler, we swapped out the Maxxis Exo+ tires for Double Downs as soon as we pulled it out of the box. The DT Swiss HX1501 have thanked us for the extra protection and continue to spin true.
Finally, Pivot’s in-house finishing kit adorned the bar, stem, grips and saddle, and were all comfortable. The Pro X0 build tipped the scales at 49.7 lbs for our size Large with Double Down casing tires.
THE DIRT
SETUP | We received the bike about a week before heading to Whistler for Crankworx. Setup was pretty straight forward in most senses of the bike, however I (Drew) will be spending more time with rear suspension tuning as time goes into our long term test. I’d like to get the bike to feel a bit more lively and smoother, which will hopefully increase seated comfort on rough climbs as well as erase the bumps on flatter, slower bits of rooty terrain.
ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | Our model has the new Bosch Kiox 400c display, which I was not all that stressed about at first, but have grown to love more than anticipated. The battery percentage being one of the most appreciated details.
We already talked about the charge port door and briefly discussed the cable ports and routing above, so we’ll briefly say, in typical Pivot fashion, the pride of craftsmanship is apparent. It’s a luxry item and it shows.
CLIMBING | Climbing had some mixed feelings during our initial rides. Overall the bike is a really great climber. Beyond the obvious, it has a motor, the geometry fit our three testers pretty well and had us comfortably navigating everything from long service roads to super steep and technical switchbacks. Where I personally would like to see some improvement again, is in suspension tuning. I will be spending more time trying to get the bike to sit into the travel a bit more as I felt it had a tendency to bump my bum a bit more than my trusty ol’ Shuttle LT, which is like a Cadillac while seated.
The Bosch Gen 5 CXR drive unit performed well, though we’re going to be experimenting further with tunes as we’re not fully sold on the 100Nm “upgrade.” It’s made some modes that we trusted as our go-to mode a bit unwieldy in certain technical or DH scenarios. But, that’s not an issue specific to Pivot or this bike.
DESCENDING | Our three testers all rode the bike on a variety of terrain and had great times for the most part. Cole, who has been testing the Pivot Firebird all summer long instantly fell in love with the new Shuttle AM. In fact he told me, “So remember at the shootout I picked the Trek Rail as one of my ‘go-to’ bikes just because it’s straightforward, easy to ride and does everything well? I would pick this over that Rail and likely make it one of my favorite eebs this year.” Bold words after just a couple test rides. Perhaps it was the Whistler effect.
Robert and myself both had very good times aboard the Shuttle AM and rode it on everything from BC Double Blacks to mellower all mountain trails and even some Bike Park laps back here in Central Oregon. Our feedback however was a bit similar in that, the bike was undeniably good, but we just wanted more time to tune the rear suspension to eek out a bit more. For me, it was more comfort and plushness. I have been making progress in my tuning, and will absolutely be reporting on this development in our long term review, but for now, I’d say, if you’re over-riding this bike in terrain you’d more than likely be pushing a 160/170mm or even a DH bike down, push hard and it will keep up just fine. The downside is, pushing that hard for extended descents can be a bit tiring. On the flip side, being able to ride a full-power 150/160mm eMTB down some of Whistler’s steeper off-piste trails is impressive in its own right. We’d imagine most riders doing this regularly will be looking at the LT, and rightfully so.
For riders who felt the LT was a little too long in the legs for their local terrain but wanted to capture Pivot’s frame refinement, snappy handling, but in a slightly livelier and shorter travel package, the new AM should be on your list of bikes to test ride.
FINISH AND VALUE | Well…. It’s a Pivot so it seems like the response is, you either get it and you’re on board, or you don’t. Fit, finish, and frame alignment are top notch, as we’ve come to expect. Sure, you could stand this bike with this spec up to a bike that costs a couple of grand less, but, when you look at the details, finish and frame alignment, lifespan of the hardware, you can start to see the effort behind the finished product. For some, that may not matter, and that’s fine too.
The Wolf’s Last Word
Our preliminary review of the new Pivot Shuttle AM has been quite good overall. The bike has migrated to the top of Cole’s list since our eMTB Shootout a few months back. While I am very impressed with how well a 150/160mm bike can handle terrain way above it’s weight class, I would like to spend a bit more time getting the rear end to feel a bit more plush over the chattery descents I frequent. If you’re not regularly smashing blown out, super rough descents where the smoother and longer travel Shuttle LT still reign, then the new Shuttle AM equipped with the Gen 5 Bosch is certainly a worthy machine. 
Price: $8,499 – $14,499
Weight: 49.7 lbs (Large + Double Down Casing Tires)
Website: Pivotcycles.com
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