QUICK HITS
• 160mm DW-Link Suspension
• Mixed Wheels
• Bosch CX Gen 4 Race Drive Unit
• 85Nm, 600W Peak
• 750Wh Battery
WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE PIVOT SHUTTLE LT
What is the Pivot Shuttle LT designed to be?
The Shuttle LT is Pivot’s hard-hitting enduro eMTB, designed to excel both up and down the hill. With the Bosch Gen 4 Race drive unit and 750Wh battery, it’s a bike that’ll take you far and high, but how does that Gen 4 Race drive unit stand up to the Gen 5?
What eBike Drive System Does The Pivot Shuttle LT Use?
Pivot updated the Shuttle LT in 2024 to use the Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 4 Race Limited Edition drive unit. This unit is lighter than the standard Gen 4 and the Gen 5 at 6.1 lbs (2.75kg), offering 85Nm Torque and 600W Peak Power. Unique to the Race drive unit is the Race mode with extended overrun and 400% assistance.
Pivot spec’d the 750Wh Bosch PowerTube battery, which weighs 9.9 lbs (4.5kg). This battery is fixed inside the frame and requires the removal of the drive unit to access it. Battery capacity can be expanded by 250Wh with the 3.3 lbs (1.6kg) PowerMore Range Extender.
The Bosch Smart System’s LED Hub is integrated into the top tube, displaying battery life and the mode selected. On the handlebar, the Wireless Mini Remote allows for the mode to be changed and the Walk mode to be activated.
The Bosch eBike Flow App allows for connection to the Bosch Smart System via bluetooth. With the app, the power modes can be configured and adjusted; updates can be applied over-the-air; security features can be activated, and rides can be planned and tracked.
What are the details of the Pivot Shuttle LT frame?
Pivot’s hollow core proprietary carbon fiber molding technology is used to produce a strong and light frame on the Shuttle LT. Every size is given a tuned layup to deliver optimized stiffness and feel. There’s a plastic motor guard in place to keep the drive unit safe, which integrates neatly into the frame.
The Shuttle LT features a two-position geometry flip chip in the seatstay pivot, giving a high and low geometry position and helping to correct the geometry if a 29” wheel is fitted instead of the stock 27.5”. Pivot’s Tool Dock System is featured on the underside of the Shuttle LT’s top tube, giving some neat tool storage.
Cable Routing is internal through ports on the side of the head tube, with Pivot’s Cable Port system clamping the cables to keep them tight and rattle-free.
Pivot offers “Premier lifetime warranty” on their frames for the original purchaser, giving peace of mind should any issues be sustained down the road. In addition, they offer lifetime frame pivot bearing replacement, free of charge.
How much suspension travel does the Pivot Shuttle LT have, and with what linkage?
DW-Link suspension continues to be utilized by Pivot to provide the ride feel they’re known for, and we’re not mad about it. There’s 160mm of rear wheel travel, which is paired to a 170mm fork. Depending on the build spec selected, there’s the choice of a Fox Float X, Float X2, or DHX2 coil shock, all of which give a different character to the rear end.
What are the stand-out geometry figures on the Pivot Shuttle LT?
The Shuttle LT features a relatively short 439mm chainstay across the size range, which may provide reduced balance for taller riders, but kept the handling sharp and agile. The remaining numbers are quite typical of a long-travel enduro eMTB, and the sizing gaps are narrow to let riders get close to their ideal fit. However, we find ourselves either side of the sweet spot of sizing.
What Pivot Shuttle LT build specs are offered?
Pivot sells their bikes through a network of international dealers, who also assist with any warranty issues.
There’s a range of 10 build specs on offer, from the $8,699 Ride SLX/XT to the top-spec $14,999 Team XX Eagle Transmission Neo W/Range Extender. We tested the Team XX Eagle Transmission, which retailed for $12,999. Important to note is that this build was supplied to us with Shimano XTR brakes instead of the standard SRAM Maven Ultimate.
Our Size Large Shuttle LT Team XX Eagle Transmission weighed in at 51.6 lbs (23.4kg) with the Schwalbe Magic Mary and Albert Radial Gravity control tires fitted.
Hit the specs list at the bottom of the article to see all of the parts specified on our test rig.
THE DIRT
Getting the Pivot Shuttle LT Set Up | As is typical for Pivot Cycles, the Shuttle LT was not a difficult bike to set up. The DW-Link suspension was quite forgiving of setup, with anything in the 28-32% sag range feeling good and avoiding any strange handling quirks. Neither of the flip chip positions yielded an overly aggressive setup, though the bottom bracket became quite low in the low setting for the most chunky and technical climbs. As a result, we found ourselves using the more well-rounded High geometry setting for the majority of the test.
How Did The Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 4 Race eBike System Perform?
Before we get too into the weeds comparing our back to back test impressions of the Bosch Gen 4 Race to the new Gen 5, we’d like to remind our readers that just a year ago, commenters were clamoring over the Bosch Gen 4 as the unit to have, stating it’s quite ride compared to Shimano’s EP801 drive unit was a must have. We reference this because it is still a very good drive unit, and while we would likely press a dealer for a better price or discount on “outdated” equipment, it certainly wouldn’t stop us from picking up an awesome bike to make our own.
That said, Pivot’s decision to spec the Gen 4 Race drive unit was an interesting one, with the Gen 5 system’s release so shortly after. The Bosch Gen 5 system and likes of the Specialized S-Works Turbo 3.1 and DJI Avinox drive units quickly made the Bosch Gen 4 system feel dated. That’s not to say it’s a bad drive unit and should immediately rule out the Shuttle LT, but there are some drawbacks.
The first of the drawbacks is the reduced control of the power delivery. The Bosch Gen 4 system ranked very highly at the time of its launch, but the most recently released drive units have stepped up the level of control notably. As a result, there’s a little less sensitivity to rider input, especially notable in the ultra-punchy and eager RACE mode. This reduced sensitivity only really makes a difference for technical climb maneuvers, and won’t trouble riders looking to blast up more simple climbs.
The second drawback to the Gen 4 system is the noise – it’s louder when producing its maximum power, and there’s a rattle present when descending. This prevents what is an exceptionally dialed frame from running as quietly as it could have with the Gen 5 drive unit, detracting slightly from the user experience for some riders. The rattle is only notable in higher frequency chatter, so those looking to attack smoother or loamy descents aren’t likely to notice it much.
Otherwise, the 750Wh battery provided solid range, and the power of the Gen 4 drive unit continues to keep us happy for a majority of our climbing demands aside from the most challenging ascents.
How Did The Pivot Shuttle LT Climb?
Retained from the previous generation Shuttle LT is a comfortable climbing bike, with good geometry to keep things in check on all but the steepest climbs. The combination of slightly shorter chainstay and slightly slacker effective seat tube angle produced a fairly rearward weight bias. For riders with long legs or tall seat heights, this led to reduced front end control on the steepest portions of climb.
On longer days in the saddle, the combination of the relatively large battery capacity and comfortable seated climbing feeling made the Shuttle LT rank highly.
How Was The Pivot Shuttle LT On The Descents?
The Shuttle LT was a contentious eBike on the descents. The whole crew agreed that it was a highly capable bike, and that the rear suspension performance was excellent. The DW-Link rear balanced sensitivity and comfort with great support when pushing hard, letting the rider open up the taps and attack the trail or cruise without being overly fatigued.
The point of contention was if the drive unit rattle impacted the descending enough to mark it down. For Drew, it wasn’t a concern, with the noise fading into the background along with the wind noise and sound of tires on dirt. For Robert, it was more notable, and ultimately prevented the full enjoyment of this electric enduro mountain bike. Robert suggested that the Gen 5 Bosch drive unit and a slightly longer (or adjustable) chainstay would land the Pivot Shuttle LT as a nearly perfect eMTB. But in its current state, it would be a hard sell with the premium price tag.
Drive unit aside, the Pivot Shuttle LT balanced capability with agility well. It didn’t quite have the balance and poise of the likes of the Orbea Wild, but retained a more playful and agile nature that could make it a more engaging and lively feeling bike on mellower trails too.
Finish And Value On The Pivot Shuttle LT
The overall finish quality on Pivot bikes continues to hit the highest levels in the industry. From their frame alignment and QC to the attention-to-detail, Pivot bikes always deliver. The Shuttle LT would be an extremely quiet bike if it weren’t for the Bosch Gen 4 motor rattle – the frame acoustics even manage to control the noise of the drive unit on the climbs to an acceptable level.
Value is not typically a word that you’d associate with Pivot’s bikes, however. That’s not to say that they are a rip off, as the engineering and quality is delivered to go some way to justifying the price tag. But even so, at MSRP, the price tag is something we envision consumers will ruminate on while considering how much they care about having a Gen 4 Bosch drive unit. If you can score a bit of a deal and you are more concerned with the mountain bike side of your eMTB than having the latest drive unit, you’re sure to enjoy the excellent performance and finish quality of the Pivot Shuttle LT.
The Wolf’s Last Word
If you’re a rider who prioritizes frame quality and performance above all else, then the Pivot Shuttle LT is likely to please. We’re divided on whether the Gen 4 Race drive unit and associated rattle is likely to be an issue, but with so many good Gen 5 bikes, it’s certainly a more contentious bike to recommend despite it’s amazing on-trail performance as we imagine most riders spending this kind of money will have a hard think on the Gen 4 drive unit.
Who Is The Ideal Pivot Shuttle LT Rider?
The Shuttle LT will offer very well rounded performance in the long-travel eMTB space, offering a great blend of comfort and capability. It is a ton of fun on jump trails, chunky terrain, as well as mellower trail explorations. Riders who want a killer descending eBike or mile-munching adventure eMTB and are happy to accept the Gen 4 drive unit are likely to be very pleased with this machine, we still are.
Price: $12,999 (Team XX Transmission)
Website: Pivotcycles.com
About The Pack
During the production of our 2025 eMTB Shootout, we had the Ari Timp Peak 2.0 tested under 8 different riders and compared to the other 11 bikes. The Loam Wolf crew spans heights from 5’10” to 6’2” (177cm to 189cm), and weights from 160lbs to 220lbs. For this year’s test, we also included one of our supporting members, Leonard Johnston from Indiana. His “real world eMTBer” insight was invaluable to us as we evaluated the performance of each of these eBikes.
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