QUICK HITS
• 170mm Horst Link Suspension
• Mixed Wheels (29” F / 27.5” R)
• Bosch CX Gen 5 Drive Unit
• 100Nm, 750W Peak
• 600Wh Battery
WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE SANTA CRUZ BULLIT
What is the Santa Cruz Bullit designed to be?
The Bullit is Santa Cruz’s “Downhill bike with a built-in chairlift”, aiming to offer excellent downhill riding performance with the assistance to get you back up some steep climbs. With 170mm travel front and rear and a dedicated mixed-wheel setup, the Bullit is a certified shredder.
What eBike Drive System Does The Santa Cruz Bullit Use?
The Santa Cruz Bullit uses the Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive unit, alongside seven other bikes in our 2025 eMTB Shootout. This system produces 85Nm Torque and 600W Peak Power as standard, but users can opt to increase this to 100Nm and 750W Peak with the Flow App. The Bosch CX Gen 5 drive unit weighs 6.2 lbs (2.8kg).
Santa Cruz designed the Bullit around the 600Wh Bosch PowerTube battery only, which weighs 6.6 lbs (3kg). In doing so, the profile of the downtube can be slimmer, saving weight and improving the looks. The capacity can be boosted 250Wh with the 1.6kg (3.3 lbs) PowerMore Range Extender.
Bosch’s LED Hub is fitted into the top tube of the Bullit frame, displaying the battery life in 10% increments and the power mode selected. On the handlebar, the Wireless Mini Remote is used to change power mode and use the Walk and Hill Hold functions.
Using the Bosch eBike Flow App, riders can connect to the Smart System via Bluetooth. It allows for the power modes to be changed and tuned; the bike to be locked and tracked in case of theft; updates to be applied over-the-air; and rides to be planned and logged.
What are the details of the Santa Cruz Bullit frame?
Depending on the build spec selected, the Bullit is available in either “C” or “CC” carbon fiber, the latter of which saves weight for a higher price tag.
The Bullit frame features two forms of adjustability. On the seat stay pivot, there’s a high and low geometry flip chip, and the lower shock mount features a high and low progression chip. The frame is compatible with an MX wheel setup only, with no provisions for a 29” rear wheel. The front triangle has room for a large water bottle or the range extender; and there’s a tool mount on the underside of the top tube.
Cable routing is somewhat contentious. On the CC frames, the dropper post and rear brake are routed internally with full guided tubing, however there are no provisions made to route a gear cable – these builds rely exclusively on wireless shifting. The C frames are given cable routing to match with their cable-operated Transmission drivetrains.
Regardless of the spec selected, the Santa Cruz Bullit is backed by a lifetime warranty. Furthermore, they offer lifetime free bearing replacements, helping to reduce maintenance costs in the long run.
How much suspension travel does the Santa Cruz Bullit have, and with what linkage?
Santa Cruz moved to a four-bar suspension setup for their latest eBikes, with the Bullit receiving a 170mm Horst Link rear end. This was done in a bid to offer Santa Cruz’s preferred suspension character, geometry and seat post insertion depths around the Bosch drive unit. Up front, there’s a 170mm fork.
What are the stand-out geometry figures on the Santa Cruz Bullit?
The Bullit has a clear focus on descending confidence, and is offered in a wide S-XXL size range to fit riders from 5’1” to 6’7”. Size-specific chainstay lengths help to keep the rider balanced, increasing 3mm per size.
In the low position, there’s a notably slack 63.3° head angle, and low 342mm static bb height.
What Santa Cruz Bullit build specs are offered?
Santa Cruz bikes are available to purchase from dealers worldwide. The Bullit is offered in a choice of four builds, from the $7,399 70 build to the $11,899 X0 Reserve we tested.
Our Santa Cruz Bullit X0 Reserve build tipped the scales at 48.3 lbs (21.9kg) for the size Large with the Schwalbe Magic Mary and Albert Radial Gravity control tires fitted.
View the full build spec tested in the spec list.
THE DIRT
Getting the Santa Cruz Bullit Set Up | The Bullit was not a difficult bike to set up, nor a particularly fussy one. Where some bikes demand a very particular suspension setting, Santa Cruz managed to deliver a rear end that would happily run anything from 28% to 35% sag without any major quirks. Something that divided our crew was the bottom bracket height, and the flip chip setting which was prefered. For some of the crew, the Low position was simply too low, and resulted in difficulties with pedal clearance both up and down the hill. For others, that super low-slung, integrated feeling on the downhills was worthwhile for the compromised pedal clearance.
How Did The Bosch CX Gen 5 eBike System Perform?
The Bullit was one of eight bikes in this test with the Bosch CX Gen 5 drive unit. We were able to update the software on the bike to deliver 100Nm torque and 750W Peak Power midway through the test. While this was not the finalized software, it let us experience the new eMTB+ mode and feel the boost to the power.
With the updated drive unit in its stock setting, the touchiness and extended boost of the eMTB+ mode combined with the extra power felt a little unwieldy. This was mostly notable in the ultra-tech, cliff-edge climbs we were frequenting in Zion Mountain Ranch’s Applecross trail network. There was no denying the benefits of the extra power for ascending fire roads fast or trying to climb ultra-steep and high traction terrain. However, we found ourselves wishing for a dialed-back setting to deliver more manageable power at times. Of course, with the Bosch Flow app, implementing this will be possible once the update is released to the general public. That said, we would exercise caution on the first rides post-update, to prevent it from catching you out and causing harm.
Otherwise, we’ve been huge fans of the control of the Gen 5 Bosch system, with the most intuitive power delivery we’ve yet to experience. There’s also a pleasant lack of noise both up and down the hill. The range seems to be solid and comparable to other systems with similar battery capacity. However, 600Wh does have its limitations, so it’s important for every rider to consider their eBike system needs. At minimum, we’d ask the question of whether each rider is going to demand a Range Extender on their Bullit.
For riders who want to go full-boost and far, perhaps a bike with an 800Wh battery is going to suit better. However, we appreciate the reduced weight and sleeker aesthetics of the 600Wh – there’s pros and cons to it all.
How Did The Santa Cruz Bullit Climb?
The aforementioned flip chip dilemma and ground clearance concerns were most notable on the climb. In short, the bottom bracket on the Bullit is low, and even lower in the low flip chip position. For pedaling up smooth terrain, the low height is not an issue. However, it can be a handful in the chunky and technical terrain that makes up a large amount of the riding around our Bend, OR, headquarters and happens to be some of our teams’ favorite riding in general.
Pedal clearance issues aside, the Santa Cruz Bullit offers a comfortable seating position to ascend a variety of terrain. The suspension is relatively firm and efficient feeling, helping to eke out more range. This comes at the expense of a little grip and seated comfort, but it’s not overly harsh.
How Was The Santa Cruz Bullit On The Descents?
Marketed as the “Downhill bike with a built in chairlift”, you would expect the descents to be where the Bullit shone. And, you’d be right. The geometry has the same special feeling that Santa Cruz always delivers. With the rider sunk deep into the bike, there’s a certain confident poise when descending that few other brands seem to nail so well. It extends to cornering and jumping confidence, too, where the Bullit is simply excellent. If you want a bike that makes you smile and begs you to bop, jump and slam it into corners, the Bullit is a blast.
Where our crew was somewhat divided was in the Santa Cruz Bullit’s comfort and traction in rough terrain. For some riders, there was a little more feedback and “hang-up” felt through the bike in the choppiest descents than other brands. It’s certainly improved over previous-generation VPP-equipped Santa Cruz eBikes, but still resulted in more fatigue on prolonged rough terrain than some.
Even so, nobody could deny the sheer pace and fun factor that the Bullit delivered in equal measures. With the overall weight ranking amongst the lightest on test, Santa Cruz has done a stellar job in delivering a hard-hitting package that is still lively and agile. From groomed bikepark trails to downhill runs where the rough sections were not extended, the Bullit was a riot.
Finish And Value On The Santa Cruz Bullit
Santa Cruz is notorious for a high quality finish on their machines and stellar attention to detail. From the paint finish to the cable routing and suspension hardware, everything ran smoothly and quietly throughout testing.
While we refuse to say that just under $12k is good value, stacking the Santa Cruz Bullit XO AXS RSV build up against the other premium competition, it came out looking fairly reasonable. With a robust lifetime warranty on the frame and wheels, and the lifetime bearing replacements, Santa Cruz’s pricing no longer seems all that “up there”.
The Wolf’s Last Word
The Santa Cruz Bullit is a stellar long-travel eMTB. Though it doesn’t represent the pinnacle of comfort and traction, it offers extremely high confidence and composure when pushed hard. While doing so, it also offers impressive agility, playfulness and a fun-factor at or near the top of all our test bikes. While it may not be the ultimate mega-DH plow horse, there will certainly be a lot of aggressive shredders who would love to have this bike in their stable. With a premium finish and some stunning looks, it’s easy to recommend the Bullit. This is so long as the rider is happy with the 600Wh fixed internal battery, which we very likely would be.
Who Is The Ideal Santa Cruz Bullit Rider?
The Santa Cruz Bullit is a bike that would thrive under aggressive riders who aren’t seeking the most terrain-ironing ride, but instead favor more support and agility combined with a playful and corner-loving demeanor.
Price: $11,899
Website: Santacruzbicycles.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.
SHARE THIS REVIEW
2025 eMTB SHOOTOUT SPONSORS
Without the support from Fox Racing, Schwalbe Tires, Zion Mountain Ranch and Velocirax, this years shootout would not have been possible.
If you’re in the market for new gear, new tires, a place to visit or a way to get your bikes to the trail, consider showing these guys some love.
SUPPORT AND JOIN THE LOAM WOLF PACK
Did you find this review helpful? Would you like the chance to review (and keep) products? Are you interested in saving big bucks by getting exclusive Members Only discounts from industry brands all while helping support a small, rider-owned media crew? We have big plans for our members beyond big discounts and product giveaways! To learn more and help support small, independent media, visit our Member’s Page.