The Santa Cruz Bullit is Back with 170mm, Mixed Wheels, and a Battery

Loris Vergier, San Remo, Molini, Italy.

The original Santa Cruz Bullit was an extra-long-travel freeride sled, with elevated chainstays, 152mm or 178mm rear travel options, and a 160mm or 200mm fork depending on the model year. The second-generation model had a 178mm rear axle path, it maintained the elevated chainstays, and came with a 180 or 200mm fork. Today, Santa Cruz has a third iteration of the Bullit, and this one is essentially a Megatower with a motor and a smaller rear wheel.

The new Bullit eMTB has 170mm of front and rear travel, with a 29″ front wheel and a 27.5″ rear. Unlike some new e-bikes, the Bullit is designed to use a regular 2.4″ tire width out back. Powered by the new Shimano EP8 or the E7000 motor with an integrated Shimano 630Wh battery, this new e-bike is built to make fighting gravity as much fun as flowing with it.

E-bikes are cutting weight and rolling up and down hills more efficiently with each new model, but their prices remain fairly high. The Bullit comes in six complete builds, with the base model Bullit CC R build retailing for $7,400 while the top CC X01 RSV bike sells for $11,499. The least expensive whip is assisted by Shimano’s E7000 motor that helps turn a SRAM NX drivetrain, all damped by a RockShox ZEB fork and Super Deluxe Select shock, all slowed by Guide RE brakes.

The next model in the lineup gets a drivetrain upgrade to SRAM GX, a pair of Code R brakes, a Fox 38 Performance fork and RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock, and the new Shimano EP8 motor. This second tier build kicks the price up to $8,999.

The two-upper-middle builds both have Shimano XT drivetrains and the EP8 motor, and a host of other upgrades like Race Face ARC HD 30 rims and XT four-piston brakes, and a Fox Transfer Performance dropper post. They are differentiated by their rear shock, as one gets a RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ air-spring and the other a RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Select+, and both bikes retail for $9,499.

At an eye watering $11,499, the top two builds are also split by their coil or air-sprung shock selection. The top build is specced with a Shimano EP8 motor and SRAM X01 drivetrain, a Fox Float 38 Factory fork, SRAM Code RSC brakes, and Santa Cruz Reserve 30 Carbon rims.

All of the Bullit bikes have 165mm cranks, 220/200mm rotors front and rear, and a proper set of Maxxis Assegai front and Minion DHR II rear tires with the tougher Double Down casings.