Alright, team, here we go with the Santa Cruz Bullit. 170mm of travel, a Bosch CX motor, and a downhill mindset—this is Santa Cruz’s biggest, burliest eMTB to date. It’s got all the travel and power you could ask for — and it’s ready for anything you throw at it. It’s a purpose-built gravity fiend that conveniently shuttles you back to the top for more. I’ve ridden every eMTB Santa Cruz has made up to this point, and I think this one might top the charts for me. Stick around to see if it’s the right eMTB for you.
Here’s What you Need to know about the Santa Cruz Bullit
This thing is big — it’s got 170mm of travel front and back. That’s basically the whole story — think big, burly, and made for DH performance. It has a slack 63.6° HTA and a lengthy 1309mm wheelbase. Those all make it very stable. Yet the MX wheel setup and suspension quality keep it fairly lively. Like the smaller Vala, the Bullit also features a 4-bar suspension platform instead of the typical VPP on most of Santa Cruz’s bikes.
The Bullit rolls on the Bosch Performance Line CX motor with a 600Wh battery. That’s your only option. You can get a 250Wh range extender if you want a bit more range. Personally, I’m becoming more and more a fan of that style setup. A smaller internal battery for improved handling and then the range extender for bigger days.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the Santa Cruz Bullit ride review.
Wheel Size and Travel
- Front Travel: 170mm
- Rear Travel: 170mm
- MX Only
Weight
- Santa Cruz Bullit XO Reserve (XL) – 49.2lb
Geometry Highlights
- Head Tube Angle: 63.6° (High), 63.3° (Low)
- Seat Tube Angle: 78.7° (High), 78.4° (Low)
- Reach: 500mm (XL)
- Chainstay Length: 449mm (XL)
- Wheelbase: 1309mm (XL)
Drive Unit
- Powered by Bosch Performance Line CX with 85Nm of torque and 600Wh battery. Optional 250Wh range extender is available for longer rides.
Santa Cruz Bullit: TLDR SUMMARY
Built to Bomb
With 170mm of travel, a slack 63.6° head angle, and MX wheels, the Bullit is Santa Cruz’s burliest eMTB yet.
Suspension is Next-Level
Plush, deep, and supportive from top to bottom—this is one of the best long-travel eMTB suspension setups we’ve tested.
Confidence on Tap
Whether you’re sending big lines or building skills on mellower trails, the Bullit delivers confidence and composure in spades.
Santa Cruz Bullit : Ride Review
DriveSystem
Bosch-powered Freeride Rig
The Bosch drive unit on the Bullit is still top of the class. I really have no complaints. The integration is clean, the motor is powerful, reliable, and quiet, there’s very little rattle, and it’s fairly efficient with battery usage. I’ve covered this one a ton lately, So I’m not going to spend much more time on it here. Go watch the Vala, Wild, Regulator, or Crafty videos if you want to know more about it.
For our purposes today, let’s just say the Bosch Performance Line CX does everything you want it to and nothing you don’t. As for range, I’m getting slightly less than the Vala, but not by much. It likely comes down to the tires. I’m getting about 3200-3300’ vert on a charge at about 200 lb. in full boost.
Uphill
Traction For Days
You’d be a little silly if you were looking at a 170mm travel bike for its climbing ability. That said, the Bullit performs pretty well. Well enough, in fact, to find itself right in the mix with all the shorter travel Bosch eMTBs that have launched recently.
Starting with the suspension performance, the Bullit does a good job of keeping the rear wheel stuck to the dirt. It offers so much traction. That’s probably one of the standout features of the entire bike, in my opinion. On the climbs, that translates to being able to get up super steep, loose, and technical bits without too much fuss. That traction is great for the Bullit’s technical climbing ability. On the smoother and more gentle grades, the motor does a good job of powering the large green machine with sticky tires up a hill. I can’t really dock it any points on suspension.
Steep Seat tube Angle
I can’t really dock it many points from a geometry standpoint, either. For a bike as slack as the Bullit, the front end doesn’t really want to lift off the ground on steep stuff. I was pretty surprised, given the MX setup, 63.6° HTA, and powerful motor. I’d likely have to credit the ultra-steep seat tube angle as well as the size-specific chainstays. The front end is very slack, and that’s a big contributor to the bike’s long overall wheelbase. That does make the Bullit a bit more cumbersome and difficult to manage in the tight stuff. My trails are fairly straight and open, so I didn’t have too much trouble with this, but folks with tighter trails might not like it as much.
Downhill
Let it rip
Now the part you’ve been waiting for. How does the Bullit handle the downhills? You wouldn’t be wrong if you said it was damn near perfect on the descents. It’s stable, plush, confident, composed and fairly lively for what it is.
Starting off with the best part, let’s jump into the suspension. I don’t know if it gets any better than this. Off the top it’s very plush and calm. It keeps your wheels on the ground and absorbs all the little trail chatter. Moving into the mid stroke, there’s a good amount of support so you don’t blow right through all the travel. It’s good for pumping and cornering. Then you get to the end stoke and the bike feels rather bottomless.
It certainly is on the grounded side of the spectrum. It’s not extra lively or poppy. That said, for a 170mm eMTB, it’s plenty lively. It isnt completely glued to the ground and dead. My only other point of comparison is the Orbea Wild and I have to think the Bullit gets off the ground a little bit easier.
The interesting thing for me is I have to assume it’s a very similar curve to the Vala. They’re both 4-bar, and likely have similar requirement from a suspension standpoint. In the ral world, the Bullit feels pretty different than the Vala. It could just be that it has 20mm more travel so theres a bit more stroke to work with, or it could be that new Fox X2 shock. Either way, I really like the suspension on the Bullit. It ticks all of my boxes.
Handling and Corners
When you combine that suspension with aggressive geometry, the Bullit is excellent at going really fast over anything in its way. From the first lap on it I felt very comfortable pushing the pace. The long wheelbase keeps it very stable, the slack front end makes it confident, yet the MX wheels keep it semi-quick on the handling side. I did notice a bit of understeer in some corners. Thats to be expected. Its a long bike with a slack front end. It could also come from the extra pace the bike lets you carry.
The Bullit features a geometry flip chip as well as an independent progression chip. I ended up referring the Bullit in the higher geometry setting and the low progression setting. I like the consistent feel of the suspension in the low setting — and there’s still plenty of ramp up in low.
Santra cruz Bullit: Comparisons
Now let’s chat comparisons for a minute. We don’t have too many direct competitors at the moment. The closest bike is the Orbea Wild. And I also want to spend a second talking about the Bullit vs the Vala.
Santa cruz Bullit vs Orbea Wild
| feature | Santa Cruz Bullit | Orbea Wild |
|---|---|---|
| Drive Unit | Bosch Performance CX, 85Nm with a 600Wh battery. | Bosch Performance CX, 85Nm with a 600Wh or 750Wh battery. |
| Handling | Stable and confident | Serious demeanor. Slight chatter, especially at the front. |
| Climbing | Lots of traction. A small bit of wander. | Balanced climber across various terrain. |
| Descending | Let it rip. | Serious and racy. Capable and fast. |
| Best For | Freeride eMTB. | eMTB racing. |
These two both feature 170mm of front and rear travel, they have similar geometry, but the suspension feels wildly different. The Wild is a bit bigger than the Bullit. It is a hair longer and just as slack. It feels that way out on the trail too. It rides bigger and has a more serious, racy feel to it. I have to think Orbea had racing in mind when they designed this. The Bullit on the otherhand feels pure free ride. It rides a bit more fun and lively than the Wild. I think both are equally as capable in the rough stuff. The Bullit offers a bit more traction and squish, while the Wild feels more stable, especially with 2 29” wheels.
SantA CRUZ BULLIT vs VALA
| feature | Santa Cruz Bullit | Santa Cruz Vala |
|---|---|---|
| Drive Unit | Bosch Performance CX, 85Nm with an 800Wh battery. | Bosch Performance CX, 85Nm with a 600Wh battery. |
| Handling | Prefers to be on the ground. Can understeer from time to time. | Quick and lively. Easier to get off the ground. Snappier in the corners. |
| Climbing | Incredible traction. Can wander a bit. | Strong technical climber. |
| Descending | Top dog. Point and shoot. | Balanced ride quality. Versatile for a lot of terrain. |
| Best For | Riders who live for the downhills. | Riders wanting a versatile eMTB. |
Before I rode the Bullit I assumed it would feel like a slightly bigger Vala. And it does to a degree, but I think the suspension feel on the Bullit is more than just a little bit more travel. It feel better off the top and equally as supportive throughout the entire stroke. The Vala is certainly better in the corners and a bit quicker in the handling department.
What Would I Change About the BUllit?
Honestly I don’t have much I’d change. This bike fits my personal preferences really well. The only thing I can really come up with hee is that I wish it had a full 29 option. I’m a tall, lanky dude and I like 29 wheels.
Santa Cruz Bullit scores
Santa Cruz Bullit
drivesystem: +1
The Bosch CX motor is a proven workhorse—punchy, efficient, and reliable. It only gets +1 due to not having battery size options.
Climbing Performance: 0
The Bullit climbs about as well as you’d expect for a big bike. Traction is solid, and the front end stays relatively planted for a 63.6° head tube. But its long, slack geometry can wander a bit on tighter climbs. It’s not a goat, but it gets the job done.
Descending Capability: +2
This is where the Bullit goes full-send. It’s a bulldozer with handlebars—point it and go. The bike thrives at speed, shrugs off chunky terrain, and inspires big-line confidence.
Suspension Performance: +2
The 170mm VPP platform feels bottomless and incredibly plush while still offering plenty of midstroke support. It’s composed when pushed hard but poppy enough to stay fun. Compared to bikes like the Vala, it feels noticeably deeper and more planted—possibly thanks to the Float X2 shock.
Handling: 0
The Bullit prefers staying grounded and composed over jumping and jibbing. Understeer can creep in on flat corners, but it’s nothing major.
Versatility: +1
Independent flip chips for both geometry and suspension progression give riders the chance to tweak the ride to their style or terrain.
Intangibles: +1
Top-tier Santa Cruz build quality, great cable routing, and some of the nicest paint in the game. You’ll be drooling before you even hit the trail.
Who is the Santa Cruz Bullit for?
I see the Bullit as a great option for two rider groups. And this one might not make a ton of sense from the drop, but I promise it will by the end.
I think the Bullit is an obvious option for the shredder. Its great for the rider who lives for the descents and want a self-shuttle rig. It is a very rewarding bike for the descender.
Now the category that doesn’t make as much sense. I think the Bullit is an excellent option for the more timid descender — for folks who spend a decent amount of time on blues and greens. Hear me out, it offers the confidence and forgiveness of a big burly bike, while maintaining some degree of versatility and liveliness on easier terrain. The suspension keeps it from dumbing down the easy stuff too much. Then at the other end, it will allow more timid or shaky descenders progress their skills and start exploring black diamonds and double black trails. It opens up that upper difficulty range.
Santa Cruz Bullit faq
Is the Santa Cruz Bullit good for climbing?
For a 170mm eMTB, it climbs surprisingly well. The steep seat angle and sticky suspension provide excellent traction, though the long wheelbase can feel sluggish on tight switchbacks.
Can you get the Bullit with a bigger battery?
The Bullit only works with a 600Wh internal battery, but it’s compatible with Bosch’s 250Wh range extender for longer rides.
What makes the Bullit different from other Santa Cruz eMTBs?
Unlike the VPP-equipped Heckler or pedal bike lineup, the Bullit runs a 4-bar suspension platform and comes with 170mm travel front and rear, pushing it fully into downhill-focused territory.
How does the Bullit compare to the Orbea Wild?
The Bullit feels a bit more playful and plush, while the Wild has a more race-focused, 29er-stable feel. Both are incredibly capable—but the Bullit is more “freeride,” the Wild more “enduro race.”
Who is the Bullit best suited for?
It’s perfect for aggressive riders who want a self-shuttling big bike—and surprisingly great for more cautious riders looking for confidence and progression on steeper terrain.
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