Bullit 2025
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
A downhill bike with a built-in chairlift
The Santa Cruz Bullit 2025 is a carbon mixed-wheel freeride/enduro eMTB built around the Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 motor, with 170 mm of travel front and rear, Horst Link suspension, and Santa Cruz's signature ride feel. Headline numbers: 120 Nm of torque, 600 Wh non-removable Bosch PowerTube battery, a 63.6 to 64.0 degree head angle, 21.9 kg claimed and a £9,999 base price. The community read on the 2025 Bullit is broadly positive on motor character and frame quality, with the 600 Wh battery being the single most-flagged limitation.
Drive system and range. The Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 delivers 120 Nm of torque and a 750 W manufacturer-claimed peak, with post-PU2.0 firmware unlocking eMTB+ mode and around 400% rider support. The 600 Wh battery is the headline compromise: chasmoftheclam chose the Norco Range VLT specifically because "the Santa Cruz Bullit has 600 Wh internal battery which limits 1.5-2hr rides in EMTB+ and Tour modes". Jbone5000 takes a different view from the C70 XL: at 230 lb with gear, he achieves "minimum 1,000 ft climbing per 25% battery, with 3,500 ft climbing rides ending at around 20% battery remaining" using TURBO sparingly. The battery is non-removable, integrated through the down tube. Jbone5000 specifically details his mode strategy: "AUTO mode detuned to 70 Nm/600 W for climbs, TURBO mode at full settings for flat sections, EMTB+ mode for singletrack" — exactly the discipline the smaller battery demands.
Geometry and handling. The Bullit runs five physical sizes (S, M, L, XL, XXL) with 13 effective configurations across the geometry flip-chip variants. Reach progresses from 435 mm to 525 mm and the head angle floats between 63.6 and 64.0 degrees, with a 440 to 455 mm chainstay range and wheelbase from 1,220 mm to 1,350 mm. Independent shock-rate and geometry flip chips give meaningful tuneability. The mixed-wheel (MX) layout with 170 mm front and rear travel is fixed — ebsocalmtb confirms "you cannot fit a 29-inch rear wheel in the frame. The tyre will contact the chainstay yoke as well as the seat-stay bridge". Genuine 29F/27.5R commitment, not optional.
Build and value. Six trims are on file: C S (base), the (base) trim, CC, CC X0 AXS RSV, C XT and CC X0 AXS, with carbon CC and C layups depending on tier. The £9,999 base is firmly premium. warracer notes the R-base build's "SRAM MTH 746 rear hubs are notorious for bearing failure due to preload design flaw", fixed by a machined aluminium spacer — useful intel for entry-trim buyers.
Community-verified strengths. First, ride feel and motor character: Jbone5000 at 230 lb covers serious vertical with disciplined mode use, so motor delivery is rated highly. Second, mixed-wheel geometry that genuinely delivers the freeride/enduro character. Third, well-developed flip-chip geometry programme.
Caveats and known gripes. First, the 600 Wh battery is the segment's biggest single compromise — chasmoftheclam explicitly traded the Bullit for the 800 Wh Norco Range VLT because of the 1.5-2 hour ride-time limit in upper assist modes. Second, the speed-limiter ceiling: Dave238 notes the "speed limiter slider maxes out at 19 mph despite the 120 Nm firmware update" — a real issue for US Class 3 riders. Third, the non-removable battery limits charging flexibility.
Verdict. The Santa Cruz Bullit 2025 suits riders who want a carbon 170 mm mixed-wheel enduro/freeride bike with the latest Bosch CX Gen 5 motor and Santa Cruz's premium frame quality, and who are comfortable disciplining their assist modes around the 600 Wh battery. Less suitable for backcountry riders who need 800 Wh-plus capacity (Mondraker Level, Norco Range VLT, Stevens E-Inception ED 9.7 are the natural alternatives), or who require a removable battery. Production status: current.
Frame
Carbon fibre frame (CC or C layup) with four-bar Horst-link rear suspension; independent geometry and shock-rate flip chips; mixed-wheel (MX) configuration with 170mm front and rear travel.
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
| S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 435 mm | 455 mm | 480 mm | 505 mm | 525 mm |
| Stack | 622 mm | 632 mm | 645 mm | 658 mm | 670 mm |
| Chainstay | 440 mm | 443 mm | 446 mm | 449 mm | 452 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 63.6° | 63.6° | 63.6° | 63.6° | 63.6° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 78.7° | 78.5° | 78.3° | 78° | 77.8° |
| BB Drop | -4 mm | -4 mm | -4 mm | -4 mm | — |
| Wheelbase | 1220 mm | 1248 mm | 1280 mm | 1312 mm | 1340 mm |
| Front Centre | 780 mm | 805 mm | 834 mm | 863 mm | 888 mm |
Trims · 5
C S £8,499 | C XT £9,999 | CC £9,999 | CC X0 AXS RSV £9,999 | CC X0 AXS £11,999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 · 120 Nm · all trims | ||||
| Battery | Bosch PowerTube 600 · 600 Wh · all trims | ||||
| Travel F/R | 170/170 mm · all trims | ||||
| Frame | Carbon · all trims | ||||
| Fork | — | — | FOX 38 Float Factory GRIP X2, 170mm travel (top spec) | FOX 38 Float Factory, GRIP X2 damper, 170mm travel | — |
| Shock | — | — | FOX Float X2 Factory, 205x65mm | FOX Float X2 Factory, 205x65mm | — |
| Headset | — | — | Cane Creek 50 IS Integrated | Cane Creek 50 IS Integrated | — |
| Stem | — | — | OneUp, 42mm | OneUp, 42mm length, 35mm bar clamp | — |
| Handlebar | — | — | Santa Cruz 35 Carbon Bar, 800mm width, 35mm rise (20mm rise size S) | Santa Cruz 35 Carbon Bar, 800mm width, 35mm rise (size S 20mm rise) | — |
| Grips | — | — | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips | Santa Cruz Bicycles House Grips | — |
| Saddle | — | — | WTB Silverado Medium Fusion CroMo SL | WTB Silverado Medium Fusion CroMo SL | — |
| Seatpost | — | — | OneUp V3 Dropper Post, 31.6mm, size-specific 120-240mm travel | OneUp V3 Dropper Post, 31.6mm, size-specific 120-240mm travel | — |
| Brakes | — | — | SRAM Maven Silver Stealth, 4-piston hydraulic disc | SRAM Maven Silver Stealth, 4-piston hydraulic disc | — |
| Rear derailleur | — | — | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS T-Type, 12-speed wireless electronic | — |
| Crank | — | — | SRAM X0 Eagle Cranks, 155mm | SRAM X0 Eagle Cranks, 155mm crank length | — |
| Shifters | — | — | SRAM AXS Pod Controller Rocker Paddle | SRAM AXS Pod Bridge / Rocker Paddle controller | — |
| Cassette | — | — | SRAM XS-1275 Eagle T-Type, 12-speed, 10-52t | SRAM XS-1275 Eagle T-Type 12-speed, 10-52t | — |
| Chain | — | — | SRAM X0 Eagle T-Type Flattop, 12-speed | SRAM X0 Eagle T-Type Flattop, 12-speed | — |
| Drivetrain | — | — | 1x12 wireless electronic Transmission | 1x12 wireless electronic AXS Transmission | — |
| Wheels | — | — | Reserve carbon MX wheelset on DT Swiss 350 hubs | Reserve 30|DH Carbon MX wheelset (29F/27.5R) on DT Swiss 350 hubs, 6-bolt rotors | — |
| Tyres | — | — | Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5 3C MaxxGrip DoubleDown front; Maxxis Minion DHR II 27.5x2.5 3C MaxxTerra DoubleDown rear | Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5 3C MaxxGrip DoubleDown front; Maxxis Minion DHR II 27.5x2.5 3C MaxxTerra DoubleDown rear | — |
| Weight | — | — | 21.9 kg | 21.9 kg | — |
| Price | £8,499 | £9,999 | £9,999 | £9,999 | £11,999 |
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