Pivot spent four years on this new eMTB – and it'll get you up and down hills all-day long

Designed to redefine what’s possible in all-mountain riding, Pivot has given its Shuttle AM a refresh, with refined geometry, an updated motor and a few fine details gaining the attention of its engineers.

The new Shuttle AM has 150mm of rear-wheel travel and the latest Bosch Gen 5 Performance Line CX or CX-R motor, for punchy power on the trail.

The bike is built to be ridden all day, with an efficient suspension platform that can still deliver on the descents and a large 800Wh battery for increased range. Add a 250Wh PowerMore range extender and you shouldn't run out of juice.

The new Shuttle AM has a similar use case to Pivot's non-assisted Switchblade and sits alongside the longer-travel Shuttle LT.

The Shuttle LT has a softer ride feel through the suspension, while the AM is more efficient under power.

In-depth frame development

As with most high-end electric mountain bikes, carbon is used throughout the frame.

Pivot tells us that around half the bike’s development time was spent on ensuring the carbon layup was just-so.

In reality, this means the engineers spent around two years working on the way the carbon sheets were laid, and what size and shape they needed to be.

One of their priorities was a bike that drops into, and holds, a corner nicely.

As such, each size bike has its own layup, with different tube profiles visible between the sizes.

Going further, the battery is decoupled from the down tube, with nylon mounts preventing the structure impacting on the frame’s flex.

Making the suspension work

It’s no surprise to see Pivot employing Dave Weagle’s DW-link suspension design – it’s one Pivot uses extensively throughout its full-suspension line-up.

The system employs two short links to join the front and rear triangles, creating a virtual pivot point.

During the launch presentation of the Shuttle AM, John Pentecost, from Pivot, told BikeRadar the DW-link delivers increased anti-squat (the force that resists pedal bob) when more power is added – something an eMTB does very well.

This increased anti-squat means less compression damping is required in the shock for it to remain stable under pedalling loads, freeing up the shock to work properly.

This is, according to Pentecost, different from a typical four-bar bike. 

These perform well under braking, usually. However, increased power, especially on an eMTB, causes the suspension to squat more, sinking the rider down and back, and effectively shooting the bike forwards from underneath. 

As such, this can necessitate increased low-speed compression damping on the shock to calm pedal inputs.

More motor

Bosch’s fifth-generation Performance CX motor is bolted into the belly of the bike, with the Pro and Team models receiving the CX-Race motor.

The motor has been updated, giving it 100Nm of torque and 750W of power – up from 85Nm and 650W previously.

The Race motor sees a weight reduction of around 100g, uses ceramic bearings and a titanium spindle, and has better heat management. There’s also the option to run up to a three-second overrun, should you wish.

So punchy is the power delivery in the Race mode, that Pivot advises getting used to the motor’s performance before using it on the trail. It’s quite the experience.

The Team and Pro bikes, with the CX-R motor, get Tour+, EMTB+, Turbo and Race modes, while the cheaper Ride build, with the standard CX motor, gets Tour+, EMTB, EMTB+ and Turbo modes.

The EMTB+ mode has a little more fine-tuning in its dynamic power delivery, with a goal of maximising traction on loose climbs.

The eBike Flow app allows plenty of customisation to power levels and modes.

All the bikes receive an 800Wh battery, with the option to run the 250Wh PowerMore range extender. 

The Pro and Team build also feature the new Kiox 400C top-tube screen, which is full-colour, and has customisable data and ride navigation capabilities.

A new magnetic cap over the charge port adds sealing, and can be removed easily if the range extender cable is attached. The team at Pivot are particularly proud of it.

Ample sizing

Four sizes will be offered, from Small to XL.

Key geometry figures include a head angle of 64.1 degrees, 76.5-degree seat angles, reach figures from 431mm to 496mm and a BB height of 345mm.

There is a geometry chip, which will steepen the angles by around 0.5 degrees, reduce the reach a touch and raise the bottom bracket, ideal for those riding technical climbs and in areas with lots of roots and rocks to get over.

While bikes will come as full 29ers, a 27.5in rear wheel can be fitted, with Pivot suggesting the geometry flip chip is placed in its ‘High’ position. 

Pivot Shuttle AM range details

The range starts with the Ride model.

This has, for the first time in Pivot’s history, a RockShox suspension package, featuring a Lyrik Select+ fork and Super Deluxe Select shock. 

There’s a SRAM Eagle 70/90 Transmission mechanical drivetrain, DT Swiss alloy hoops and EXO+ casing Maxxis tyres.

The mid-spec Pro model also sees RockShox suspension, this time Ultimate-level Lyrik and Super Deluxe, while an X0 Transmission and Maven Silver brakes look after the bike's stop-and-go capabilities.

eMTB-optimised DT Swiss HX1501 wheels are again wrapped in Maxxis tyres.

At the top end, the Team build has Fox Factory suspension – a 36 fork and a Float-X shock. 

There’s a SRAM XX Transmission drivetrain and Maven Ultimate brakes, and the same wheel/tyre combo as found on the Pro. Fox’s Live Valve Neo system can be added, too.

It has a claimed weight of 21.5kg.

Pivot Shuttle AM Pricing

• Shuttle AM Ride: £8,600 / $8,499 / €8,599
• Shuttle AM Pro: £11,900 / $11,999 / €11,999
• Shuttle AM Team: £13,900 / $14,499 / €13,999
• Bosch PowerMore: $599
• Fox Live Valve Neo shock (Team builds only): $1,500

Pivot Shuttle AM Pro ride impressions

I've only had a very brief time on the Shuttle AM, in some incredibly dusty conditions, and I need more time on the bike before I can draw definitive conclusions.

However, the Shuttle AM climbs very well.

Bosch's latest motor is an impressive unit, with plenty of power and torque on offer to get you up the steepest hills.

The delivery of both is impressive, especially in the EMTB+ mode, which seems to dole it out with almost perfect control.

While DJI and Mahle's ebike motors have more sensors measuring wheel speed, giving them more clarity over what the wheel is doing at any one time, Bosch's computing power has been put to good use.

Traction is impressive even on loose surfaces.

As Pivot warned, though, the Race setting is very, very punchy.

This all works well with the DW-link suspension. It's stable under power, which helps give the bike plenty of zip, despite its weight of around 22kg.

Although it's stable, the suspension remains active enough to soak up uphill hits.

On the way down again, the low and central weight, and modern geometry give the bike ample stability, even if it's not quite as long and slack as the most radical rides out there.

It's not quite as smooth as, say, the Shuttle LT.

The rear suspension, designed to be efficient for all-day rides, does a good job of dealing with the bigger hits, and tracks the ground well, but it's not entirely isolating from the chunder.

It will, however, pick up speed and encourage you to push harder on more flowy terrain.

Cornering characteristics are pleasing, with a light-feeling, snappy attitude between the corners.

There's still stability, though, on long, rough corners.

The Maven Silver brakes are punchy and powerful, and I've not had any wandering bite-point issues on this bike. I'll admit to not being a huge fan of the Maxxis Minion DHF on the front, though, in dry and dusty conditions.

The tyre requires you to lean the bike right over for the shoulder tread to bite properly into the dirt. In summer conditions, an Assegai would be a better bet.