The new Pivot Shuttle SL hardly looks like an eBike and weighs only 36.25 pounds!

What do MTB riders really want from an eBike? More force? Greater range? Or how about a bike that blurs the line between assisted riding and the responsiveness you expect from a mountain bike—only with less weight than most e-bikes? Sounds fascinating? Then you’ll probably love the new Pivot Shuttle SL.

While Pivot has been electrifying its customers with the Shuttle eMTB for around five years, the Shuttle SL is a whole different beast and looks like it will give the new Trek Fuel EXe some competition. The shuttle was last built with a Shimano EP8 motor and a massive 726 Wh battery. Compare that to the new Shuttle SL, which relies on the newer Fazua Ride 60 system with “only” a 430Wh battery, and you start to get an idea of ​​the differences in frame construction.

Fazua Ride 60 drive system

Not only does the Fazua Ride 60 system capture the looks of a traditional mountain bike, but it also claims to improve the new bike’s ride quality in a way that heavier, more powerful motors just can’t match. The most obvious is probably the weight. A motor weight of 1.96kg and a weight for the 430Wh battery of 2.2kg gave Pivot a starting point for building an e-bike under 37 pounds.

Pivot claims the 430Wh battery provides more than enough juice for 3-4 hour rides of 3000ft+ climbs, although range varies by rider weight, mode, etc. If you want more range, the bike is compatible with the Fazua 210Wh range extender, which should be available sometime in 2023.

Compared to other e-bike motor systems, the Ride 60 drive unit is tiny – although not quite as tiny as the Tq motor it might seem. . It also turns off when not in use for a quiet, drag-free ride. The Shuttle SL is classified as a class 1 e-bike and switches off the pedal assistance at 32 km/h.

While torque is limited to 60Nm, it seems like it could be a worthy compromise for the weight. Maximum power is claimed at 450W, which can be delivered via the new Boost feature, offering 4 or 12 second boosts of the full 450W at the push of a button on the Ring Controls.

Although it looks a bit like a throttle, the ring control is a multifunction remote that lets you change assist modes while activating boost or walk mode. The simple LED panel on the top tube lets you know what mode you’re in (Breeze, River, or Rocket) and how much battery power is left.

You can even flip up the panel to find a USB-C charging port to charge other electronic devices if needed.

The bike is ready to ride as is, but additional controls and updates can be managed by connecting your smartphone to the bike via the Fazua app. The bike offers both Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, and the app dashboard allows you to fine-tune power, assist and boot settings, among other things.

There is a charging connection in front of the bottom bracket for charging the battery, and it should only take 3.5 hours to charge a completely empty battery.

The rear speed sensor is super tidy.

With that in mind, both the cabling and cable routing are routed internally with the Pivot Cable Port System. In typically excellent Pivot fashion, the owner’s manual provides incredible details on how to set up and maintain your bike.

frame details

After all that, it’s almost easy to forget that we haven’t even talked about the frame. Built on a 135mm travel Dw-Link platform, the builds include the option of a 140mm Fox 34 fork and DPS shock for the (lightest) World Cup spec or a 150mm Fox 36 fork and Float X dampers for the Team, Pro , and Ride level builds.

The Shuttle SL rolls on 29-inch wheels and tires with Super Boost spacing of 157 x 12mm at the rear. Tire clearance is listed as 2.4″ with all full builds shipping with 29 x 2.4″ Maxxis tires.

Gray

One of the most notable frame details is the integrated battery design. This means you actually have to remove the motor from the frame before you can remove the battery. According to Pivot founder Chris Cocalis, the fixed battery position “allowed us to build the frame with a similar wall thickness to our analogue bikes (Switchblade) and also with identical stiffness values. We estimate that this saved us over a pound (about 0.6 kg) and we have better frame rigidity without the removable battery. It’s also quieter than the battery with the unlocking mechanism as there’s no rattling or moving of the latch. Finally, it makes the bike look very traditional (not like an e-bike), which was important to us.”

geometry

The Shuttle SL has a slightly slacker head tube angle than the Trail 429 and offers size-specific chainstay lengths for the four frame sizes. A flip chip allows the rider to raise the bottom bracket and steepen the head tube angle in the high setting.

As usual, the frames are optimized for the use of dropper posts. How long can you run with a dropper? Pivot put together the excellent chart above detailing both the lowest and maximum saddle heights to take the guesswork out.

Other frame details include a SRAM universal derailleur hanger and an integrated upper chain guide.

Models & Prices

Team XTR World Cup – 36.25 lbs in the lightest configuration

Team XTR

Offered in Ride, Pro, Team and Team WC builds, each in Desert Sage Green or Blue Denium. Pricing starts at $8,299 for the Ride build and tops out at $11,999 for the Team WC. Now available at major Pivot retailers.

pivotcycles.com