Pivot has completely revised the third option in its Shuttle range, the mid travel AM. Now a load sleeker and Bosch powered, it sits between the longer travel LT and lighter Fazua equipped SL
Pivot has announced an all-new full power Shuttle AM, bringing a new inbetweener that sits bang in the middle of a three model e-bike range. Looking leaner, with a less bulky frame, it now sports more contemporary geometry and sizing and is powered by a Bosch motor.
Both the Fazua powered ‘diet’ Shuttle SL, with its focus on lower weight, and the longer-travel harder-hitting LT, with its Shimano EP8 motor, have impressed us when we’ve tested them. In fact the Shuttle SL 29 Team XTR cleaned up in the lightweight class of our in-depth e-bike of the year test.
Sure, Pivots are beautifully finished boutique builds, with price tags that reflect this, but the attention to detail, suspension performance and ride dynamics go a good way to justifying the spend.
With 160mm fork and 148mm of rear travel this Shuttle AM sits neatly between the SL and LT
Need to know
- Full carbon frame, available in four frame sizes (S-XL)
- 148mm rear travel, 160mm (optimised) fork travel
- 29in wheels front and rear on stock builds
- Bosch Performance CX or CX Race motors
- 625Wh or 750Wh integrated batteries depending on model
- Optional frame mounted 250Wh range extender battery
- Claimed weight 21.7kg (Team model)
- SRAM UDH mech hanger
- Hangerless interface allowing use of SRAM T-Type Transmission
- Frame mounted Pivot/Topeak Tool Dock option
Pivot Shuttle AM Pro in the Mojave colourway
Frame
Squeezed into the line up between the 140mm travel SL and the 160mm travel LT is this all-new version of the Shuttle AM, sporting 148mm out back. As with these two current Shuttle models, the AM runs 10mm more fork travel and follows a similar blueprint regarding frame architecture. Pivot specs a 160mm fork on the AM and caps that as the maximum recommended travel too.
The frame’s architecture is familiar and well proven
A full carbon frame (there’s no aluminium option) with a DW link suspension platform drives a vertically mounted rear shock. This leaves space for a bottle cage or a range extender battery – more of which later – and a low standover height. There’s a Bosch display integrated into the top tube that’s paired to the wireless controller on the bars, giving a clean clutter free cockpit.
As with the SL and LT platforms, Pivot offers the AM in four frame sizes, S-XL. And as with all current Shuttle e-bikes, regardless of frame size, its 29in wheels front and rear. Pivot has bucked the trend for mixed wheel size ‘mullet’ set up, staying committed to a well-balanced full 29er set up.
The Shuttle AM’s two position flip chip allows 5mm of BB height adjustment
With a flip chip in the carbon swingarm, giving 5mm of bottom bracket height adjustment, Pivot does give the nod to the running of a 27.5in rear wheel though. It suggests an increase in tyre size to 2.6in (from the max size of 2.5in for 29in) when running this smaller wheel size too. Also bear in mind that the Shuttle AM’s hub spacing, in typical Pivot style, is the wider 157mm Super-Boost standard.
With the flip chip in the low setting, a size large Shuttle AM has the following measurements:
Seat tube: 432mm, Reach: 476mm, BB height 345mm, HA 64.1°, Eff SA 76.4°
As with all of Pivot’s Shuttle frames, the AM uses Super Boost 157mm rear axle spacing
The Shuttle AM’s stature is low-slung, sleek yet muscular, helped no doubt by the integrated battery, something which may prove a deal-breaker for some riders. Pivot has given headset routing the miss, with the rear hose and cables dipping inside neat frame ports. SRAM’s UDH rear hanger is used, also giving a ‘Hangerless Interface’, allowing the use of SRAM’s new T-Type Eagle AXS drivetrains.
Pivot and partnered with Topeak and developed three rescue tool options with storage cases that bolt directly to the under-top tube fittings. A neat finishing touch on a boutique e-bike.
Motor
But the Shuttle AM is not just about Pivot offering a mid travel e-bike, it’s the brand’s first Bosch equipped machine. And the timing couldn’t be better, with Bosch rolling out updates to batteries, controllers and displays along with the Performance CX Race motor which has a focus on e-MTB racing and enduro.
This new motor is standard on the range-topping Shuttle Team, with the regular 85Nm Performance CX used on the lower-spec Pro and Ride models. We’ve had a taste of the CX Race motor before, on the Whyte E-180 Works MX, and it’s certainly an option that will broaden the Shuttle AM’s appeal.
The Bosch x Pivot Cycles Flow app allows you to select four out of seven modes to run. The Pro model has Turbo, E-mtb shortcrank, Sport and Tout+ pre-installed, while the Team model has the Race mode instead of Tour+.
The Bosch Performance CX Race motor is stock on the Shuttle AM Team
Battery
While Pivot’s longer-travel full power e-bike, the Shuttle LT sports a removeable battery, the AM’s Bosch unit is integrated. It certainly gives the frame sleeker, lower profile lines but you’ll need to drop the motor and charging port out if you want to replace it. So there’s no option to charge the battery remotely from the bike only via the frame mounted port.
Integrated Bosch top tube display is paired with a wireless bar mounted controller
But would you really need to remove it though? Here in the UK, only the Shuttle AM Pro and Team models will be available and both run a large capacity 750Wh battery. Pair that with the optional frame-mounted Bosch PowerMore 250Wh range extender (about the size of a water bottle) and you have 1000Wh on tap…
UK spec models
Pivot produces three specs for the Shuttle AM but as mentioned above the UK will only get the two higher spec bikes, the Pro and the Team. Both are equipped with 750Wh batteries but where the cheaper Pro model runs the standard Bosch Performance CX motor, the Team uses the latest high performance CX Race.
Both the Pro and Race run top drawer Fox Factory spec forks, shocks and dropper posts and run the all-new SRAM Eagle AXS T-Type drivetrains.
Pivot Shuttle AM Pro in blue
Shuttle AM Pro (SRAM XO)
- Motor: Bosch Performance CX 85Nm
- Battery: Bosch 750Wh integrated
- Fork: Fox Factory E-MTB 36 29”, 44mm offset, GRIP2 – 160mm
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO Eagle AXS T-Type
- Cranks: Praxis Alloy eCranks E-MTB 34t
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8120 4-piston (203mm F/R)
- Wheels: DT Swiss EB1535, 30mm
- Seatpost: Fox Transfer Factory, frame size specific stroke
- Price: £12,700
Pivot Shuttle AM Team in Mojave
Shuttle AM Team (SRAM XX)
- Motor: Bosch Performance CX Race
- Battery: Bosch 750Wh integrated
- Fork: Fox Factory E-MTB 36 29”, 44mm offset, GRIP2 – 160mm
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle AXS T-Type
- Cranks: Praxis Carbon eCranks E-MTB 34t
- Brakes: Shimano XTR M9120 4-piston (203mm F/R)
- Wheels: Newmen Carbon Advanced- 30mm
- Seatpost: Fox Transfer Factory, frame size specific stroke
- Price: £14,900
We’ll have a first ride review of the Shuttle AM very soon