Tony walked over about ten seconds after we got it out of the crate.
He looked at the drive unit. He didn't say anything for a minute. Then he said three words we can't print, turned around, and went back to his bench.
That's generally how we know a bike is going to be trouble.
The all-new Pivot Shuttle AMP'd is on the floor at Savage. We've had it for a few days now. We've been taking turns riding it for longer than any of our to-do lists could absorb.
Here's what we know.
An Arizona Bike, Built in Arizona
Pivot Cycles is in Tempe. We're in Surprise. Same state. Same dirt. Same sun that turns your top tube into a skillet by noon.
When a brand builds mountain bikes for Arizona and actually builds them in Arizona — designed by people who ride the same trails you ride, supported by a factory you could drive to on a Saturday if you had to — that matters. Pivot's been at this for two decades. Every flagship they drop pulls the bar up for the whole AZ scene.
The Shuttle AMP'd is their new flagship.
We only carry brands we can stand behind. Pivot has more than earned it.
What's Going On Inside This Bike
The heart of the AMP'd is Pivot's brand-new Avinox M2S drive unit.
The spec sheet is borderline rude:
- 150 Nm of torque
- 1,300 watts of peak power
- 2.6 kg total system weight
- 800 Wh battery, fully integrated
In plain English: it accelerates like someone put their hand on your back and shoved. But here's the part we weren't expecting — it doesn't feel like a motor doing the work. It feels like someone quietly upgraded your legs and then didn't make a big deal about it.
You push harder, it pushes harder. You feather it, it feathers back. On a ledge move that wants three exact watts more than you've got, it gives you the three. On a fire road where you decided today is a fast day, it becomes a fast day.
We don't know what we expected. This isn't it. This is better than it.
And the Team build comes in at 47.5 lbs — which, for a 150/160mm e-MTB with an 800 Wh battery, is unreasonable in the best way.
Five Ways to Tell the Motor What You Want
Avinox gives you five assist modes:
- Auto — the bike reads what you're doing and adjusts. Lazy genius. Our default.
- Eco — low assist, gradual acceleration, longest range. For the all-day rides.
- Trail — reactive, stronger under load, more shove on steeps.
- Turbo — the most you're going to use on normal terrain. Unambiguously fast.
- Boost — on top of the other four, up to 60 seconds of maximum power and torque whenever you want. Push the button, get the cheat code.
You get sixty seconds. Use them. Tell us about it. Buy us coffee.
The Suspension Is Doing a Lot of Work, Quietly
Pivot's dw-link design is a known quantity. If you've been on a Trailcat, a Firebird, or an original Shuttle, you already know what efficient-on-the-climb and bottomless-on-the-descent feels like.
On the AMP'd, they paired dw-link with 150mm out back and a 160mm fork. Gravity-leaning travel. Not park-only, but not shy either. The flip chip lets you pick your geometry — Mixed-Low sits at a 63.3° head angle for slacker, more-planted riding; Mixed-High takes it to 63.7° and quickens things up. Five sizes, XS through XL. Reach from 416mm to 495mm. If you've been told you're between sizes your whole life, Pivot probably solved that this time.
FOX-equipped builds run the new FOX 38 with redesigned lowers and the GlideCore air spring, plus a fully reworked Float X out back — high-flow piston, new bumpers, quieter through the stroke.
Step up to the Pro build and you're on RockShox Zeb Ultimate up front with a Super Deluxe Ultimate shock — Linear XL, ButterCup, Adjustable Bottom Out, the full menu.
Either path, nothing on this bike is half-measured.
Build Kits — What You Get at Each Price
Three trims. Same frame, same motor, same battery. The difference is in what hangs off the frame.
Ride GX — $9,499
- Suspension: FOX Performance Float X / FOX Performance 38
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle Transmission
- Charger: Avinox 168W (standard)
Pro X0 — $11,999
- Suspension: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate / Zeb Ultimate
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission
- Charger: Avinox 508W (fast)
Team XX — $14,499
- Suspension: FOX Factory Float X / FOX Factory 38 GRIP X2
- Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle Transmission
- Charger: Avinox 508W (fast)
All three get the same Avinox M2S drive unit, the same 800 Wh battery, the same OLED control display with L/R remotes, the same SRAM Maven 4-piston brakes, and the same Continental Kryptotal enduro-casing tire combo. Pro and Team get the fast charger, which tops the battery up in about the time it takes to eat a sandwich.
Financing available — ask us, we'll walk you through it.
Two Colors. Both Correct.
- Burgundy Berry Freeze — deep, moody, catches the late-afternoon desert light in a way that's honestly a little unfair to the other bikes on the rack.
- Black Metallic Stone — stealth, clean, disappears on the trail until it passes you.
We have not stopped arguing about which one is prettier. We probably won't. Come pick a side.
Where You Can Ride It
This is the question every e-MTB shopper asks us, so let's get it out of the way.
The Shuttle AMP'd is a Class 1 e-bike. There's no throttle. The motor only assists while you're actually pedaling, and it taps out at 20 mph (US spec). After that, you're riding a regular mountain bike that happens to weigh what it weighs.
What that means for the trail map:
- Anywhere motors are allowed — you're good. Ride on.
- Non-motorized / bike-only trails — depends on who manages the land. The list of AZ non-motorized trails that welcome Class 1 is growing, but it's not everywhere, and the status can change.
- The easiest answer: download the free Trailforks app, turn on the e-bike filter, and it'll tell you. Faster than we can.
If a trail's status isn't obvious, call the land manager. Or, if that sounds like more work than it's worth, come in. We know the local map. We'll save you a phone call.
Who This Bike Is For
If you live in the West Valley and you've been eyeing your hardtail wondering if it can still do what your legs want to do — yes, and also, the AMP'd will let you do it twice on the same afternoon.
If you've been shuttle-assisted on Black Canyon or Hawes and ever thought I wonder what it would be like to be the shuttle — this is the answer.
If you've been planning a Sedona weekend and quietly dreading the climb back up after Hiline — the AMP'd turns the dread into a non-issue. The climb gets fun. The descent gets honestly ridiculous.
On sizing: Pivot publishes the height ranges we trust, and our own experience seconds them.
- XS — 4'11" to 5'4"
- Small — 5'3" to 5'8"
- Medium — 5'7" to 6'0"
- Large — 5'10" to 6'2"
- XL — 6'1" to 6'7"
Come in. Throw a leg over one. Sizing is rarely a guess once you're actually on the bike.
Pivot Factory Racing's Roger Viera put it this way:
"This bike is insane! It's crazy playful and light, but it never tones things down too much. We're having a lot of fun on it. It keeps the feedback, keeps the urgency and backs it all up with serious power and suspension performance."
That matches our read. Composed without being boring. Aggressive without being twitchy. A Pivot, basically — with a cheat code.
It's the bike Pivot said goes to eleven. We didn't come up with that line. But we're not going to argue with it either.
Come Ride It
The AMP'd is on the floor in Surprise. Come swing a leg over it.
We'll size you, walk you through the Avinox app, and if you want to put it through a real test spin, Tony and I will figure that out too.
That's what the shop is here for.
🖤🚴♂️🔥
Call the shop. Book a demo. Ride the AMP'd.
(623) 584-6900
Walk In. Ride Out.
— Blake
