Santa Cruz Heckler SL Review | Range Test | Fun Test

[@blackhorsegrind4255]

Think I just realized this is the same guy from freehub magazine reviews lol. Favorite rider to watch online.

[@NICADV]

Haha, same area different guy, but thanks anyway!

[@blackhorsegrind4255]

@@NICADVdang sound so alike and great riding style similar to Freehub rider

[@FandaReza]

Thought the same. Great commentary while riding pretty gnarly stuff 👍

[@NICADV]

@@FandaReza Thanks!

[@drosslander4369]

Got to agree. Does everything so well. Unfortunately my speed sensor packed it in this week after 1200km of riding but my LBS and SantaCruz are taking care of me very well.

[@NICADV]

Glad to hear they're taking care of you.

[@sampep]

Was it just by hitting the cable with a rock? I wonder if just 3m tape over would help that issue?

[@drosslander4369]

@@sampep no idea. When it quit I was riding on pavement!? Quick fix and been great since.

[@mattmiller7650]

Corners soooo well! Loving mine. Slapping a RS Vivid on soon to smooth out the back end.

[@NICADV]

Oh yeah! I’ve been wanting to check out the new Vivid.

[@mattmiller7650]

@@NICADV happy to report that the Vivid really makes the bike smoother and still has some pop. Way more balanced, highly recommend for anyone looking for something to make this bike really shine on the downhills.

[@NICADV]

@@mattmiller7650 glad to hear. I like that they’re offering a stout build now, it would be cool if they had a Rockshox option.

[@deanemberley2333]

@@mattmiller7650did you have it tuned for the Bike or just out of the box? I am a 210 lbs rider kitted up so looking at getting a Vivid

[@mattmiller7650]

@@deanemberley2333 did not order a custom tune. Just set SAG and pressure accordingly. The only thing that’s awkward is accessing the rebound adjustment within the linkage.

[@gianttrance2320]

The FAZUA Ride 60 is a great motor but I prefer it in my Pivot Shuttle

[@NICADV]

Nice, I still haven't ridden that bike

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

Go on the app and turn off acceleration if you want it to feel much more natural. I only leave it on the turbo setting. Trail is what I usually use and I keep it off so it doesn't take off and it just matches your input.

[@NICADV]

@@_Jake.From.Statefarm_ good tip👍

[@jonathanjones8895]

I needed this info about a week ago 😂

[@NICADV]

@@jonathanjones8895 🤦🏻‍♂️I try to get them as soon as possible but sometimes it takes some time

[@jonathanjones8895]

@@NICADV no worries. I still enjoyed the riding content. It ended up being the lack of extender options for a Fazua that sent me in a different direction.

[@DK-wd8ju]

Loving mine! Sold my Forbidden Druid V2 because this just does it all!

[@KiwiInGermanyMTB]

Would love to see the new yt decoy sn. Great vids

[@NICADV]

Thanks, that is definitely a bike I'd like to check out. That and the Devinci E-Troy Lite. I've heard good things about that motor.

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

@@NICADV As a Heckler SL owner.. I'm really interested in that Amflow bike.. The DJI system is insane.. and it's lighter than my SL with more power and bigger battery than a full power..

[@NICADV]

@@_Jake.From.Statefarm_ I saw that one, I wonder if any mainstream companies are in contact with them yet

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

@NICADV I know Amflow is their test pilot program. Not only is it a new bike company but a look into future product lines. You can almost guarantee that a good portion of brands will adopt it once it's available. I'm not sure if anyone is currently working with them but they made it clear that was their primary goal.

[@syldrum54]

while going downhill, do you feel the motor restrain you above 25 mph/32 kmh like full power ebikes? cause i have a bronson and a levo turbo and when i go downhill and need speed like on the Bronson, i feel like the Levo forced me to decelerate and it's kinda inconfortable

[@NICADV]

I did not. I know the feeling on some full power ebikes, but I also get a similar feeling when running heavy DH tires on mellow to flat trails

[@codySchiffman]

Curious what full power emtb your buddy was on? There is definitely a difference in range between some of the full power bikes. Really enjoy your reviews 🤘

[@jessehill3780]

Yea something seems off in that part of the video. I was tempted with the heckler sl to compliment my Nomad 6 but instead went Bullit to ensure I’d be able to do longer rides and I’m glad I did. His buddy is in the red after 12.75mi with a full power mostly sticking in mid power doesn’t sound right at all. With the bullit sticking in trail mode I lose about 1 bar maybe two just at the very end of the ride on a 13.5mi loop and the bullit battery isn’t even big by some of the new e bike standards. Doing same in eco and I didn’t even lose a single bar and I think torque output in eco is about equivalent to the sl in boost. It is nice to see the SL could do a loop like that in boost and still have battery so maybe it could do some of the areas I want to explore that I just can’t with my Nomad but I wanted to make sure and I wasn’t shopping for a replacement for the Nomad and instead something to compliment it so bullit made more sense but I don’t think a full power in mid power would be same battery life as sl in boost, seems off.

[@NICADV]

@@codySchiffman Commencal, I’ll check with them on which model and year.

[@NICADV]

@@codySchiffman 2020 Commencal Meta Power. Team edition.

[@deanemberley2333]

@@jessehill3780you should have waited l😂the Vala is out. Bullit is outdated regardless

[@jessehill3780]

@@deanemberley2333 eh not really. I got the bullit 45% off and have no complaints on the shimano motor. Also to say Bosch doesn’t have issues isn’t the case with my first hand experience and dislike that Bosch doesn’t allow users to do their own updates, typical German mentality we know best and you’re too stupid to be trusted to update firmware just like their cars. Next bike might not even be an SC, as a long time fan of theirs they are not the same company they once were and have gone way more corporate to deal with if you need anything. Been heading that way for a while but it’s escalated massively within the last few years. Now with the Vala they want to claim they’re doing some super magic secret sauce in kinematic with a 4 bar and that’s why you should pay more for theirs but when you actually look at all the kinematic numbers (anti squat, anti rise leverage percentages) it is nearly identical to Transition and the geo is also nearly identical with Transition. Both offer lifetime warranty with only Transition having a transferable crash replacement warranty. So why pay more for less? Have had a couple friends move over to Transition and their support has been good and a small company mentality. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good looking bike but I think a lot of people are going to be questioning what am I really getting of value and also with DJI around the corner it’ll be obsolete real quick as well, DJI motor might even let them fit the vpp if they want to go that route in the future. Oh and just did about 30mi ride in the sierra’s in Trail mode the whole day and still had about 25-30% battery left so 630 was just fine for me.

[@harveyxl5296]

Try out a forbidden dreadnought v2 pls there isnt many reviews on youtube which i was very surprised to see with it being a highly anticipated bike

[@NICADV]

@@harveyxl5296 I’m working on it! Fingers crossed I should be able to do something at the beginning of September.

[@harveyxl5296]

@@NICADV yeah man definitely considering buying one and hopefully going to demo one in a few months so ill be excited to watch your review 🤙

[@Daweclips]

What jump trail is that? Looks fun.

[@NICADV]

I think its called 21 buses

[@Daweclips]

@@NICADV not on forks?

[@NICADV]

@@Daweclips Yeah not on forks. If you're in the area I could possibly show you around.

[@Daweclips]

@@NICADV Moving that way in a Month, so sure, be there Nov 1st.

[@superawesomefuntimego]

Thanks for this!! I was really looking at maybe getting one of these or the new YT Decoy SN. They are the most interesting mid power options to me. But I found a mint, super low mile 2023 Yeti 160e with full XT and factory suspension for $5500, so decided to bite. Time will tell if the 50lb weight will have me wishing I went with something lighter or more nimble. I do have my 5010 v5 still for a bike that is easy to throw around.

[@NICADV]

@@superawesomefuntimego Nice, I hope you like it. I have been wanting to check out that new YT.

[@superawesomefuntimego]

@@NICADV I hope so too, first ride will be tomorrow. I figured at that price, it was worth trying out and I can always sell it later if I decide I want something lighter and not lose out much. It is just over 50lbs without pedals. Not bad for a full power I think.

[@danielturczyn6773]

@@NICADVwould love to get your take on the YT. Had a Capra, went to a spire and thought the Capra was just more fun and faster too. The SN sounds like it could be super sick

[@deanemberley2333]

@@superawesomefuntimego you chose Poorly. Any full power EMTB i’ve tried just isn’t fun for technical trails. Definitely planted and stable but you can really notice all that weigh in the down tube and they are soooooo sluggish to move around.

[@superawesomefuntimego]

@@deanemberley2333 Not sure about that. I've got about 150 miles on it now and it has been a riot. It took me a few rides, but I've gotten pretty used to the weight and handling and have no problems on steep, technical trails. Granted it absolutely is not as nimble or easy to throw around and pop off things as a standard bike, but it is still a real good time, just different. It is noticibly harder to slow down and the XT brakes were not enough, I had to upgrade to some Hayes. Everything said, I would for sure like it more it if it was at least 5lbs lighter and maybe 1 degree slacker. But when I want something more playful, I just ride my other bikes.

[@dougbikesnlifts]

You may of helped sell a few of these 😅😂

[@NICADV]

@@dougbikesnlifts 🤞