Santa Cruz Heckler SL Speed Test - How fast does it climb and what's the range?

[@EMTBReview]

Buy the Heckler SL today here at JensonUSA to support Emtbr - bit.ly/3rcGoiS Enduro engineering ebike stand Buy here: enduroeng.com/index.php?route... 10% off coupon code - emtbr10

[@robzielinski]

"I'm going to cut to the chase and give you the times right away" - knows his audience .... nice job on the video!!! Great Bike

[@EMTBReview]

It is a great bike indeed, this Heckler SL

[@vidibites]

This is my level of number crunching and fact checking behind the smoke a mirrors. A very genuine review nice work.

[@shawnlad13]

This is the best side by side comparison I’ve ever seen.

[@EMTBReview]

Why thank you!!

[@efeezhee4088]

Love to see Santa Cruz coming out with a lightweight version E-bike! This is the future of EMTB

[@EMTBReview]

Yeah, it's a great offering from them. This is their best riding ebike for sure.

[@Kaisersozze]

Great video, thanks for the comparison and telling it how it really is.

[@jfflyboy]

Dme scientifically. Real numbers. Killer comparison. I am particularly thankful for the comparison to the specialized

[@EMTBReview]

Right on. It helped me understand these bikes better as well so it's well-worth the effort. In the spreadsheet/table, you can see the 2020 Levo SL as well and how much faster this new one is compared to the old.

[@DarrenSmith-x6h]

Man u are the king of reviews

[@EMTBReview]

Thank you sir. I try to improve with every video.

[@scp8412]

Wow I am amazed at the orbea pace! Thanks for the great review.

[@ZR2AL]

Really happy with my Rise H15. Especially considering cost versus performance in comparison to the other offerings.

[@EMTBReview]

That is a gem indeed. I ride with at least 10 owners of that bike. I have one too!

[@donzioldbuddy]

Francis you da bomb 💣! Love your videos

[@EMTBReview]

Right on buddy!!!

[@MrRumBacardi]

Thought I knew you from somewhere. You are also in the RC community! Great review!

[@EMTBReview]

Rrrrrrright? So amazing to see so many foks like RC And Bikes. And Tacomas too!

[@21armyn]

sir iba ka tlga pag dating sa emtb. lhat ng info perfect hahah!

[@EMTBReview]

ayos!

[@LukeMTB]

Great video man. How long does it take to climb that hill on a regular MTB - eg a Bronson or similar?

[@sashamandakovicfalconi1601]

Very informative video, thank you! It would be great to see you perform your standardized speed test on a bike with the new Bosch SX motor.

[@joehoeper3941]

Best review of this bike I've seen. Bravo sir

[@britishbassbikes]

GREAT review. As an owner of a '21 carbon Rise M10 seems to me this bike still holds it own against these new arrivals. I tried a Transition Relay but that cannot even acceopt a range extender if and when Fazua actually releases one...Plus I think the other huge caveat is that dreadful ring controller. It feels super cheap with a very weak spring action- it jamedd throughout the test ride on the Relay demo bike. Absolutely not an acceptable feature on a 10 k bike. Appreciate you calling the Fazua guys out on the somewhat shady specs. Not ready to pull the trigger on anything else soon until that extyender is generally available and the ring controller has been upgraded.

[@eibach1000]

I'm a very analytical person and love how you compare all the numbers between bikes in your videos unlike other emtb comparisons. the numbers are true facts and help us purchase the bikes that are right for us! Thank you! Also, do you know when Specialized will put the new SL 1.2 motor in the Turbo kevevo SL? I'm thinking it won't be until at least May 2024 considering the current Turbo Kenevo SL came out in May 2021.

[@AHappyZeebra]

I ended up buying this bike. It climbs just fine for me and how I expected it to climb. Where it shines is downhill. It feels like an enduro bike and it jumps and pops like that’s what it was designed to do. But … big long day climbs were not my focus. The motor so far has been great. There is a new firmware that released right as this bike released, maybe that solved the other brands issues. I love your reviews because they are very measured and reliable stats and data. Buy this bike if you just want to do fun laps and get up the hill to ride a hella fun downhill. Going for longer adventures and there are other bikes that will be better. But that may be a good thing manufacturers are offering a few different reasons to separate their bikes apart for the reasons we prefer to ride. Time will tell with this motor.

[@EMTBReview]

Exactly!!!! Descending macheeeen

[@chassdesk]

Good stuff, enjoyed the data. Only reason I’d buy a SL over my full power is the stealth factor.

[@oettam20]

Great Video!!! I love when you put in your content also objective comparative data as the "Uphill test"! Just one question @EMTBREVIEW : why are you referring to 450Watt max power output for the Orbea Rise? I have owned the previous model ( motor EP800 and not the actual EP801) and the max power output was listed at 350Watt. Where did you get the 450 watt value in Orbea tech information?

[@EMTBReview]

Because there is now way that Orbea's EP8 RS is 350 watts. I fully believe Orbea made that up to be conservative. The EP8 RS beats Fazua's Ride 60 (450watt) motor by quite a bit, going up a hill. :)

[@oettam20]

@@EMTBReview thank you for the answer, so its a guess, not a fact. But if I apply the same reasoning, probably the Japanese of Shimano has engendered a motor with a real 350 watt output and the others with fake 350watt output… can you ask directly to Orbea or Shimano representative? Thank you

[@maxieboi99]

Thanks for this review francis! After watching your Bosch CX Race video, I was a little bit disappointed getting the Levo instead of the Wild. But on my 2nd bike - I'm rocking the Orbea Rise so this video made me feel a lot better! :D

[@EMTBReview]

You’re in good hands!

[@eibach1000]

but the rise was the heaviest at 44 lbs while the SL was the lightest at 38lb. I'm guessing because the orbea rise has the biggest battery. so I'm wondering if the rise is not as nimble and does not ride nearly as well as the levy SL considering 6lbs is a huge difference?

[@maxieboi99]

I think the rise that he has isn't the highest tier and the levo SL appears to be a higher tier (maybe s-works? I see the kashima coating). my rise is an M-LTD (highest tier) with 540wh battery, it's approx 40 lbs@@eibach1000

[@tomcagle5324]

Well done! Thank you for some relevant field science!🤟

[@EMTBReview]

Thanks for watching! I know the content when it helps my understanding of the bikes as well.

[@ASKirkland]

Another great comparison video FC. Sounds like I should hold onto my Rise until some of these other bikes get extenders. ⚡️

[@EMTBReview]

Definitely. The Bosch SX motor is coming and that is something that seems to be at the next level. The Rise is kinda xc/trail but a few mods can squeeze out great All Mountain performance out of it.

[@ASKirkland]

@@EMTBReview Yep, I am in the process of converting my Rise from a stock 140/140 to a 160/150 w/ a fork upgrade and the new Cascade Components link. We shall see how it is.

[@stuartthomasson5027]

Great video. The bike sales page should say “Upto” so many hours if there is a short boost mode.

[@whitest_kyle]

Loving my Fuel EXe but also love that more SL bikes are coming out. I test rode the Transition and did not like the power delivery (super unnatural) or the cheap display/controller on an $8k+ bike. A little disappointed the TQ isn't as efficient, but I've done some 3000+ foot, 20 mile days and haven't killed the battery yet. Still waiting on the range extender though lol.

[@EMTBReview]

Waiting on my range extender too. I’ve done big rides on it. But I feel I did most of the work :)

[@davefreeman9347]

Ive only had my Trek EXe for about 6 weeks now love it ive done 30km rides 1000 meters of climbing and got 30% of the battery left so it will have plenty in the tank for me even for bigger rides, although not as powerful as most it was the silent motor I fell in love with and as its my first e-bike and im fairly fit and strong I actually don’t mind doing a bit more of the work as I only want a bit of help it rides so much like a normal bike on the descents also 😀

[@GLOBc]

@@davefreeman9347 - sounds like some good results! What 'mode' were you typically climbing in? Do those sort of KM & Vert on the Acoustic 'Slash' (heavy metal rather) so def' not adverse to a bit of extra-effort esp. if it would keep range anxiety at bay LOL

[@davefreeman9347]

@@GLOBc For those rides I would normally be in eco for 60-70% of the time trail 20-30% of the time then turbo around 10 % I say I’m a fairly strong rider as I have an acoustic hardtail which I use for my local trails

[@GLOBc]

@@davefreeman9347 great insights thanks Dave - sounds like the EXe is a good complement to the fleet then - also have the Meta HT for 'hillclimb torture' LOL

[@robertocalvo934]

Another great video. I was eyeing the Fazua but its juts a 50nm with a boost

[@GLOBc]

@EMTBReview - Thanks again for the effort getting your inputs properly 'measured' to give us some useful #GeekStats to consider. Re: The Orbea Rise Clock Smashing Climb - were you spamming the 'over-boost' button every 20seconds? LOL

[@ChadLynnLRE]

Great video! I’d love to see how the Giant trans elite+ stacks up since it’s supposed to be a full powered light emtb.

[@EMTBReview]

Yeah, I should get that. That bike fits right in and the interesting data will be on range when one cranks up the power on that motor.

[@rudik5496]

Looking forward to the full comp! (Only 1 missing: Mondraker Neat SL)

[@EMTBReview]

Yeah, that one is hard to get here in the US.

[@mossko1]

Thanks so much for your comparison!! This helps so much, i was wondering what the real wold comparisons were between some of these eBikes, and your findings are really helpful. I took a screenshot of your worksheet, would you be able to provide a link to a read-only copy?

[@mtbmike9866]

The Loam wolf’s SL shootout says the Orbea was weak and slow. They are way off. Thanks for a scientific comparison

[@EMTBReview]

Loam Wolf? Compare to full-power bikes, it's slow. But compared to mid-power, where it belongs, it is the fastest.

[@paulmaag6958]

I went back and listened very closely to thier comparison. They were comparing the Orbea Rise RS motor to the standard EP8/01 motor. Francis is right. The Orbea is the king on power(so far in the US) in the lightweight arena. I have an Orbea Rise M10 and I can attest to its good power. However, does not hold a candle to the power and speed of my full power Mondraker with the Bosch CX4 motor. It will be interesting to see more tests of bikes with the new light weight Bosch Performance Line CX Motor. So far, it looks like it just might slightly out do the EP8 RS, albeit with more diverse software from Bosch.

[@robzielinski]

I 'm also confused, for example your review shows the Levo Sl as staying with the group, Loam's review describes it as a slow tank (although they never give actual numbers), I find your review at odds with Loam's. Does the Fazua crush the Levo? @@EMTBReview

[@GLOBc]

​@@robzielinski I'd be more dubious about Loam's reviews - they do not 'measure' their input at all, it's all 'perceived effort' which has so many variables - from discussing with @EMTBReview in the past, 'generally speaking' you need to be putting in ~200w of effort to get the 'FULL' output from these (low power/torque) SL machines, so if you're having a 'weak day' and only giving it 150w of course that is going to skew your results (ie. I worked hard and it was slow....). What is going to upset the apple-cart in these SL's is the likes of the new e-Trance, Full-Power Motor with a Light Weight 400wh Battery. Sure - if you tune it up to the max (in-app like you need to with the EX-e) and run it in 'TURBO' it's not going to last long, but at 20kg it's in that SL category.....

[@robzielinski]

that makes sense, so its fare to say the levo 50 nm is comparable to fazua 60 nm based on emtb reviews numbers... it would be great to see how the e-trance compares using the same metrics for testing, might be my next bike@@GLOBc

[@paulmaag6958]

I'm guessing that the Fazua and the TQ could put out more torque, but they would possibly heat up under certain outside temperatures, if turned up to higher wattage. This is a limitation of the more stealthy design because the heat is buried in the frame. Good old standard designs by Shimano, Bosch, and Yamaha have more heat sink and radiators. That's why they designed them that way, the original concept engineering of e-bike motors. My bet is that the Shimano motor will last a long time, especially with the reduced output of the Orbea RS motor. As all things bicycle, there is always compromise. This is a new arena. Motor output verses stealth! Great report!

[@EMTBReview]

Yes, yes exactly!!! Heat is the problem. The Fazua, you can keep hitting the turbo button but after it gets too hot, turbo stops working

[@EMTBReview]

The Shimano EP8 RS of the rise is cruising for sure at peak efficiency. And since the torque is capped at 60nm, the torque curve is very flat, seeming to deliver full torque at low rpms. It's a delight to ride.

[@paulmaag6958]

I have an Orbea Rise M10 1st generation. I am considering a Fazua bike not because of the power (less). Its because of the stealth. Lots of e-bike haters here in Colorado and the BLM and Forest service have negative regulations. I still ride though, just on weekdays (my own version of stealth!)@@EMTBReview

[@paulmaag6958]

I just went out and tried to emulate the power of the Fazua Ride60 with my Orbea Rise. I turned up all the 3 levels of power to the max in the Orbea cell phone app. Then I rode my local trails with no more than 1000 ft. of climbing and less than 10 percent inclement climbs ( i have designed trails). I then used only the Trail setting, with boost mode of no more than 12 seconds. This actually is pretty much how I ride anyway, most of the time. So I think Fazua got it right. The Fazua Ride 60 motor is a great contender for trail rides. However, when I do long steep climbs with rough moto trails, I will take my big travel downhill e-mtb with the Bosch CX4 motor every time.

[@moosicman101]

Great stuff, but you should know that the fazua motor outputs 50 nm when not in the activated boost mode. This is why it’s so close to the levo sl. It’s 60 nm (or 430w) temporarily, so having 50 nm on screen would be more fair.

[@jhonz2973]

@emtbreview Would you say the Heckler SL is more range than LEVO SL even with the 160 RE? I have the LEVO SL and the most I’ve done is ~4,000ft elevation on eco and trail. I’m thinking of getting the Heckler SL and hoping to know if it’s better or just the same and if Im better off with a full power emtb at this time. I also beefed up my LEVO SL and added RS Coil and ZEB fork (160 travel). Appreciate your reviews!

[@Becker333]

Great video. Helpful on choosing. Thank you!!…..

[@MultiSkyman1]

RC crawlers and E-MTB! My two hobbies!!!!! (From the SF bay area too!)

[@EMTBReview]

No way, man. No way! Where do you ride and where do you crawl?

[@MultiSkyman1]

@@EMTBReview Bean Hollow of course, all the rocky areas in San Francisco where I grew up, also some rock gardens I found on Mount Tam. Always looking for spots just like you I bet! I moved up north to Cotati last year. A lot of crawlers go to Flat Rock Park in Santa Rosa. For EMTB I have been exploring all the reginal parks up here in Sonoma County. State Parks too, but I think EMTB are not allowed, but I hear everyone still goes to them like Annandale State Park. I have a lot of exploring to do up here! Also have a nice hobby shop here too. Jakes Performance Hobbies.

[@PahadiPedaler]

Excellent review. If in doubt take e-bronson out!

[@EMTBReview]

When I’m doubt, throttle out. And if the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit

[@j.d.503]

Orbea Rise 2 year old bike is still the best bang for your buck!! Hands down...

[@gregsurat3734]

Awesome info! About the Levo SL, are all the carbon frames the same?

[@EMTBReview]

Yes they are!

[@gregsurat3734]

Ah! Thanks for saving me 30min of research. 😊

[@insidemattsmind5999]

Thank you for HONEST facts!

[@EMTBReview]

You are most welcome.

[@johnrowley7746]

Is your spreadsheet posted anywhere besides in these videos? Thanks!

[@MYMOUNTAIN_122]

Curious for the test we're the fazua app profile settings maxed on rocket etc, as default their not full watts, as per the fazua website.

[@ppumba]

Where do u have the number „450 Watt“ of the Orbea Rise with the EP8(01) RS Motor? I have the H10 Rise 2023 and a third Party App installed, where i can See, that the Factory Limit in Eco / Trail / Boost is 150 / 250 / 350 Watt - so no 450. But with that mentioned App (eMax), u can unlimit the RS Motor to the Full 85NM/600W - but clearly the downside then is the Worse Batterie Life / Range

[@rudik5496]

Great great vid!

[@CreamyBone]

Hey Francois... what bike stand is that you're using in these videos? -- My ebike is a little heavy for my regular traditional bike stand 😉

[@EMTBReview]

Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXS7p3uagNOBjJI Coupon code too in the description

[@jamiesteiger6140]

Help me understand elevation gain when people talk about range. I rode a trail today and ran Apple fitness MTB ride at the same time as MTB project. At some point I looked at the MTB project and it had calculated 3k ft of elevation. This must account for total climbing feet. At the end of the ride my Apple Fitness calculated 12 miles with an elevation gain of 988 ft. MTB project calculated 682 ft ascent and -436 ft descent at 11 miles. I know both apps will likely not get the same calculations but how does this relative to what I see people posting their range numbers?

[@wolnski]

Great video - can you tell me exactly which model of the Orbea Rise you are comparing to? (They have a large battery and a small battery version, aluminum and carobn, etc.)

[@EMTBReview]

I have an Orbea Rise H10, aluminum with 540wh battery. The H series is the compelling line of the Orbea Rise offerings. Great price and battery.

[@MYMOUNTAIN_122]

I'd be keen to see what the other offerings can do, ie Bosch sL, Shimano etc, the Bosch sL unit can peak at 600watts ive seen.

[@Hodler82]

You have all the good bikes😂 keep it up

[@drewchang7921]

does a power meter differentiate between the power from your legs and the motor? or the power meter combining both and giving you a measure of 200w of power?

[@EMTBReview]

It differentiates between the motor and the legs. Since this power meter uses strain guages on the pedal spindle, it only measures the leg power output.

[@knowquarter]

If you had to choose between the two, would it be the Heckler SL or the 2023 Levo SL (Gen 2)? Appreciate any input, I was ready to get a Levo SL but now I'm not so sure.

[@EMTBReview]

Right now, go for the Levo SL. They both ride very very well. But the Levo SL motor is very polished and mature. The Fazua seems like a version 1.0 product. Also the Levo SL is dead reliable. The Fazua is working through a few bugs on Pivots and Transitions

[@davefreeman9347]

@@EMTBReview Have you heard of any issues with the TQ motor, due to less moving parts and working at slower speed they are meant to be reliable 🤷‍♂ many thanks in advance

[@megane230f1]

Rode a levo SL on a test ride. Unbeleivable bike, i come from full powered e bikes and i wouldnt step of the levo SL for another full powered e bike

[@237311]

@@EMTBReview I find myself in a bit of a dilemma deciding between the 2023 Levo SL gen2, the new Heckler SL, and the 2023 Orbea Rise M10. Initially, my focus was on the Levo SL and Rise M10, but then the Heckler SL was released, and I'm intrigued by its frame design that discreetly conceals its electric nature.

[@drewchang7921]

hope one of the big three german direct to sales releases an SL bike soon. $7K for low end components.......

[@EMTBReview]

YT, Canyon and Commencal? Definitely want to see what they can offer. On $7k offering though, any low-end weak point component is quite easy/inexpensive to replace and dial in to one's preferences.

[@haribouss]

Components, components, always complaining on components. To me the bike's geometry, the suspension kinematics and the drive unit make far more differences than the wireless shifter or the kashima on the fork... ;)

[@HVACOG]

Good evening sir, I’m looking at a barely used fuel exe 9.7 from a gentleman that got it this year. Used for like 30 miles. Is it a good purchase for a first E bike with some assist? I currently have fuel ex 9.8 from 21. Much of a difference in feel between these bikes?

[@EMTBReview]

That is absolutely perfect in my opinion. The new one rides better than the 21 both going up and down.

[@romma11]

at what price?

[@HVACOG]

@@romma11 5500

[@tristanmayor6302]

Interesting reveal that Fazua's headline power+torque figures are actually quite misleading. You don't get 450 watts most of the time during climbing

[@EMTBReview]

Yup. The real output is already a leader. No need to boost specs :)

[@JJ_MTB_15]

Good video

[@EMTBReview]

Glad you enjoyed

[@crnzsrt]

How does it compare to the giant trance advance elite?

[@EMTBReview]

This Heckler is a much more attractive, capable and fun bike. The Giant Bike is more like the Orbea Rise, which is a big motor but restricted. The big advantage of the Giant is it already has an extender battery released in the market. The Heckler's Fazua system has not released the extender battery yet.

[@JoseCastillo-cn4dc]

Did the level sl had the shuttle mode on?

[@EMTBReview]

No. No shuttle mode on the SLs. I did put the Turbo mode of the SL to 100/100 though, instead of 100/80 default.

[@teerakayak1]

PNW 3 weeks now with the new SL coming from a SCOR 4060Z LT. Cant go back to full power 50# ebike .

[@EMTBReview]

Range is the key advantage of the full power bike

[@MrPolaris800crew]

Bought mine a month ago, 4 rides and 50 miles later Fazua motor broke down, gear teething problems, left me stranded and snapped while going on a climb beware of this motor.

[@alfredovasquez7633]

How long was the climb that you did?

[@EMTBReview]

1 mile, 500 foot ascent

[@JoeS97756]

Orbea Rise seems like a winner until I saw it had the Shimano rattle motor. No way I'd get that.

[@EMTBReview]

It is winning despite that awful rattle problem. Crazy! And the bike is kind of xc

[@paulmaag6958]

I have the Orbea Rise M10. The rattle is really not an issue for me. But then, I've ridden mountain bikes for 40 years. They have always rattled with chain slap. The Orbea Rise is no different.

[@JoeS97756]

@@paulmaag6958 Modern mountain bikes are virtually silent. That EP8 motor rattles like a bag of bolts. Not for me.

[@MR.TOYBOX]

I heard Traxxas is about to sue Trek for using the name Slash😂

[@EMTBReview]

Now that's good. :)

[@ericphillips9240]

My Rise H10 rocks. I ride single track in Whistler in Trail mode up and down and I can’t run the battery out in one go. It climbs black diamond uphill trails and you can’t put it in top power because you will be going to fast for the switch backs and hitting the line in the roots and rocks.

[@EMTBReview]

It's so surprising how high and fas the H series Rise will go.

[@cncskn]

how ist the heckler sl only 1 sec faster than the sl gen2 . i know it only offers 12 seconds of boost (400+watts) but if u hit boost 3 times in your test climb it must be way more than 1 sec faster .

[@haribouss]

I think boost mode was not used during the test. I would not discard completely this functionality personally, it is there and usable. But even so I would have expect the Heckler SL to be faster (350 watts) versus the Levo SL2 (320 watts).

[@cncskn]

@@haribouss maybe he will tell us if boost was used

[@EMTBReview]

Boost was not used in this test. I did another climb test where I hit the Boost button 20 times. It worked about 10 times and the time was about 25 seconds faster. Really a pain and not appropriate for long climbs. It's real use is for a punchy techy section where it's really hard to make it otherwise. Pretty useless in my opinion. I think Fazua put it in so they can claim 60nm instead of the real 50nm output of the motor.

[@cncskn]

@@EMTBReview ty for your impressions

[@haribouss]

@@EMTBReview On your long fire road this Boost might be not that worthy, but remains a big plus for any tech climb scenario. Pressing the remote for 2 seconds is not that of burden ;)

[@badhabit2889]

Orbea rise still the king 👑

[@romma11]

at 4min, you should have included battery Whr burned during the test run to be complete comparison. Running at max setting does not mean it runs at max power! ... never mind you added that later, clearly bosch is burning more power therefore is fastest, poor TQ motor - so much hype when it came out, for nothing

[@romma11]

too bad orbea uses troublesome shimano motor

[@Cheatingforfun]

Good info, shame on them for trying to mislead the customers.

[@EMTBReview]

Yeah, and it's very hard to decipher the actual output since there is enough confusion with Average Power Output and Peak Output watts of motors.

[@HelloHello-gv2gg]

Mooga Oomgawa!!!!