Heckler
Origin
Santa Cruz Bicycles, founded in 1993/1994 in Santa Cruz, California, spent years as one of the last big holdouts against e-bikes before finally launching the Heckler in 2019 — its first-ever electric mountain bike. The name is a deliberate throwback: 'Heckler' was one of Santa Cruz's original 1990s models, and reviving it for the brand's e-MTB debut signalled that this wasn't a compromise but a core bike. The concept was simple and has stayed consistent across every generation — take the beloved 150mm Bronson trail platform, keep the playful VPP suspension feel, and add a motor. The first Heckler used a Shimano E8000 motor, a modest 504Wh battery and 27.5in wheels. In 2022 Santa Cruz overhauled it with the more powerful Shimano EP8, a much larger 720Wh battery and the choice of full 29in or MX mullet wheels. Then in 2024 the range split: the lightweight Heckler SL arrived with a Fazua Ride 60 motor and a slim 430Wh battery, chasing the 'mid-power' feel of a normal bike with a helping hand rather than raw grunt.
Specifications
- Frame
- Carbon — two grades: 'C' (value) and lighter 'CC' (top). No alloy Heckler.
- Weight
- kg
- Drivetrain
- 1x12 by trim: SRAM GX/X0/XX Eagle AXS on top builds, GX/NX or Shimano SLX/XT on lower; original 2020 base SRAM NX Eagle
- Brakes
- 4-piston hydraulic discs by trim (SRAM Code / Shimano); original 2020 base SRAM Guide RE
- Wheels
- 2022+: 29in or MX (29 front / 27.5 rear mullet), each with its own rear triangle; SL is MX only; original 2020 was 27.5in
The verdict
- Playful, agile, poppy handling that feels like a normal Santa Cruz trail bike — rare among e-MTBs
- Big 720Wh battery (full-power) gives strong real-world range; the SL is class-leading for a lightweight
- Excellent build quality, carbon frames and lifetime frame + bearing warranty
- Expensive — carbon-only, premium pricing across the whole range
- Full-power model is heavy (~22.5kg CC); Shimano EP8 lacks the outright punch of Bosch/Brose rivals
- Heckler SL's Fazua Ride 60 drew real reliability complaints (growling/failures) and only IPX54 weather sealing
Generations
Gen 1 — original (2019-2021)
- Santa Cruz's first e-MTB. Smaller battery, 27.5in wheels. A mid-cycle update swapped E8000 for EP8 and added an MX mullet build.
- Travel
- 150/160mm
- Wheels
- 27.5in (later MX)
Gen 2 — full-power redesign (2022-current)
- Bigger battery, more power, modern geometry (~64deg HA, 77deg SA), choice of 29er or mullet. The mainstream full-power Heckler most buyers mean today.
- Travel
- 150/160mm
- Wheels
- 29in or MX mullet (separate rear triangles)
Gen 3 — Heckler SL lightweight (2024-current)
- A separate, much lighter (~18.5-19.5kg) mid-power model. Best-in-class range for its weight class but watch early Fazua Ride 60 reliability.
- Travel
- 150/160mm
- Wheels
- MX mullet only
Versions & builds
Every official build side by side — differences highlighted.
| Spec | Heckler (original, 27.5) | Heckler MX / 29 (EP8, 720Wh) | CurrentHeckler R (EP8) | CurrentHeckler X0 AXS RSV (EP8) | CurrentHeckler SL S (lightweight, Fazua) | CurrentHeckler SL X0/XX AXS RSV (Fazua) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 |
| Frame | Carbon C/CC | Carbon C/CC | Carbon C | Carbon CC | Carbon C | Carbon CC |
| Drivetrain | SRAM NX Eagle (base) | SRAM GX/X01 Eagle by trim | SRAM/Shimano 1x12 (entry) | SRAM X0 Eagle AXS | 1x12 by trim | SRAM X0/XX Eagle AXS |
| Brakes | SRAM Guide RE (base) | 4-piston hydraulic by trim | 4-piston hydraulic | SRAM Code | 4-piston hydraulic | SRAM Code |
| MSRP | €7,000 | €8,000 | €6,500 | €11,000 | €8,000 | €12,000 |
| Purpose | Value | Balanced | Value | Flagship | Balanced | Flagship |
Tags
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