2022 Santa Cruz Heckler

[Rusty762]

Awesome!
I'd definitely want water tight. I live in the mountains of Colorado and do stream crossings often.
Happy to compensate you for your time and for shipping mate (paypal?)

thinking out loud: Could it be made "round head" instead of cone head?

Random internet photo of round head plug to show what I mean :
View attachment 86124


I'm thinking about worse case situations where you catch branches or what not in the pickies; worried about catching that protrusion and potentially breaking the charge port?

The last few rides we got into canyons full of tumbleweeds and I suspect a protrusion could snag things.

Cheers!
Ed

I was looking at it last night, need to change the design on my ride home looking down at it in the rocks I ride its going to get broken off at some point. The only problem with the smooth head you listed is getting it in and out. It is a press fit with or without the oring. I am thinking of a smooth head with a hole through it you can use a small allen key to pull it out and keep the surface area the same size as the hole so its overall footprint is small.

 

[Desert_Turtle]

Hey Edward. The one thing that I wouldn’t do on a Heckler is cross a stream deep enough to get water in your charge port. It’s not so much the charge port as it is the way the battery sits in the frame. It’s wide open, totally unsealed. Water would flood through the lower frame. I know that the bike is designed so that water should drain out but I don’t honestly see much water resistance. I accidentally dropped the flip chip thing into the motor above the BB and had to take the side cover off to fish it out….I just don’t see the Hecker being a good wet weather bike. Even if it’s partially water resistant around the motor it doesn’t look good enough. I would definitely not submerge the bottom bracket, even for a split second.

 

[Rusty762]

Yep, I'm running a Fox DHX2 with a fox SLS spring at 550lbs (i'm 195lbs). Haven't had a enough rides to confirm the coil spring weight is correct yet, though. Went coil thinking it may help with the square edge hits some of the reviews talk about (Loam Wolf being one). I have 3 rides on it so far and really like it, but I also don't have anything to compare it to on the Heckler since I purchased the R build with the plan always being to swap out the RS Select suspension with a Fox Factory DHX2 and a Fox 38. I have not noticed any hanging up on square edge hits and the bike is surprisingly poppy for its weight. Very happy with the set up so far and with the bike. Have not put the 38 on it yet because it was a regular 38 tune (not an ebike tune) and is currently at Fluid Focus for a tune that will be similar to Fox's emtb tune. Expect to switch out the Lyrik Select with the 38 in the next couple weeks as soon as it is back with me. Keeping the air spring at 160 for now.

Can you post some pics of the coil? Would love to see how much clearance there is and just to drool until I can buy one...

 

[Crrichmo]

Can you post some pics of the coil? Would love to see how much clearance there is and just to drool until I can buy one...

 

[Crrichmo]

Have about 8 rides on it so far. 5 in the high setting, 3 in the low. Prefer the low setting with some additional progressivity for the coil. I did bottom out the rear a few times on some high speed (around 20 mph) chunky trails the other day and was in the low setting at that point. Added a few clicks of lsc and hsc, also added a couple more clicks of lsr and hsr. Feeling pretty dialed now for most of my local trails. May consider a 575 or 600 lbs spring and see if I can dial back the compression again. But doesn't seem to be urgent at the moment. The bike is so poppy for it's heft. As I mentioned in a previous post, I can't compare to an air spring since I removed the RS Deluxe Select right away, but I am very happy with how agile and easy it is to pick lines and pop from one side of the trail to the other.

 

[Crrichmo]

Also Fox 38 comes in tomorrow and should be able to get that installed this weekend.

 

[mfa81]

SC just increased their prices ~7%, the top build now in the US is $14249 from $13299… these prices are insane, new megatower frame is $4249

 

[Crrichmo]

Prices are crazy. I saw that yesterday. The R build is the way to go. Then replace suspension when you can and add 220 rotors. Other less critical would be possibly the brakes themselves (I think the guide re's are decent when properly bleed but not fantastic), then carbon bar to cut down on hand fatigue, then wheels if you want but I would say probably not necessary. Silly to have to replace all of that on an almost $9k bike now. But I will say the heckler is so versatile. It has me rethinking if I need so many other analog bikes (Ripley, Stevo, sb165). I would probably sell two of my bikes for the Heckler if I had too. I think it is that good. Hoping it remains reliable for the next several years.

 

[Rusty762]

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That is Beautiful, as someone who raced DH on the original Heckler back in the 90's when the first Fox coils came out and the Marzocchi Bomber on the front with dual coils and an oil bath system it was a total game changer. I am on the same page, I have the Fox 36 out front and its fine but the DHX2 is next on the list. I talked with some of the techs at Santa Cruz about why they spec Rock Shock coils on the Bullit and they are claiming they have more mid stroke support. Think your idea of going with a stiffer coil or better yet a Progressive coil, my last bike had a DVO Jade with a 475-575 and it was awesome. Appreciate the pics, when you get the 38 on front post some more. I went with the gray but the Avocado has grown on me and with your color scheme your bike looks great. I just sold my Ibis Mojo HD 5, have over 300 miles now and the Heckler is going to serve all my needs currently.

If you have not seen the MRP kits they make one for the DHX2, it might just do the trick for what you are listing there are some links below for the springs and spacer kit to fit the DHX 2. A friend of mine owns Cascade Components and they make links that allow you to run longer shocks, increase travel and adjusts the progressiveness. They made a link for the previous Heckler, I am trying to get them to make one for our bikes but they want me to send my bike to the in Washington... Reach out to them as the more request they get the more likely they are to get it done.

MRP Progressive Springs

MRP Progressive Springs are the only non-linear shock springs on the market for trail and all-mountain/enduro riding. Progressive Springs increase in rate late in stroke to provide additional bottom-out support and open up the use of coil shocks on frames previously only suited to air shocks...

thelostco.com

MRP Coil Spring Spacer Kits

The Coil Spring Spacer kits allow MRP springs (Enduro SL, Progressive, and Standard Steel) to be used on both MRP shocks and those from other manufacturers. There are six kits available.

thelostco.com

Cascade Components Bronson link

Santa Cruz V4 Bronson LT Link | US | Cascade Components

The Cascade Components V4 Bronson link has the big bike energy you have been looking for. The stock V4 Bronson suspension has been improved over the V3 Bronson, but we figured we would throw even more progression at it for excellent traction and bottom out resistance. A Cascade Components...

cascadecomponents.bike

 

[kidsnare]

…..then carbon bar to cut down on hand fatigue

I never had one, how does a carbon bar help on hand fatigue?

 

[Crrichmo]

I never had one, how does a carbon bar help on hand fatigue?

Less vibration is transmitted through carbon compared to alloy. Trail chatter feels a little more muted. Some carbon bars are stiffer than others though and you can get a very stiff carbon bar which may not be as forgiving on your arms. I like the oneup bar personally, but there are others that are nice too.

 

[Edward]

We're finally starting to melt in the high country (I live at 8000ft). This summer is going to be a blast!

 

[Rusty762]

I never had one, how does a carbon bar help on hand fatigue?

Carbon absorbs vibrations and is a dampening material, its also incredibly strong and light which is why so many bicycle frames are made out of it. Steel was the original material of choice, but was heavier and also had some flexibility in it which helped before suspension existed. Aluminum was the next metal to be tested, Cannondale was one of the first to experiment with large tubes that were super light but also dented easily and were a harsher ride. Titanium was next and had compliancy like steel but was also very light, one of the biggest problems was cost. Once full suspension designs started to get dialed in the mid to late 90's aluminum was the material of choice and Trek was one of the first to have a huge step up with their OCLV technology that was taken from Military helicopter rotor blades...

 

[Crrichmo]

That is Beautiful, as someone who raced DH on the original Heckler back in the 90's when the first Fox coils came out and the Marzocchi Bomber on the front with dual coils and an oil bath system it was a total game changer. I am on the same page, I have the Fox 36 out front and its fine but the DHX2 is next on the list. I talked with some of the techs at Santa Cruz about why they spec Rock Shock coils on the Bullit and they are claiming they have more mid stroke support. Think your idea of going with a stiffer coil or better yet a Progressive coil, my last bike had a DVO Jade with a 475-575 and it was awesome. Appreciate the pics, when you get the 38 on front post some more. I went with the gray but the Avocado has grown on me and with your color scheme your bike looks great. I just sold my Ibis Mojo HD 5, have over 300 miles now and the Heckler is going to serve all my needs currently.

If you have not seen the MRP kits they make one for the DHX2, it might just do the trick for what you are listing there are some links below for the springs and spacer kit to fit the DHX 2. A friend of mine owns Cascade Components and they make links that allow you to run longer shocks, increase travel and adjusts the progressiveness. They made a link for the previous Heckler, I am trying to get them to make one for our bikes but they want me to send my bike to the in Washington... Reach out to them as the more request they get the more likely they are to get it done.

MRP Progressive Springs

MRP Progressive Springs are the only non-linear shock springs on the market for trail and all-mountain/enduro riding. Progressive Springs increase in rate late in stroke to provide additional bottom-out support and open up the use of coil shocks on frames previously only suited to air shocks...

thelostco.com

MRP Coil Spring Spacer Kits

The Coil Spring Spacer kits allow MRP springs (Enduro SL, Progressive, and Standard Steel) to be used on both MRP shocks and those from other manufacturers. There are six kits available.

thelostco.com

Cascade Components Bronson link

Santa Cruz V4 Bronson LT Link | US | Cascade Components

The Cascade Components V4 Bronson link has the big bike energy you have been looking for. The stock V4 Bronson suspension has been improved over the V3 Bronson, but we figured we would throw even more progression at it for excellent traction and bottom out resistance. A Cascade Components...

cascadecomponents.bike

Would be pretty cool if cascade makes a link for this MY heckler. I would get it for sure. Looks like they did for the previous model. But the rear suspension is feeling really good with the changes so far. Definitely not a high priority purchase right now.

 

[Rusty762]

Would be pretty cool if cascade makes a link for this MY heckler. I would get it for sure. Looks like they did for the previous model. But the rear suspension is feeling really good with the changes so far. Definitely not a high priority purchase right now.

Agreed they will, I have been pestering them. Need to take some measurements for them to get the ball rolling...

 

[Rusty762]

Changed the design, going to add a little material to the disc but its very low profile, the o ring click into place and there is a small hole that a 3mm allen wrench will fit it but I have not found necessary. Its been raining hard here in Santa Cruz so will ride both days this weekend and report back. One of the trails I am going to ride is a creek bed almost the entire ride so should be a good test.

 

[bikeguy11]

Changed the design, going to add a little material to the disc but its very low profile, the o ring click into place and there is a small hole that a 3mm allen wrench will fit it but I have not found necessary. Its been raining hard here in Santa Cruz so will ride both days this weekend and report back. One of the trails I am going to ride is a creek bed almost the entire ride so should be a good test.

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View attachment 86590

View attachment 86591

Well done! Anxious to hear how it performs. I'm in Oregon and it's pretty much ALWAYS wet!

 

[FastFR]

Does anyone of you have an idea when the first Hecklers will reach Europe ? It is indicated April on SC website… but something is telling me that reality would be different

 

[AndrewLeeisRead]

Hope yall are enjoying your Hecklers!! Think I was one of the firsts to actually have their battery fall out, mine unfortunately happened on the highway, before I knew there was a recall on the latches . Now she's a garage queen... Only got 1 ride in..

....

 

[Crrichmo]

Hope yall are enjoying your Hecklers!! Think I was one of the firsts to actually have their battery fall out, mine unfortunately happened on the highway, before I knew there was a recall on the latches . Now she's a garage queen... Only got 1 ride in..

Damn! That's rough. Sorry to hear that. Mine fell out during a ride, so aside from a dent or two and some scuffs, i just put it back in and then strapped it up. Hope you get resolution soon.

Aqua decals look sick!

 

[Rusty762]

Hope yall are enjoying your Hecklers!! Think I was one of the firsts to actually have their battery fall out, mine unfortunately happened on the highway, before I knew there was a recall on the latches . Now she's a garage queen... Only got 1 ride in.. View attachment 86896 ....

Thats a huge bummer, I have about 300 miles on mine now and the battery is fine thankfully. I hope you get a replacement soon! I did have a different issue on my third ride the bike would not turn on. I was at the Santa Cruz Factory with a friend that was renting a Heckler that day to take it for a spin and they were scratching their heads. Turned out that the Shimano cable from the display to the motor was pinched, I wrote a short review might be worth checking out in case this happens on the trail. I bought a spare 950mm cable and carry it with me as its something you could easily fix out on the trail and only cost $25. Cool decals, like mixing it up.

2022 Santa Cruz Heckler First EMTB owner

Hey guys, just picked up a 2022 V9 Heckler size Large in the MX version. After trying a bunch of e bikes I settled on the Heckler for its lively, poppy feel. Most of the single track here in Santa Cruz is flowing, technical, rocky, smooth, fast ahhh I guess a little bit of everything :) I also...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[AndrewLeeisRead]

So mine happened on March 28th, emailed SC and they admitted that there was a latch issue, I was fully prepared to fork over $1k+ for a new battery but they said they would warranty it. Unfortunately, they won't be able to ship out or sell any new bikes until the latch workaround is resolved. Said it's like a 20 minute fix and your local SC dealer can do it, but they need to get it approved by the consumer approval & safety groups, who knows when that'll happen. There's another thread about the battery on here, there's people who bought bikes & their dealers won't release them cause of this issue, sucks.

 

[Rusty762]

So mine happened on March 28th, emailed SC and they admitted that there was a latch issue, I was fully prepared to fork over $1k+ for a new battery but they said they would warranty it. Unfortunately, they won't be able to ship out or sell any new bikes until the latch workaround is resolved. Said it's like a 20 minute fix and your local SC dealer can do it, but they need to get it approved by the consumer approval & safety groups, who knows when that'll happen. There's another thread about the battery on here, there's people who bought bikes & their dealers won't release them cause of this issue, sucks.

It's really coming down to the dealers here in Santa Cruz, some of them are letting the bikes go with a rubber strap and others are told they are not to sell a single Heckler until this is resolved. I have electrical tape in my parts kit on my back all the time but thankfully have not had to use it. Hope they get this figured out asap..

 

[Desert_Turtle]

I’m on my second 2022 Heckler. No issues with my S build that I sold and no issues with my CC AXS Reserve bike either. Don’t let this battery nonsense discourage you. I really like my Heckler. It rides like a Levo SL. It feels super light. I don’t understand everybody putting a coil and/or a Fox 38 on them. They aren’t that kind of bike. If you need a more enduro oriented bike just buy a Bullit, Levo, or 160e. I bought the Heckler for trail riding and it’s absolutely perfect for that. For most people it’s absolutely perfect.

 

[Rusty762]

I’m on my second 2022 Heckler. No issues with my S build that I sold and no issues with my CC AXS Reserve bike either. Don’t let this battery nonsense discourage you. I really like my Heckler. It rides like a Levo SL. It feels super light. I don’t understand everybody putting a coil and/or a Fox 38 on them. They aren’t that kind of bike. If you need a more enduro oriented bike just buy a Bullit, Levo, or 160e. I bought the Heckler for trail riding and it’s absolutely perfect for that. For most people it’s absolutely perfect.

Have you ridden a coil shock? The Heckler is a do everything bike, what type of shock you run is your choice. Air shocks have come a long way since the original Heckler in 96 but they don't provide the ground hugging capabilities of a coil and the only negative to them is weight. On a EMTB that makes absolutely no difference to me and has not on my two previous non EMTB bikes. There's a phrase "On Coil" and if you know, well then you know. There are no rules to how you modify your bike, to each their own.

 

[Crrichmo]

I’m on my second 2022 Heckler. No issues with my S build that I sold and no issues with my CC AXS Reserve bike either. Don’t let this battery nonsense discourage you. I really like my Heckler. It rides like a Levo SL. It feels super light. I don’t understand everybody putting a coil and/or a Fox 38 on them. They aren’t that kind of bike. If you need a more enduro oriented bike just buy a Bullit, Levo, or 160e. I bought the Heckler for trail riding and it’s absolutely perfect for that. For most people it’s absolutely perfect.

This is a funny comment.

 

[Ushtang]

I’m on my second 2022 Heckler. No issues with my S build that I sold and no issues with my CC AXS Reserve bike either. Don’t let this battery nonsense discourage you. I really like my Heckler. It rides like a Levo SL. It feels super light. I don’t understand everybody putting a coil and/or a Fox 38 on them. They aren’t that kind of bike. If you need a more enduro oriented bike just buy a Bullit, Levo, or 160e. I bought the Heckler for trail riding and it’s absolutely perfect for that. For most people it’s absolutely perfect.

Lol, getting a 38mm stanchion fork for my Heckler because I'm a heavier rider.

 

[Desert_Turtle]

Yes, of course I’ve ridden a coil. I have a 2022 Levo Pro, a 2020 Kenevo, a 2020 C1 Norco Range, and the Heckler. 2 of those bikes have a coil. I weigh about 205 lbs or 93kgs. I’m on the heavy side too. I find the Fox 36 to be a nicer ride than the 38 unless your hitting big features. I definitely didn’t buy the Heckler for the bike park but It’ll do just fine to a point. Up until a year ago I mostly rode park and enduro. Once I started doing local trail riding I felt like my bikes were overkill. I was lucky if I used 75% of my travel. That’s when I decided to try the Heckler. I’ve had at least a dozen ebikes over the last couple of years. I love both riding them and working on them. You’re not going to be able to change my mind. If you’re adding a big fork or a coil to the Heckler, in my opinion (I want to stress the part about it being my opinion), you bought the wrong bike. The Bullit is a bike that works well with a coil. Coils are very linear in feel, even with a variable rate spring, and you need a lot of travel to get the most out of one. I don’t think 150mm is enough. Again, my opinion.

 

[Desert_Turtle]

 

[Crrichmo]

Yes, of course I’ve ridden a coil. I have a 2022 Levo Pro, a 2020 Kenevo, a 2020 C1 Norco Range, and the Heckler. 2 of those bikes have a coil. I weigh about 205 lbs or 93kgs. I’m on the heavy side too. I find the Fox 36 to be a nicer ride than the 38 unless your hitting big features. I definitely didn’t buy the Heckler for the bike park but It’ll do just fine to a point. Up until a year ago I mostly rode park and enduro. Once I started doing local trail riding I felt like my bikes were overkill. I was lucky if I used 75% of my travel. That’s when I decided to try the Heckler. I’ve had at least a dozen ebikes over the last couple of years. I love both riding them and working on them. You’re not going to be able to change my mind. If you’re adding a big fork or a coil to the Heckler, in my opinion (I want to stress the part about it being my opinion), you bought the wrong bike. The Bullit is a bike that works well with a coil. Coils are very linear in feel, even with a variable rate spring, and you need a lot of travel to get the most out of one. I don’t think 150mm is enough. Again, my opinion.

Wow, you have a good stable of bikes. Very nice. I get what you are saying about changing the intent of the heckler by adding a 38 and a coil, but I also disagree with the perspective. You can definitely mod the bike to better suit your riding style and it's why most of us are on these forums--finding out what others are doing and getting ideas that sound appealing to us. I don't have multiple ebikes and wanted a do it all emtb. The heckler is perfect for that. I also prefer coil to air for anything 140 or bigger, assuming the bike suspension is progressive enough. A 150 rear travel bike with a progressive suspension curve with a coil is money. Buttery smooth off the top and still poppy (dhx2 is poppier than the X2 in my experience). Fox 38 is an awesome fork. I run it on my yeti sb165 having upgraded it from a fox 36. It holds a straight line through chunk better and weight on the trail is almost imperceptible. I'm not a weight weenie, especially when there is a motor, and I will always choose performance first. I don't think a 38 affects playfulness at all and feels great on the trail. That said, if this was a Bronson, I would probably stick with a fox 36 or lyrik since it would be my daily driver (I have a StEvo with a 36 as my daily). But agree, we all have our preferences. Also, a 170 rear travel bike is too much for most local trails in my area, so a Bullit with a coil or air would sap some of the fun I suspect. But just a guess. In any case, I'm very satisfied with the heckler running a dhx2 and a fox 38.