Just received 1 of 2 Heckler SLs, so only have a few rides on it. It’s quieter than my Trek EXe and has way more power than my Orbea Rise—on the easy climbs where we have compared them side by side. Still just running the stock tuning modes, but that will probably change when I get on the bigger and steeper trails that I will use this thing for.
It connected to my Garmin Fénix 7 watch pretty easily. The FAZUA app is easy to use and has its own amount of riding data—like actual battery percentage (this also available on the watch). The led display is a little archaic looking but still functions fine. The ring controller feels loose but it has side functions that allow you to push it in which is why most people discuss its cheapness? The ring controller is metal so lets see how this goes further down the road.
It also has a bunch more range obviously the Trek and the Orbea without the fantasy, forthcoming, rumored range extender.
Obviously, I don’t really know reliability over the long haul yet, but I feel that in general Santa Cruz did a really good job creating and integrating this bike.
There are a ton of firmware updates to the FAZUA system as well. It’s currently up to number 9. It feels like they care about the system as a whole so I wouldn’t be surprised with more updates/accessories/tweaks coming in the future.
I’ll definitely circle back as I ride this over more varied terrain over the summer.
Hope this helps with your decision.