E-MTB Brand Battle: Specialized vs. Santa Cruz
Written by: Rémy Rossi | March 23, 2024 | Time to read 4 min
You can’t go wrong with a trail-munching e-MTB from Specialized or Santa Cruz. But what’s the difference between the two powerhouse brands?
More about the Author: Remy Rossi
Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.
California brands battle for the best boost
Both brands make standard bikes as well as e-Bikes, though Specialized has a deeper catalog and larger presence worldwide (it’s one of the biggest bike brands out there). Santa Cruz is recognized as one of the very top electric mountain bike brands in the game, focusing on a narrower range of high-end bikes. When it comes to the brand’s e-MTB models, the race gets a lot tighter since the various models are so comparable.
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Specialized
- Specialized Tero: Hardtail electric mountain bike with 110mm of front travel. It’s an adventure-ready e-MTB that forgoes rear suspension for a more versatile and lightweight ride. An Upway best-seller, too!
- Specialized Levo: One of the most popular e-MTBs out there, the Levo features enduro specs, including 160mm and 150mm of travel at the front and rear, respectively. It’s available in a ton of build options, including aluminum and carbon frames, lightweight specs, and different groupsets.
- Specialized Kenevo: It’s a rowdy enduro e-MTB that’s entering into downhill mountain bike territory, boasting huge 170mm travel measurements at the front and back. For riders who need that extra suspension, looking to shuttle themselves up the mountain.
Santa Cruz
- Santa Cruz Vala: Mid-travel electric mountain bike with a powerful Bosch motor, mixed wheels, and a 160mm/150mm suspension packet to handle tons of terrain.
- Santa Cruz Heckler: Lightweight e-MTB with the latest FAZUA RIDE 60 drive unit for ultimate efficiency, power, and speed. 160mm of travel up front and 150mm of legendary VPP™ suspension at the rear.
- Santa Cruz Bullit: Mixed-wheel downhill e-MTB designed to take on the steepest, chunkiest routes and skip the chairlift line. There’s 170mm of travel, DH geometry, and a Shimano EP8 motor so you can drop into the wildest trails.
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In-house vs. outsourced motors
When it comes to the electric motors used on the brand’s models, Specialized and Santa Cruz have slightly different philosophies. Specialized builds its mid-drive motors in-house, often with the collaboration of German manufacturer Brose. The Specialized 2.2 motor is typically the model of choice for the brand’s e-MTBs.
Santa Cruz, however, opts to outfit its electric mountain bikes with motors from other high-quality brands. And Santa Cruz actually chooses three different providers for its three different e-MTB models. The Vala is powered by Bosch, the Bullit by Shimano’s latest drive unit, and the Heckler SL has the featherweight FAZUA RIDE 60 motor. Both Specialized and Santa Cruz use powerful, high-end motors that will reliably get you up the climbs, but it’s worth noting the differences.
Suspension technology
Santa Cruz is well-known for its VPP™ rear suspension design, an acronym for Virtual Pivot Point. The innovative system uses two links that rotate in opposite directions to create a “virtual” pivot point, which can be adjusted and tuned to one’s preferences. It’s been on Santa Cruz bikes since 2001 and has delivered top-notch performance ever since.
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Price and value
But Upway has got you covered— our new and like-new e-Bikes help you save up to 60% on the best models from the top brands like Specialized and Santa Cruz! Each bike is rigorously inspected and professionally reconditioned with a one-year warranty to ensure excellent performance.
Key Takeaways
- Brand Differences & Strengths: Specialized has a broader global presence and offers a wider range of e-MTBs, including hardtail models, while Santa Cruz focuses on high-end, full-suspension e-MTBs.
- Motor & Suspension Tech: Specialized builds its own motors in collaboration with Brose, while Santa Cruz uses different third-party motors (Bosch, Shimano, and FAZUA). Santa Cruz also uses its proprietary VPP™ suspension system.
- Pricing & Value: Both brands offer premium e-MTBs with high-end specs, priced from $3,000–$10,000+, but Upway provides refurbished options at up to 60% off, making these elite models more accessible.
